09 Marriage And Kinship 1

This article surprised me due to the fact that the idea that a wife can have more than one husband never crossed my mind. I had been aware of men having more than one wife, but never a wife having more than one husband. This completely opposes other cultures that I have learned about because in most cultures, men are the dominant power. This article suggests the opposite, that women actually acquire more power to those in other cultures. The idea of a polyandry type of marriage always interested me since I had been taught my whole life that, “love conquers all.” I had been raised with the idea that people settle with only one

Marriage is very common among societies. Depending on the culture, the definition and the type of marriages differ. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “Marriage is a physical, legal and moral union between man and woman in complete community life for the establishment of a family(2013).”A broader definition of marriage is that it’s ritually and socially recognized union between people who establishes rights and obligations between them.

Coontz talks about the history behind marriage. People chose their partners based on “something as fragile and irrational as love” before they focus on their sexual, intimate, and altruistic desires. (p.378) Coontz points out that may cultures view marriage differently. Some cultures thought that

Polygamy is the case in which a man or a woman has multiple spouses. One branch of polygamy is termed “polygyny”, which is when “one man is married to several wives” (Zeitzen 3).

Despite the argument that polygamist lifestyles are easier, polygamy has proven time and time again, to be a terrible lifestyle that has been dolled up to look like something that it is not. Polygamist families are often unable to meet their basic needs, “In spite of our poverty, my husband continued to marry other wives. I almost died from typhoid fever and my first baby died” (Spencer 1). The health and well-being is the last thing on the mind of a husband living in polygamy because he is constantly wanting more for himself. All of the sister wives are so in love with their husband, what they do not know is that he does not really love them, if he did he would

Polygamy is the practice of being married to more than one person simultaneously; also known as plural marriage. “Traditionally, polygamy has been practised in Hindu, Islamic, and Christian (Mormon) societies, among others” (Chittom) Polygamy is illegal in the united states, however it is still practiced. In fact, polygamy is becoming more widespread. According to the Daily Beast, “In 2001, only 7 percent of Americans deemed polygamy morally acceptable. Now 16 percent find it morally acceptable. (Allen) Plural marriage is becoming more popular. “Rough estimates place the polygamous population in the U.S. is somewhere between 50,000 to 100,000 people” (Allen) Even though plural marriage is illegal in most 1st world countries, “Polygamy remains a common practice

As Anthropologist Kimber McKay challenged the world’s outlook on what we believe to be a traditional, normal marriage, I was intrigued by the results of her fieldwork that displayed the different types of marriages occurring around the world. In her research in the Nepalese Himalaya, she lived within the community of polyandrous people participating in their daily life. In Humla, it was common for a polyandrous woman to marry a man and his brothers. McKay shared a video from a polyandrous woman that described the relationship she had with her two husbands. Here are her words: “If the husbands agree with it (polyandry) then it’s good. One can take care of the local work and the other can do outside work.” I hypothesize the reason polyandry

Polygamy is the custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. Polygamy

Polygamy is the practice of having multiple spouses at one time, and has been considered a controversial social and legal topic in society, gaining attention as a subject in which multiple opinions are held. As the topic has become a part of mainstream culture through media accounts of polygamist families by news outlets and reality television, confusion has emerged in reference to its main characteristics and legitimacy as a form of marriage. However, this kind of marriage is intriguing because it enters more than two individuals into the union, potentially causing a change in husband-wife dynamics. In particular, polygamy with multiple wives proves to be more common in media accounts of these relationships. That being said, appreciating this form of marriage, as in any union, requires an understanding of how the different social players behave and the general interactions of the husband-wife relationships. Likewise, it is important to understand how this type of union exemplifies the typical United States ideals of marriage. With more information regarding polygamist marriages, society can better understand its similarities and differences from normative patterns, ultimately eliminating some of the stigma placed on the husbands and wives of these relationships.

A recent article about Polygamy in the Washington Post argues that polygamy could be the next popular issue besides gay marriage. However the reason being that is not currently making as the main issues about marriages is that polygamy existence since biblical times. Because gender is displayed as heteronormative in the influence of polygamy it is seen as the lesser of the two evils between that and gay marriage. Article argues about how the doctrine of marriage is perceived through recent times and religion is a justification factor that makes it OK for one man to marry multiple women regardless of the religion discontinuing the practice of polygamy.

In spite of the biological tendency to favor one mate at a time, marriage systems, however, have changed into many different forms, like polygamy (one husband and many wives), polyandry (one wife and many husbands), patriarchy (male rule),or matriarchy (female rule). These changes have largely happened for economic reasons. In other words, historically, marriage systems have reflected economic factors of the time. Thus, marriage encompasses an endless variety of combinations joined by a legal contract heavily influenced by economics. Clearly, economics is more powerful than biology.

Polygamy is the practice of being married to one or more person at the same time. Polygamy exists in three specific forms polygyny wherein a man has multiple simultaneous wives; polyandry where in a woman has multiple simultaneous husbands. Woman has multiple simultaneous husbands; or group marriages wherein the family unit consists of multiple husbands and multiple wives.

In today’s developing world it is common for people to desire and be affectionate with more than one spouse. It seems difficult for one person, man or woman to commit to being with one spouse, therefore the divorce rates are increasing every day. The question remains whether this act should be legalized or not.

A study of closed societies in which polygamous relationships are practiced demonstrate certain sociological traits. These traits are related to the societies’ ideas concerning the intent and moral goals related to marriage. They are often determined by religious practice and considered to be a requirement for heavenly blessings.

Normal marriage would me monogamy, which consist only two partners. Polygamy marriage can include a man married to more than on wife at a time, or a woman married to more than on husband at a time. People who wants to have polygamy marriage lifestyle are commonly married to one spouse and cohabitating with the other spouses since polygamy is illegal in the U.S. Polygamist families tend to make up a very small portion of American household. Polygamy is officially and broadly practiced in more than eight hundred societies worldwide. It has been the focus of a substantial augmentation in public, political, and academic awareness throughout the last two decades. A number of research papers came out all through this time, primarily focusing on the influence of polygamy on behavioral, emotional, and educational alteration of children.