User:Bbrantley2/sandbox

Polygyny (/pəˈlɪdʒɪniː/; from Neoclassical Greek πολυγυνία from πολύ- poly- "many", and γυνήgyne "woman" or "wife") is the most common and accepted form of polygamy, entailing the marriage of a man with several women. Most countries that permit polygamy are Muslim-majority countries in which polygyny is the only form permitted. Polyandry is illegal in virtually every state of the world.

In some countries where polygamy is illegal, and sometimes even when legal, at times it is known for men to have one or more mistresses, whom they do not marry. The status of a mistress is not that of a wife, and any children born of such relationships were and some still are considered illegitimate and subject to legal disadvantage.

Incidence and explanation[edit | edit source]
Throughout the polygyny belt stretching from Senegal in the west to Tanzania in the east, as many as a third to a half of married women are in polygynous unions.[citation needed] Historically, polygyny was partly accepted in ancient Hebrew society, in classical China, and in sporadic traditional Native American, African and Polynesian cultures. In India it was known to have been practiced during ancient times. It was accepted in ancient Greece, until the Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Church.

Economic burden[edit | edit source]
Scholars have argued that in farming systems where men do most of the agriculture work, a second wife can be an economic burden rather than an asset. In order to feed an additional wife, the husband must either work harder himself or he must hire laborers to do part of the work. In such regions, polygyny is either non-existent or is a luxury which only a small minority of rich farmers can indulge.[page needed]

A report by the secretariat of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) quotes: "one of the strongest appeals of polygyny to men in Africa is precisely its economic aspect, for a man with several wives commands more land, can produce more food for his household and can achieve a high status due to the wealth which he can command.".[page needed] According to Esther Boserup, over much of the continent of Africa, tribal rules of land tenure are still in force.[page needed] This implies that members of a tribe, which commands a certain territory, have a native right to take land under cultivation for food production and in many cases also for the cultivation of cash crops. Under this tenure system, an additional wife is an economic asset that helps the family to expand its production.

KASSA KHOUZAMI: I think that you guys are off to a great start on this article! keep up the good work however I would suggest that we get a little more specific as far as the specific countries in whichever region that practice polygyny and the reasons or much rather the history behind why it still happens on the modern continent of Africa.

Amber Levister: **Economist Michèle Tertilt concludes that countries that practice polygyny are less economically stable than those that practice monogamy. Polygynous countries usually have a higher fertility rate, fewer savings, and a lower GDP. Fertility would be decreased by 40%, savings would increase by 70%, GDP would increase by 170% if polygyny as a practice was banned (Why Is polygyny article pg 601). Monogamous societies present a "surge" in economic productivity because monogamous men are able to save and invest their resources due to having fewer children more than men in polygynous cultures. Polygynous societies have a higher concentration of men investing into mating with more women, whereas monogamous men invest more into their families and other productive institutions (L'amour for four pg 2121) Marrying multiple wives gives polygynous men the economic and social insurance that kinship ties produce. With a large network of in-laws, these men have the ties they need to compensate for other economic shortages. (Economics of polygyny pg 942)

Brianna Brantley

Economically, polygyny can be seen in a positive aspect as well as a negative one. Of course having multiple wives will cause the man to have to work more to support the household, however, once the children are older they are able to help out which will lead to many more streams of income. Having children in these types of situations can definitely help the entire household. Even when the children are not able to work, they are able to help out with farm and agriculture work when needed.

Studies also show that many of the woman do not contribute to the monetary income of the house, but they do indeed help with many household chore and taking care of the children. Having more kids allows for easier household duties.

Findings[edit | edit source]
Some research that show that males living in polygynous marriages may live 12 percent longer. Polygyny may be practiced where there is a lower male:female ratio; this may result from male infants having increased mortality from infectious diseases.

Effects on women[edit | edit source]
** Polygynous marriages play a huge role in maintaining the hold of gender roles across the continent of Africa. Even though African women make up more than half of the continent's population, women hold subordinate positions in comparison to African men. Polygyny helps uphold inequality between the two genders by creating a legal bond through marriage that binds women into a subordinate role. Women across the continent are responsible for a large portion of the production of farming (sustainable and cash crops) yet, men married to these women reap the benefits and are allowed to redistribute their gains throughout the family as they would like. Inequality between husbands and wives are common in countries where polygyny is more frequently practiced because of limited education. In countries where polygyny is practiced less frequently, women have more equality in the marriage and are better able to communicate their opinions about family planning. (Brooke

