Polygamy Polygyny Polyandry

 

Polygamy in the generic term for people who have multiple marriages. 

The most common form of polygamy is polygyny--one man has two or more wives. 

Polyandry is the form of polygamy in which a woman is married to two or more men.

Bigamy refers to a person being married to two people.

Polygamy is rare but more common in some parts of the world than others.

In many countries, polygamy is illegal but some people living in polygamous relationships may have multiple marriages in accordance with their religion. Polygamy is an acceptable form of marriage for Muslims and some Christian sects.

Research on polygamy is ongoing. Many nations ban polygamy but some tolerate polygamy among cultural groups that have a long tradition of polygamy.

Researchers have documented higher rates of physical abuse and emotional distress among wives in polygynous relationships compared to women in monogamous relationships. However, some wives in polygynous relationships report benefits like shared household responsibilities and parenting tasks.

Following are some references that might be helpful. The reference section of the articles may lead you to other pertinent studies.

References

Agadjanian V. (2020). Condemned and Condoned: Polygynous Marriage in Christian Africa. Journal of marriage and the family, 82(2), 751–768. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12624

Alhuzail, N. A. (2023). “I wish he were dead” The experience of loss among young Arab-Bedouin women in polygamous families. Affilia: Feminist Inquiry in Social Work, 38(1), 75–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/08861099221075899

Anderson, C. M. (2000). The persistence of polygyny as an adaptive response to poverty and oppression in apartheid South Africa. Cross-Cultural Research: The Journal of Comparative Social Science, 34(2), 99–112. https://doi.org/10.1177/106939710003400201

Dierickx, S., Rahbari, L., Longman, C., Jaiteh, F., & Coene, G. (2018). 'I am always crying on the inside': a qualitative study on the implications of infertility on women's lives in urban Gambia. Reproductive health, 15(1), 151. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-018-0596-2

Gwanfogbe, P. N., Schumm, W. R., Smith, M., & Furrow, J. L. (1997). Polygyny and Marital Life Satisfaction: an Exploratory Study from Rural Cameroon. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 28, 55-71.

Hassouneh-Phillips, D. (2001). Polygamy and wife abuse: A qualitative study of Muslim women in America. Health Care for Women International, 22(8), 735–748. https://doi.org/10.1080/073993301753339951

Lawson, D. W., James, S., Ngadaya, E., Ngowi, B., Mfinanga, S. G. M., & Mulder, M. B. (2015). No evidence that polygynous marriage is a harmful cultural practice in northern Tanzania. PNAS Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112(45), 13827–13832. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1507151112

Masoga, M. A., & Shokane, A. L. (2016). Women in polygynous marriages and African Initiated Churches: Selected narratives in Greater Tzaneen, South Africa. Agenda, 30(3), 80–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/10130950.2016.1259868

Shepard, L. D. (2013). The impact of polygamy on women’s mental health: A systematic review. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 22(1), 47–62. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796012000121

Tabi, M. M., Doster, C., & Cheney, T. (2010). A qualitative study of women in polygynous marriages. International nursing review, 57(1), 121–127. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-7657.2009.00762.x

Note

The earliest biblical reference to polygyny is in Genesis 4, which refers to the two wives of Lamech.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

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