Polygamies: Its Negative Deductions and Consequences
Introduction
The affinity for human existences to populate in brace is wholly natural. A blissful matrimony is characterized by love. regard. and trust. Warmth becomes the motivational thrust towards the flawlessness of life in the present universe and thereafter ( McMahon. 2010 ) . On the reverse. an unhappy matrimony leads to desperation and disenchantment and negatively affects the people involved. Defined as the pattern or status of get marrieding more than one married woman at the same clip. polygamy has persisted in many civilizations universe over. In most societies such as Islam. the pattern is really much prevalent ( Ward. 2010 ) .
The sacred books and Bibles contain abundant grounds of the fact that polygamy was so practiced by patriarchal Prophetss Hindus and Jews. In Arabia and the states bordering. polygamy. impermanent matrimonies. unrestricted concubinage. and matrimonies of convenience were extremely prevailing ( Jencks and Milton. 2010 ) . Their effects were reported to be black on the full societal and moral construction. Polygamy remains a common. well-buried secret that is frequently debatable and still exists throughout many states to day of the month. It is a more common pattern than most people really realize ( Jacobson and Burton. 2011 ) . Thesis Statement: Polygamy has been tried many times in free democratic states. and it ne’er succeeds. It is non compatible with freedom. equality. and human rights. It ever consequences in child brides and brainwashing.
Types of polygamy
Polygamy as earlier defined is a signifier of matrimony where a individual has more than one married woman. It by and large occurs in two types. The most common is polygyny. where a adult male marries more than one married woman. The less common type. polyandry. is a system of matrimony where a adult female marries more than one adult male ( Darger. 2011 ) . In the Muslim civilization. the pattern of polygyny is extremely condoned while polyandry is extremely condemned. In ancient times. polygamy existed in the Judaism civilization. In the Old Testament of the Bible. Abraham had three married womans and Solomon had more than three 100 married womans. This pattern continued until Rabbi Gershom ben Yehudah issued a edict against it. The Judaic Sephardic communities populating in Muslim states continued the pattern until late 1950’s when a prohibition was extended against get marrieding more than one married woman ( Bennion. 2012 ) . In any of these signifiers. polygamy should be against the jurisprudence in any religion civilization or state.
A 3rd type of polygamy exists as polyamory and is frequently referred to as postmodern polygamy. Polyamory is a relationship of multiple work forces and adult females. These relationships may take the signifier of one adult male with several female spouses. two work forces with several female spouses or several adult females with no work forces. Unlike polygamy. polyamory offers more equal chances for divorce ( Crooks and Baur. 2014 ) . Virtually all polygamous matrimonies are polygynous in fact. There is no grounds that points to polyamorous relationships being likely to take to polygyny. As such. polyamory remains debatable for much the same grounds that the current pattern of polygamy ( Gallichan. 2012 ) . Due to these positions. polyamory is non a clearly preferred alternate to polygamy.
Practice of polygamyIn his paper. polygamy and non-heterosexual matrimonies. David Chambers emphasizes that in the country’s history. the most widespread and important pattern of polygamy by far transpired among the Mormons during mid 19th century. To them. Church of jesus christ of latter-day saintss believed that polygamous matrimonies were scriptural and approved by God. Polygamy is neither entirely western nor non-western. Over the ages. Muslims. Hindus and other spiritual groups have practiced it. However. the figure of polygamous matrimonies is comparatively miniature despite cross- cultural presence of polygamy. ( Beaman and Calder. 2013 ) . The standard argument over the permissibility of polygamy has been characteristically pathetic. Advocates argue that in portion. married work forces organize relationships with kept womans.
