Hypergamy and Hypogamy

Marriage is a universal social institution establishing legitimacy of children born in wedlock. The norm in hypergamy is that a man should marry his daughter in a family of higher status than his own status. In a hypergamous marriage a woman preferably marries a superior or marries an equal; a man should not marry a woman of higher status than himself. Though hypergamy is prevalent in India, it is not universal. In Hindu ideology the bride is considered as a gift or dan. Ideally, the bride is a virgin offered as kanyadan. In addition, gifts in terms of dowry and materials are also given. The hierarchical relationship between the wife-giver and wife-receiver maybe expressed in commensal activities. Hypergamous marriage may lead to improved status and rank of the families involved. Hypergamous marriages when repeated by wife-giver and wife-receivers may lead to consolidation of affinal relationship.
The norm in the hypogamous system is that a man should marry a woman of higher status than his own. In such a case wife-giver has a higher status than the wife-receiver. Leach and Levi-Strauss have discussed the relationship between matrilateral cross-cousin marriage between persons of different social status and class structure. According to Levi-Strauss, hypogamy represents the maternal aspect of anisogamy since it lends privilege to the female line and hypergamy privileges the male line.