Originally Posted by
Bikewer
In regards to the economic underpinnings of some of these practices... I suppose a case might be made that smaller dowries might be expected if the family honor was besmirched, or that the daughters might prove entirely unmarriagable, which would be an economic hardship in many cases.
Only peripherally related, but anthropologist Marvin Harris has pointed out that most all the strange religious dietary laws that exist have underpinnings in economics.
There may well be economic underpinnings. Most cultural practices involve some kind of economic benefit, in some way. However, that doesn't imply economic determinism. Nineteenth century Ireland, for example, had a similar patriarchal system, peasant farming and religious reverence for chastity, but such honour killings would have been very rare, and significantly, universally deprecated.
While economics is an important driving force in human affairs, it's not the only thing, unless one is a Marxist fundamentalist. Cultural norms are enormously influential.
It's quite possible that the insanity of honour killings springs from the conflict between the highly restricted world in which these people live, which nevertheless has access to the values of the West in a way never before possible.