These brotherhoods involve emotional committednesss that are non easy terminated unlike polygamy. In kernel. a married adult male and his kept woman are involved in a polygamous relationship. Funny plenty. this does non look to bring forth much ill will from critics. The New Testament in the Bible ne’er deemed it immoral or inferior to be in a monogamous brotherhood. Shockingly. more Americans are practising polygamy than one might believe. Even more awful is the fact that more than half of the non- industrialised societies still permit it ( Bennion. 2012 ) . It is regarded as profoundly iniquitous to prosecute in sexual relationships outside the establishment of matrimony. In Christianity. it is believed a adult male should non hold more than one registered married woman with the province. Such an action would go against revenue enhancement codifications and many other legal umbrellas ( Ward. 2010 ) .
The legal Torahs in the United States papers registered plural matrimonies and polygamy as illegal and hence non be practiced ( McMahon. 2010 ) . In my sentiment. polygamy is gross outing and should non be practiced neither in states nor in civilizations likewise. One could easy reason what precisely does polygamy seek to turn out. That a adult male can hold multiple married womans. go unfaithful and acquire off with it? Imagine the soundless torment that a immature naive miss of 12 old ages endures when coerced into get marrieding a feebly. wobbly looking old adult male whom she has ne’er seen earlier. Imagine the grotesque images that come into head when this miss is forced to bear kids until her organic structure go sensitive due to tormenting labour strivings. Imagine the miss being brainwashed and battered for beliing beliefs held by another adult male and forced to populate with him for her full life-time. Now stop imagining. This is the chilling would of polygamy that exists in a signifier non known to many. Such are the instances that continue to repeat in most states. particularly Africa and Asia. In itself. polygamy is considered a right to a selected few and a curse to bulk ( McMahon. 2010 ) .
Reasons why polygamy is practiced
Before we look at the negative deductions of polygamy. it would be of import to understand why the system was and is still practiced to day of the month. To many. this usage serves as a dynamic rule of household endurance. growing. security. prestigiousness and continuity ( Jacobson and Burton. 2011 ) . One of the chief grounds polygamy was practiced is that several married womans were seen as a symbol of wealth. power and influence in traditional African societies for many centuries. Second. it was of import for a adult male in traditional society to go on his household name into future line of descents ( McMahon. 2010 ) . Marrying many married womans ensured that the hubby would hold many male kids to transport on his name. It besides meant that one would be remembered and honored long after their decease through his kids and grandchildren ( Jacobson and Burton. 2011 ) .
In the agricultural position. many married womans meant that one would hold necessary labourers for farming. taking attention of farm animal and executing all family jobs. This was coupled with proviso of aid when necessity arose. A larger household was symbolic of strength and integrity. It was besides seen as a manner to keep felicity and add significance to life. Having many married womans was besides a path of maintaining the adult male from being amative. The ground was that most married womans denied their hubbies conjugal rights after childbearing for up to two old ages. Hence. holding an extra married woman meant the hubby would non be unfaithful ( Jencks and Milton. 2010 ) . For the hubby. holding many married womans meant he would acquire many girls from them. This contributed to a important addition of his wealth through bride monetary value at the clip of his daughters’ matrimony. In most traditional African societies. it was considered a frailty for a adult female to miss kids particularly in matrimony ( Jencks and Milton. 2010 ) .
It was for this ground that most African adult females preferred to hold a co-wife than remain individual in ridicule. As such. polygamy solved the job of individual parentage. It besides offered adult females the security and self-respect required for self-fulfillment. Finally yet significantly. polygamy resulted through the ancient tradition of married woman heritage. The decease of a hubby whose married woman had non passed childbearing age qualified for married woman heritage. The brother of the deceased was obliged to get married his brother’s widow ( Beaman and Calder. 2013 ) . All the above grounds applied in traditional African societies. However. in the modern-day universe today. most of these patterns have been overtaken by clip and can no longer be operable.
