Arranged Marriages In Inuit Culture

In the Inuit Culture marriages are arranged based on the perception of what is best for the community and families. They are arranged by the parents of the bride and groom and the elders in the community. Divorce is common and polygamy in rare but does happen. Gender roles in the community are not absolute, but the men are considered superior to the women. Children play a big role in the composition of a family and often bring the community together. Arranged marriages and gender preference reflect the discrimination of the Inuit Culture with men having supreme control over the everything. Marriages were arranged by the parents and the elders when the children are born or when they are kids (“Asiatic”). The elders were important and respected

Men are allowed to wed multiple wives, but cheating is still very common. Cheating is not a big deal if the man does it, but is very shameful for the woman to do. If a man dies his wife and children are passed down to his next eldest brother and that brother must care for them (“Asiatic”). The wife will become his wife even if he already has one. This is the most common way polygamy happens. The wife and children cannot be left to fend for themselves because in the Inuit view a women could never look after herself or her children alone. “The Asiatic Eskimos had the custom of sharing wives between partners (nangsaghag), who were considered "brothers," shared food, helped each other in the hunt, and showed each other hospitality. They had the right to enter into sexual relations with each other's wives” (“Asiatic”). The Asiatic Eskimos often shared their wives with a close group of friends. In this situation the women don’t have a say in if they want to have sexual relationships with the other men or not. Polygamy mostly happens among powerful and wealthy men (Forero). The tribes all live in big communities, but the husbands, wives, kids, and their families (parents and siblings) all live right next to one another (Forero). Every household has a leader, either an elder or very respected man

while the men go out and hunt for food (Forero). The only time that these rules don’t apply is if the woman has to hunt because there is not enough men in the tribe to provide enough food. Sometimes the men will learn how to sew and cook so that they can fix their clothing and feed themselves on long hunting trips (Forero). Also if a family does not have any male children, then the father will teach his daughter(s) how to hunt (Morgan). The Inuits are very open to their people moving gender roles according to their personal feelings (Morgan). In fact, children are socialized with the same gender of the relative whose name they possess (Morgan). Only when the children reach puberty do they revert to their biological sexes (Morgan). Once the child hits puberty they have to accept their gender and fill their role in their family and