Mostafa Saadat1. 1. Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. saadat@susc.ac.ir
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Using folktales we can find some aspects of social customs. Here, I show the situation of consanguineous marriages in folktales from different Iranian populations and try to compare it with the present situation of consanguineous marriages. METHODS: The study includes tales from 11 different Iranian (ethnic and/or geographical) populations. Overall, the records of 585 marriages in 296 folktales from the study populations were found. RESULTS: The estimated mean inbreeding coefficient (alpha) for different populations using folktale records is lower than that of the present values. However, there is a very high level of statistically significant correlation between them (r = 0.753, d.f. = 9, p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: The historical background is very important to attitude and practice regarding marriages between relatives.
BACKGROUND: Using folktales we can find some aspects of social customs. Here, I show the situation of consanguineous marriages in folktales from different Iranian populations and try to compare it with the present situation of consanguineous marriages. METHODS: The study includes tales from 11 different Iranian (ethnic and/or geographical) populations. Overall, the records of 585 marriages in 296 folktales from the study populations were found. RESULTS: The estimated mean inbreeding coefficient (alpha) for different populations using folktale records is lower than that of the present values. However, there is a very high level of statistically significant correlation between them (r = 0.753, d.f. = 9, p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: The historical background is very important to attitude and practice regarding marriages between relatives.
Authors: Ava Kwong; Enders K O Ng; Edmund Y H Tang; Chris L P Wong; Fian B F Law; Candy P H Leung; Aaron Chan; M T Cheung; M Y To; Edmond S K Ma; Dee W West; James M Ford Journal: Fam Cancer Date: 2011-06 Impact factor: 2.375