Social and Cultural Aspects of Customary Consanguineous Marriages in South Asia

This chapter provides an overview of consanguineous unions with a particular emphasis on regions where such marriages are part of the social and cultural ethos. Consanguineous marriages are common in many parts of North Africa, West Asia and South Asia. There are also a substantial number of immigrants in many Western countries from these regions. However, the focus of this chapter is on patterns and correlates of cousin marriages in the Middle East and South Asia, and a discussion of social customs and cultural norms associated with consanguinity. The terms 'consanguinity' and 'cousin marriages' are used interchangeably throughout the chapter. Consanguineous unions are conventionally defined as marriages between individuals up to the third cousin level. However, in most regions of the world where consanguineous unions are common, marriages are predominantly among close relatives such as first cousins. Most of the studies on consanguinity have assessed the prevalence of consanguineous relationship over one generation. However, in biological terms the coefficient of inbreeding may be higher due to multiple relationships across generations. Moreover, the practice of cousin marriage needs to be viewed within the larger cultural continuum of endogamy.