Publisher's Synopsis
Whilst both animals and human beings engage in mating, only humans observe the ritual of marriage. Is marriage an outgrowth at the cultural level of the kinds of mating arrangements observed in animals, or is it inherently different? This question is explored here from the differing perspectives of zoology, biological anthropology, social anthropology, and sociology. The aim is to bring together these different approaches, indicating the problems and exploring the possibilities for a synthesis.