** Polygynous marriages share common martial problems with women in a monogamous marriage; however, there are issues uniquely related to polygyny which affects their overall life satisfaction and have severe implications for women's health. Women practicing polygyny are susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases, infertility, and mental health complications. Brooke Among the Logoli of Kenya, the fear of AIDS or becoming infected with the HIV virus has informed women's decisions about entering polygynous marriages. Some view polygyny as a means to prevent men from taking random sexual partners and potentially introducing STDs into relationships. The transmission of STDs and HIV can be attributed to absence of communication about sexual health between a husband and his wives. Interviews conducted with some of the Logoli tribe in Kenya suggested they feared polygynous marriages because of what they have witnessed in the lives of other women who are currently in such relationships. The observed experiences of some of the women in polygynous unions tend to be characterized by frequent jealousy, conflicts, competition, tensions, and psychological stresses. Some of the husbands fail to share love and other resources equally; and envy and hatred, and sometimes violent physical confrontations become the order of the day among co-wives and their children. **Research shows that competition and conflict can intensify in various situations, which can progress to an unbearable level for co- wives, resulting in physical altercations or even suicide .Findings show that the wife order can affect life satisfaction. According to Bove and Valeggia, women who are senior wives often misuse their position to obtain healthcare benefits in countries one wife can become a recipient. The conflict between co-wives can attribute to the higher rates of mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, and paranoia Brooke Various methods have been used to reduce the amount of jealousy and conflict among wives. These include sororal polygyny, in which the co-wives are sisters; and hut polygyny, in which each wife has her own residence and the husband visits them in rotation. A clear status hierarchy among wives is also sometimes used to avoid fighting by establishing unequivocally each wife's rights and obligations.

** Although there are several harmful aspects of this practice related to women, there are some reported personal and economic advantages for women According to Al-Krenawi & Graham women share household responsibilities such as childrearing and chores like cleaning and cooking. Also, wives share companionship with co-wives. Brooke

By country[edit | edit source]
Main article: Legal status of polygamy

Africa[edit | edit source]
Today polygyny is more widespread in Africa than in any other continent. Generally in rural areas with growing populations, the higher the incidence of polygyny, the greater the delay of first marriage for young men. The higher the average polygyny rate, the greater the element of gerontocracy. Quite apart from the rate of polygyny, the distribution of wives may be uneven. Amber Levister: Polygyny may be the result of economic issues such as unequal distribution of income among males, demographic issues such as unbalanced sex ratio s resulting from male deaths from dangerous work, and also political issues such as warfare (pg 601 Why is polygyny). Some scholars see the slave trade's impact on the male-to-female sex ratio as a key factor in the emergence and fortification of polygynous practices in Western Africa. (pg 604 Why is polygyny)

Kenya[edit | edit source]
Polygynous marriage was preferred among the Logoli and other Abalulya sub ethnic groups. Taking additional wives was regarded as one of the fundamental indicators of a successfully established man. Large families enhanced the prestige of Logoli men. Logoli men with large families were also capable of obtaining justice, as they would be feared by people, who would not dare to use force to take their livestock or other goods from them. Interviews with some of the contemporary Logoli men and women who recently made polygynous marriages yielded data which suggest that marrying another wife is usually approached with considerable thought and deliberation by the man. It may or may not involve or require the consent of the other wives and prospective wife's parents. A type of "surrogate pregnancy" arrangement was reported to have been observed, in which some wives who are unable to bear children, find fulfillment in the children and family provided by a husband taking additional wives.Some of the men indicated that they were pressured by their parents to marry another wife, who could contribute additional income to the family. Some of the young polygynous men indicated that they were trapped in polygyny because of the large number of single women who needed and were willing to take them as husbands although they were already married. Most of those second and third wives were older women who had not yet married.

Vic Watt: I think the article is very informative and it touches on a lot of different aspects that are important to know about. Like Amber, I do believe that since Africa is the continent with the highest level of polygyny, they should touch on more than just Kenya. Because Africa is so large, the article could touch on where in the continent is polygyny most common. I have found an article that explains how polygyny is more prevalent in West Africa and why exactly that may be: http://ezproxy.gsu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=slh&AN=96586009&site=eds-live

Amber Levister: Great article, I think it's good that it touches on all the different aspects like economics, religion, geographic areas, sex, labor, etc.

-Critiques: In order to improve the article I would add more on the sex drive and effects on women segments. I also think that because the article lists Africa as the continent with the highest level of polygyny, it should elaborate more on countries other than just Kenya. Lastly, there should be more information on the reasons why some societies/countries accept and embrace polygyny, and others like America don't. I found an article on the effects of polygyny on women in Ghana: http://ezproxy.gsu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=101696826&site=eds-live

Hey y'all, its Nakayla!

I looked over the articles and overall I thought they were pretty well written. I would change, however, the number of sources for that information. I don't feel like everything is properly given credit for. I would also like to expand the effects on women part and put more statics about what women think on the topic if we can find them !

I found an article I think we could use: http://www.casade.org/polygamy-subjugation-african-women-national-economies/

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Brianna Brantley I think the article is a pretty strong read, however, I agree with Nakayla when she says there needs to be more sources. Citing more would add to the overall effectiveness of the article. I do not think we have any issues with biasness in the articles and everything seems to be up to date. What I thought was interesting was the religion aspect. Why certain religions allow it and some do not. Here is an article I found http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/328/reasons-why-islam-permits-polygamy

Brooke Askew: Overall the article was informative and well researched; however, the Effects on Women section was a weak area of the article and needs improvement. Therefore, I would go more in-depth about the seriousness of competition between the wives and consequences. Moreover, I think that our group should spend time explaining the effects of polygyny on reproductive health/ fertility and others women's issue. I found an article that would aid in expanding on these issues highlighted:http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~valeggia/pdf%20papers/Bove%20&%20Valeggia%202008%20Polygyny%20and%20women's%20health%20SSM.pdf