It’s fairly common across cultures, due to the highly transactional nature of pre-modern family formation, for families to pay either dowry or bride-price. The former usually when labor is plentiful in society (“I have enough people already; you want me to take another mouth to feed? Pay me”); the latter when labor is at a premium (“My son needs a work-partner-I mean, wife! I’ll give you a good price to give up a pair of hands from your own farm-I mean, family!”)
Things will only get worse over time, as the elites solidify their hold over humanity permanently, creating a world that is more similar to that Saint Row’s hell, than any Star Trek series.
It’s fairly common across cultures, due to the highly transactional nature of pre-modern family formation, for families to pay either dowry or bride-price. The former usually when labor is plentiful in society (“I have enough people already; you want me to take another mouth to feed? Pay me”); the latter when labor is at a premium (“My son needs a work-partner-I mean, wife! I’ll give you a good price to give up a pair of hands from your own farm-I mean, family!”)
That makes sense but then why do these things remain even when the labour supply/demand changes
Traditions take generations to change, and change this past century has been… very rapid.
Thankfully it seems like traditions like this will snuff themselves out over a few generations.
Edit: nope, I’m wrong, the ratio is still 40%+ women
Things will only get worse over time, as the elites solidify their hold over humanity permanently, creating a world that is more similar to that Saint Row’s hell, than any Star Trek series.