Negative deductions of polygamy
Effectss on adult females in polygamous matrimonies. In my position. polygamy is a manner of life that should non be allowed in society due to its negative deductions. Chiefly. it creates male dominated matrimonies where the adult female is left voiceless in the whole apparatus. Second. it forces adult females into low-level functions and consequences in impracticable households full of discord. maltreatment and incest ( Ward. 2010 ) . Polygamous households normally live in stray communities that are wholly unaffected by the outside universe. The privacy of these towns raises superciliums refering security. safety and wellness of the town inhabitants. province jurisprudence hatchet mans. federal Torahs and the state at big ( Beaman and Calder. 2013 ) . It can hence be argued adult females face greater hazards in polygamous matrimonies. The standard statement remains that polygamy subsidiaries adult females and fails to handle the latter as peers with work forces. Some bookmans argue that the province should non take involvement in voluntary household agreements ( McMahon. 2010 ) .
The ground behind it being that it would illicitly back one comprehensive philosophy over others. To them. an unfair household agreement is one that undermines the equality of adult females and fails to acknowledge that married womans are equal citizens with their hubbies. As such. polygamy is a structural inegalitarian pattern that subjects adult females to higher hazards of harmful effects compared to work forces ( McMahon. 2010 ) . It is for this ground that polygamy should be forbidden since it denies adult females the autonomy. rights and chances available to work forces. In kernel. polygamy represents an undue dissymmetry of power between work forces and adult females and in my sentiment should hence be banned.
Overpopulation in affected countriesIn sub-Saharan Africa. the civilization of polygamy has contributed to explosive population growing since the early 1950’s ( McMahon. 2010 ) . By exposing about all adult females to early and drawn-out dangers of gestation. polygamy consequences in high birthrate rates of between seven and nine kids in these states. The debut of low-cost and effectual health care and healthful engineering from developed states is besides a conducive factor ( McMahon. 2010 ) .
The control of sexually transmitted infections becomes excessively hard in the pattern of polygamy ( Beaman and Calder. 2013 ) . Take for case a adult male who has five married womans under his wing. He will prosecute in sexual dealingss with all of them and since he is married to all. utilizing protection becomes inconsequential. If either the adult male or one of the married womans is enduring from a sexually familial disease. every other participant in the crease is at hazard of undertaking it. In a survey conducted in Nigeria. West Africa. it was found that those work forces in the study had more than three or more married womans ( Beaman and Calder. 2013 ) . This meant that they were more likely to prosecute in extra-marital sex and were at higher hazard of reaching sexually transmitted diseases and infecting their married womans. This proves adult females were at higher hazard from work forces with three or more married womans both as their married womans and as adulterous sex spouses.
As a signifier of behaviour. Christian missionaries and Eurasiatic societies consider polygamy morally incorrect. Well-read Christian-African elites in bomber Saharan Africa believe polygamy is rearward. shrub and barbarian behaviour ( Jencks and Milton. 2010 ) . To foreigners. polygamy is a extremely undetestable societal system whose beginning is traced back to pre-colonial times. In add-on. polygamy frequently coincides with offenses that target adult females and kids such as incest. sexual assault. statutory colza and failure to pay child support ( Jencks and Milton. 2010 ) .
Marital dissatisfaction
Another statement against polygamy is that more frequently than non. it is likely to show harmful effects particularly towards the adult females and kids. Womans in polygamous matrimonies are at higher hazard of holding low esteem issues. depression and changeless concern compared to adult females in monogamous relationships. Surveies have besides revealed these adult females enjoy less matrimonial satisfaction and more debatable mother-child relationships ( Bennion. 2012 ) . Additionally. adult females in polygamous matrimonies are prone to depression when they become pregnant since their hubbies divert their sexual attending to the other married womans. These adult females are typically subservient to their hubbies who merely value them for the childbearing function. Consequently. polygamous adult females are left devoid of any powers to exert any control of the matrimony. This buds into feelings of impotence and emotional convulsion ( Bennion. 2012 ) .
