>> Often the same kinship pattern controls the economic ownership of resources   
   >> etc., first cousin marriage keeps this in the line of the mother/father   
   >> because all first cousins are within that kinship line..   
   >   
   >It had more to do with status.   
      
   Not in the case of first cousins in most historical traditional cultures   
   and even today.   
      
   Status as hierarchy is minimal or does not exist in these cultures as an   
   universal explanitory element.  Egalitarian status was often the rule.   
      
   In high hierarchy culturres it was also seen, many of them having been   
   Egalitarian in the recent past.   
      
   Many of what is classified as tribal culture level or chieffdom level and   
   also have a mother or father line kinship system have first cousin marriage   
   for the reasons mentioned.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)