Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Carrier testing
Published in Angus Clarke, Alex Murray, Julian Sampson, Harper's Practical Genetic Counselling, 2019
The application of high-throughput genetic technologies to genetic screening programmes, to identify carriers of autosomal recessive disease, can be very helpful. A number of schemes have been developed to identify the rare recessive mutations found in specific population groups in North Africa and the Gulf. These schemes often involve cooperation between an Arab state and a European or North American genetics centre. The way in which these schemes operate in practice can tell us much about the social organisation of the particular community. These ‘rare’ mutations are often not at all rare within the relevant community, especially where endogamy is usual or consanguinity preferred.
Gender and health
Published in Laeth Sari Nasir, Arwa K Abdul-Haq, Caring for Arab Patients, 2018
More recently, the norm for marriage has been shifting to a more individualistic pattern, and a less prominent family role, particularly in the middle and upper classes. However, in general, the final selection of a mate is still made in close consultation with family members. This is illustrated by continued strong religious and group endogamy in marriage patterns.13 The degree of independence of mate selection among women seems to be strengthened by increased education14 and generational change.15,16 One study reported that the degree of autonomy in selection of a mate was positively correlated with self-perceived marital quality, although the methodology used was questionable.17
Conclusion
Published in Shirley Sun, Socio-economics of Personalized Medicine in Asia, 2016
Scientists should not really be surprised to find interracial or inter-ethnic differences in genetics due to historical discriminatory practices against particular groups (TallBear, 2013) and the practice of endogamy. More importantly, as Feldman and Lewontin (2008:93) put it: [I]t must be borne in mind that the taxonomic problem cannot be inverted. That is, while clustering methods are capable of assigning an individual to a geographic population with a high degree of certainty, given that individual’s genotype, it is not possible to predict accurately the genotype of an individual given his or her geographical origin…. There are gene alleles that appear only in one group … but there does not exist any gene for which one major geographical cluster includes 100 percent of one genotype while another major geographical cluster has 100 percent of another genotype.
Age of consent: challenges and contradictions of sexual violence laws in India
Published in Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 2022
A rigid, stratified, and hierarchical caste system is the hallmark of Indian society, and the caste system permeates not only Hindu communities but also exists among Muslims and Christians.14,15 The reference to different castes as upper or lower castes is with respect to a well-defined relational hierarchy. Traditionally, the “lowest” sections of society did not find a place in the caste hierarchy and were the “outcastes”.16 The “outcastes” of yesteryear are now known as Dalits, a politically conscious term taken up by the Dalits themselves in consideration of their enforced degraded status in society. Caste endogamy, essential to maintain such a rigid caste system, is another defining feature of Indian society.17,18 Within this system, marriage between an upper caste man and a lower caste woman is somewhat acceptable, but the reverse is both unacceptable and considered a dishonour to the woman's family. Within this scheme of things, inter-religious marriages are unacceptable, and marriage within the caste is the norm. The greatest outrage was and continues to be reserved for sexual alliance or marriage between an upper-caste Hindu and a Dalit16,19 or between a Hindu and a Muslim.16 The other prescription of this system is that a woman's expression of her sexuality has to be only within the boundaries of marriage, with primacy attached to procreation and perpetuation of patriliny.
Consanguineous unions and endogamy in families of beta-thalassaemia patients from two Mediterranean populations: Tunisia and Italy
Published in Annals of Human Biology, 2019
Ramla Weslati, Monia Ouederni, Giovanbattista Ruffo, Monia Ben Khaled, Ridha Kouki, Caterine Di Girgenti, Zelia Borsellino, Irene Sammartano, Mohamed El Gazzah, Safia El- Bok, Mohamed Bejaoui
Many sociological studies carried out in various societies have shown that the choice that appears to everyone to be the result of a strictly individual decision, is, in fact, subject to regulatory social influences. Religious, cultural and economic factors are commonly perceived reasons for consanguineous and endogamous marriages (De Sanctis et al. 2017). In Tunisian βTM families, the education level and occupational status of parents was generally better in non-consanguineous unions and non-endogamous families than in the consanguineous unions and endogamous couples. A significant association was found between mothers’ low occupation status and increasing frequency of consanguinity and endogamy. The level of education of parents was lower in consanguineous and endogamous groups. Previous studies showed that, in females, consanguineous marriages are associated with earlier age at marriage and lower education level and employment (Hamamy and Alwan 2016). This association of education level and occupation status of parents with the rate of endogamy was not found in Italian families; this might be explained by the smaller sample of Italian families. In addition, social and economic factors leading to endogamy and consanguinity might differ between cultures (Belaiba et al. 2018).
HLA Class II Allele and Haplotype Diversity in Libyans and Their Genetic Relationships with Other Populations
Published in Immunological Investigations, 2019
Monia Messoussi, Abdelhafidh Hajjej, Amel Ben Ammar Elgaaied, Wassim Y. Almawi, Antonio Arnaiz-Villena, Slama Hmida, Karima Fadhlaoui-Zid
Despite the absence of official statistics, black Libyans are widely distributed in Tripolitania, Fezzan, and Cyrenaica regions. Black Libyans are mainly concentrated in southern regions, such as Kufra, Sebha, and Ghadames, and are well integrated in the society and the state institutions. Using correspondence analysis, NJ trees, and SGD, Libyans appear to be distinct from Mossi, Congolese, and Nigerian Sub-Saharan Africans. Libyans are as far away from Sudanese and Comorian Sub-Saharan African Arabs, even though Sudan is a neighbouring country, and all three countries share the same religion and language, indicating that low contribution of sub-Saharan Libyans to Libya’s genetic pool (Bader, 2006; Ralph, 1979: Valensi, 1967). This divergence is attributed to the high endogamy in Libyan Blacks, since inter-ethnic marriages are virtually non-existent because of social barriers. Although blacks do not live in geographically remote areas, Libyans Blacks are genetically isolated due to the lack of genetic exchange with the other ethnic groups.