Gozona And Fandango: Sources Of Marriage Legitimacy In Yalálag, Oaxaca

Abstract

This article looks at marriage in Yalálag, Oaxaca. First, the article traces changes that occurred with regard to matrimonial norms and practices throughout the twentieth century. Second, it examines the local categories gozona and fandango, that are used to describe the way the alliance is established and represent the sources of marriage legitimacy. While the criteria for establishing marriage legitimacy cannot be understood without precise knowledge of local normative systems, they can be analyzed from a more general anthropologic perspective, as a total social fact, through analytical categories such as gift, marriage transaction, and dowry.