Several surveies besides show that merely a little fraction of adult females in polygamous matrimonies work outside the place ( Ward. 2010 ) . Most of them lack the authorization or ability to seek employment. Research on polygamy amongst the Arabs revealed that first married womans are inferior to junior and subsequent married womans. They experienced more economic adversities and less satisfactory relationships with their hubbies. Some bookmans besides noted that polygamous matrimonies caused harmful psychological effects on a figure of first married womans ( Ward. 2010 ) . This caused most of them to seek mental wellness intervention and psychiatric outpatient services. Several of these psychological upsets seen widely among first married womans included anxiousness. depression and somaticized symptoms ( Ward. 2010 ) . It has besides been shown that first married womans and instructors described relationships with hubbies and male parents as inattentive. This showed a deficiency of involvement and minimum interaction with them and their kids. This caused them to endure inauspicious effects from the polygamous brotherhood. On the contrary. junior married womans were extremely favored by their hubbies. They were allowed to obtain more economic resources and support.
Effectss on kids from polygamous familiesResearch indicates that kids from polygamous households are at heightened hazards of developing harmful effects. There is considerable grounds that points to these kids sing higher incidence of matrimonial struggles. household force and breaks than do kids of monogamous households ( Jacobson and Burton. 2011 ) . Furthermore. kids from polygamous backgrounds are more likely to develop behavioural and socialising jobs. The same jobs are besides reflected in their public presentation in school. Most instructors nem con agreed that jobs faced by polygamous kids are slightly similar ( Jacobson and Burton. 2011 ) . These include noncompliance. hyperactivity. repeated lying to a instructor or individual in authorization. sibling battles. urinary incontinence and bumbling. Their degrees of academic accomplishment were besides below norm.
Polygamous kids displayed inability to concentrate in category. had low attending. incompletion of prep. maladjustment to schoolroom processs. equal and teacher relational jobs ( Jacobson and Burton. 2011 ) . On the other manus. situational jobs are likely to originate such as higher figure of siblings. higher figure of parental figures. absence of the male parent figure. competition and green-eyed monster of household members over resources and emotional relationships with the male parent ( Bennion. 2012 ) . In add-on. populating countries were frequently crowded and economic resources taxed to the bound due to the high figure of dependents. These kids do non turn up to see the parental love that is overruning in monogamous systems ( Bennion. 2012 ) . Such kids will be tempted to fall back to other avenues to counterbalance the losing love. It is so that they find themselves trapped in the universe of offense. criminal conversation and other societal frailties. Children from polygamous matrimonies are more susceptible to drug maltreatment ( Bennion. 2012 ) .
Adolescent males in these brotherhoods were found to fair much worse than those from monogamous matrimonies. This was attributed to exposure to a helter-skelter life where the kid is responsible for protecting his female parent and sisters from dysfunctional stressors of life in a polygamous family ( Ward. 2010 ) . Children frequently become defensive of their ain households and expose bitterness and choler towards the other sub-family. In times of strife. most of the Senor wife’s kids side with their female parent over the biological male parent. The ground for this is obvious ; trueness to their female parents. half-sibling competition and green-eyed monster in equal step. However. the male parent and his folk have outlooks that they would side with. This has caused adult male of the kids important confusions with their boundaries and truenesss likewise ( Ward. 2010 ) .
Effectss on polygamous work forces
Work force in polygamous matrimonies have been linked to several negative effects. To get down with. work forces are more likely to endure from alcohol addiction. which can originate due to psychological jobs ( Jencks and Milton. 2010 ) . Second. work forces in polygamous matrimonies in most times fall short in footings of instruction accomplishments compared to their monogamous opposite numbers. This bag of grounds is significant plenty to believe there is a leading facie instance of polygamy being linked to inauspicious effects. Though this effects impact upon all members of a polygamous household. adult females are at higher hazard ( Jencks and Milton. 2010 ) .
One proposed statement defines polygamy as a structurally unequal pattern. This inequality lies in the fact that polygamy as practiced today usually permits work forces to get married many married womans while the frailty versa is extremely critiqued. The most convincing statement against polygamy is that work forces are permitted plural matrimonies while adult females are non ( Jencks and Milton. 2010 ) . This dissymmetry of power is blatantly unacceptable. Structural inequality raises concerns with other issues that affect adult females. The statement continues to province that dissymmetry of power plays a important function in the subject of sexual torment. Polygamy represents dissymmetry of power between adult male and adult females. which is at the same time linked. to male domination of adult females ( Jencks and Milton. 2010 ) .
