November 5, 2012

Human Ecology 230

Dr. Jada Brooks

The Culture of Polygamy

Marriage is considered to be a universal concept that society has accepted. In society, some type of union or pact allows two or more individuals to become a union in purpose of maintaining a family or economically joined household. there are many ways to conceive the term “marriage”. In some cultures, it is perceived as acceptable to have more than one husband. However, the most common deviation from a marriage of two individuals, is the marriage of one man to many wives, which is referred to as polygamy. This form of lifestyle is found in cultures that are defined by certain religions. The two common religions that permit the marriages of one man to many wives are the Islam and the Mormons also known as Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints. This paper will examine the lifestyle and culture of polygamy in our society.

To many individuals, the conception of polygamy, the practice of having more than one wife, conjures up the notion of “harem” women as sex slaves, servants, and baby making machines. Although most of our society view these types of arrangements as immoral and illegal, polygamy has been apart of the world’s culture and is continuously accepted in areas such as Africa, India and Canada. In our society, nothing is more upsetting to some than diversity in an area that has been tradition for years and polygamy shatter that norm for most of the population. However, not polygamist families have faced physical, mental and sexual abuse; there are families that are content, functioning very well and they also allow the wives to be independent. According to the show “Sister Wives” Kody Brown and his four wives support this culture and they also believe they reap the benefits of being a polygamist. All of Kody’s wives have