10 - Marriage

Summary

My approach to the discussion of marriage in Akhdar takes as its premise the existence within this society of different economic and social environments, giving rise to different behaviour patterns. It seems appropriate to consider the various aspects of marriage in each setting in turn before attempting to assess its significance for the social structure as a whole.

This latter phase of the analysis is legitimate in so far as Moroccans of different milieux, when talking of marriage, assume that they are referring to an institution to which everyone subscribes. They recognise the same elements, more or less, in the establishment of a new union – that the marriage is arranged on behalf of the young couple, not by them; that they are consequently often strangers, and any familiarity between them before marriage is shameful; that the groom's female kin must assess the bride; that a great deal of nif (honour, face) is involved in this mutual sizing up of the families; to safeguard this the services of an intermediary come in useful; that a material settlement is made on the bride by the husband or her parents – to be paid on divorce; that a written contract stating the conditions of the marriage should be drawn up by a notary and witnessed; that the bride's virginity and fidelity carry a heavy load of nif for both families;