These reserves against polygamy are conditional upon the justification of unequal position of adult females. If adult females shared equal chances to get married more than one hubby. so the dissymmetry of power might be broken. Basically. if there were a sex-equal polygamy that respected the consent of work forces and adult females every bit. such polygamy would be justified ( Beaman and Calder. 2013 ) . While there may be structural dissymmetries in the system of polygamy. the unequal position of adult females would be in being together with other conducive facts. Polygamous matrimonies need non imply unequal position quo for adult females. It remains obnoxious therefore for polygamy to be reserved merely for work forces. consent notwithstanding ( Beaman and Calder. 2013 ) . In the modern-day broad society. civil matrimonies that fail to delegate equal importance to consent of all partners are non tolerated. They are besides rejected if they do non offer the issue option of divorce to either partner ( Beaman and Calder. 2013 ) . Polygamy is therefore undue because partners lack equal options to disassociate. In critical position of all these parametric quantities. polygamy is non justified regardless of whatever land. This dissymmetry of power exists whether the polygamous matrimony is polygynous or polyandrous ( Beaman and Calder. 2013 ) .
Polygamy besides discriminates against non-heterosexuals. All signifiers of it presuppose that polygamous matrimonies are heterosexual matrimonies. If we were to support polygamy. so we would hold to do available chances that would include straight persons and exclude non-heterosexuals. Human existences must be able to exert several capablenesss including the capableness of association ( Jencks and Milton. 2010 ) . However. this capableness forbids favoritism on footing of sexual orientation. Hence. polygamy violates the capableness of association as it discriminates based on sexual orientation in excepting non-heterosexuals.
This paper has highlighted many issues about polygamy. its beginning. pros. and cons. The chief intent of the essay was to analyze the negative effects of polygamous matrimonies in society. Limited defense mechanisms of polygamy have been highlighted throughout this study. Most of the defense mechanisms do non keep H2O in the current twenty-four hours and age. In the first topographic point. polygamy is a structurally inegalitarian pattern in fact. This article has provided leading facie grounds those polygamous matrimonies capable adult females to a greater hazard of harmful effects. Furthermore. I have argued that polygamous matrimonies are most frequently polygynous matrimonies. Therefore. adult females lack the equal chance of work forces to organize polygamous matrimonies with multiple spouses of the opposite sex in pattern. The 2nd land is that polygamy is a structurally inegalitarian pattern in theory.
I have argued that polygamy non merely threatens the equality of work forces and adult females in fact. but besides the equality of polygamous matrimony spouses as the latter have asymmetrical chances to disassociate. Additionally. the findings however associate polygamous household constructions with bodily ailments among senior married womans. household disfunction between the sub-families and within the senior married woman headed sub-family. Economic want within the senior married woman headed sub-family is besides prevailing coupled with behavioural and scholastic jobs among senior wives’ kids. Furthermore. the children’s behavioural jobs are noted and correlative polygamy with behavioural jobs. sibling competitions and drug maltreatment.
However. every right needs to be guaranteed by jurisprudence. It is hence necessary that the right to polygamy be reviewed and revised consequently. Harsh and more rigorous Torahs should be enforced on those found practising polygamy since it is considered illegal in most provinces. Justice is merely possible when people have entree to the judicial system. therefore it is necessary that household tribunals be established at the provincial and territory degree to turn to issues such as polygamy. Religious bookmans and churchmans. see the immense duty that they have towards increasing the Islamic cognition of public and informing them on their Muslim duties. They should see it their responsibility to explicate the doctrine and rational of polygamy to the community and should forestall work forces from polygamy. Womans are the rule victims of polygamy.
