Discuss in short the history of Marriage Institution.
2. The evolutionary theory of Lewis Morgan based on certain rudimentary folkways and social practices concluded that in the earliest form of groupings of people, sex was absolutely unregulated. Consequently the institution of family was not known.
3. Believing that as time passed the human societies had evolved from lower into higher types. Lewis Morgan set forth certain hypothetical stages in the evolution of marriage. Accordingly as he thought from the hypothetical state of promiscuity society must have evolved into group marriage, then polygamy and lastly monogy.
4. Westermark on the other hand, is of the opinon that the history of marriage started with its monogamous form. He concluded this on the basis of his assumption that the male has by nature been an acquisitive and possessive creature.
5. Another anthropologist Robert Briffault claims that at the initial stage of marital relationship, mother had the supreme authority. He rejected patriarchy as claimed by Lewis Morgan and monagmy as claimed by Westmark to be the initial forms of marriage and family.
6. Sociology takes little interest in the origin and the initial forms of marriage. It is more concerned about the nature of marriage in the civilized society and the changes that have taken place in this institution and in the forces responsible for this change.