They must larn more about their spiritual and human rights chiefly when it comes to household rights and issues related to polygamy. It is merely at such a clip that this cognition and consciousness and practising their rights will shut the manner for indefensible matrimonies of their hubbies. Constructing the capacities and economical empowering of adult females is considered the chief method of contending this frailty. Economic authorization will assist adult females to defy against the new matrimonies of their hubbies. Therefore. it is required to seek countries for capacity edifice and economical authorization of adult females through their ain attempts and with the coaction of authorities and other responsible variety meats and to implement specific plans in this respect. Children are amongst the most vulnerable in polygamous systems.
The psychological effects of favoritism and unfairness between kids of married womans cause jobs in the procedure of their normal growing. Specific research has been done on the psychological effects of polygamy on kids and illustrated the dimensions of the extroverted effects. Awareness might be raised via the local media. spiritual leaders. and the formal and informal instruction systems. Such consciousness may take to public treatments about the benefits and the economic and psychological loads of polygamy. Thereby. this will heighten the ability and the freedom of persons in the community to take their ain ways of household life. Programs should be developed to help adult females and kids in polygamous households to get by with the troubles in their lives. For those already in polygamous matrimonies. a support group for married womans could be offered in the community. In such groups. adult females can portion their feelings and happen ways to get the better of hurting and struggles.
Children in polygamous households can be supported through the school system and via after-school plans. In add-on. societal practicians and household healers should develop methods of intercession with polygamous households. perchance accommodating constructs and techniques taken from both household therapy and group work. All members in the household could larn how to negociate for attending and resources. how to compromise. and how to construct a successful little. Beyond guidance. for the wellbeing of the household as a whole. it is important that concrete aid be provided where it is needed in the signifier of fiscal benefits. school stuffs for the kids. nutrient assistance. and wellness attention. Both work forces and adult females in polygamous households should be helped to get marketable accomplishments and to come in the occupation market. which would give them both a modicum of fiscal independency and some sense of authorization.
Decision
In decision. the effects of polygamy in household. society to the state have been shown to be diverse. It is clear for many peculiarly work forces that there are positive facets of taking a polygamous life. For the staying many. polygamy remains a obstinate lesion that consequences in unhappiness. depression. confusion. bitterness. loss of individuality and love. It is hence non surprising to recognize that adult females and kids oppose this type of household life and wish to organize monogamous households in the hereafter. Furthermore. members of the household do non win in get the better ofing their choler. green-eyed monster. and antipathy. It has besides been highlighted how intergenerational agony in the signifier of detachment. contending. emotional convulsion. and interrelational struggles are prevailing. It is of import that community consciousness of these possible negative effects of polygamy be elevated and addressed desperately.
Mentions
Bennion. J. ( 2012 ) . Polygamy in primetime: Media. gender. and political relations in Mormon fundamentalism. Waltham. Massachusetts: Brandeis University Press.
Crooks. R. . & A ; Baur. K. ( 2014 ) . Favourite Wife. Escape from polygamy.
Darger. J. ( 2011 ) . Love times three: Our true narrative of a polygamous matrimony. New York: Harper One.
Gallichan. W. M. ( 2012 ) . Women under polygamy. London: Holden & A ; Hardingham.
In Beaman. L. G. . & A ; In Calder. G. ( 2013 ) . Polygamy’s rights and wrongs: Positions on injury. household. and jurisprudence.
Jacobson. C. K. . & A ; Burton. L. ( 2011 ) . Modern polygamy in the United States: Historical. cultural. and legal issues. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Jencks. E. N. . & A ; Milton. D. ( 2010 ) . The history and doctrine of matrimony. or. Polygamy and monogamy compared. S. l. : Born Again Pub.
McMahon. K. ( 2010 ) . Polygamy and empyreal passion: Sex in China on the brink of modernness. Honolulu: University of Hawai?i Press.
Ward. P. ( 2010 ) . Family jurisprudence in Ireland. Alphen aan den Rijn. The Netherlands: Kluwer Law International.
Beginning papers
