Polygamy

Paula RohrJill HansonMarissa ManskeLeigh Splittstoesser

What is Polygamy?

• Polygyny – one man married to several women

• Polyandry – one woman married to several men

• POLYGAMY – refers to either arrangement

Kitch,T. (2009)

World View of Polygamy

World Focus (2009)

Reasons for Polygamist Practices

Female to Male Ratios

Patriarchal Guardianship

Religious Doctrine and Teachings

Social and Economic Necessity

Rahman, A. (n.d.)


"Take four wives to rid the country of spinsters."

• Push for the increase in polygamist practices in Saudi Arabia

• Response from Saudi Arabian women who want no part of polygamy due to newly found educational advancement and financial independence

Joffe-Walt, B. (2010, July 13)






Rahman, A. (n.d.)


• There is often a need for a man in many countries for women to do everyday things

• This is no different from polygamy families or a husband with one wife

"....requires all women to be represented by men, either their husband, father or son, in all public and official spheres of life. Women are

not allowed to drive, inherit, divorce or gain custody of children, and cannot socialize with

unrelated men." (Saudi Arabia)

Joffe-Walt, B. (2010, July 13)






Rahman, A. (n.d.)

Religious Doctrine and Teaching

• Qu'ran: Surah (chapter) al-Nisa, Verse 3: "And if you have reason to fear that you

might not act equitably towards orphans, then marry from among [other] women such as are lawful to you - [even] two, or three, or four: but if you have reason to fear that you might not be able to treat them with equal fairness, then [only] one - or [from among]

those whom you rightfully possess."

Surat An-Nisa'.(n.d.)






Rahman, A. (n.d.)


• Child Labor

• Power and Status

• Custom and Tradition

Badawi, J. (2008)

Polygamy in Afghanistan, (2006)

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of LDS

Honors marriage between man and woman

Original Morman religion practices

Support laws of the land Separate community

Close knit families with strong values

Believe God is polygamist, Must be polygamist to become God

Denounce FLDS practices Church leader is prophet

World will soon end and Warren Jeffs will be seated next to God

LDSLDS FLDSFLDS

Utah Stories (2008)

•Morman church practiced polygamy unitl 1862

•Utah wanted statehood

•Joseph Smith practices

The Confusion Continues

• LDS discontinued polygamy officially in 1890

• FLDS incorporates Joseph Smith- do not acknowledge LDS President announcement

• LDS tithing

U.S. Polygamy

• Lifting the Veil of Polygamy: The History of Mormon Polygamy Living Hope

Ministries, (N.D.)

• Carol Jessop American Program Bureau, (2009)

Rules of Polygamy within the FLDS

• All control belongs to a central figure • Revelation from God dictates the words and

acts of the central figure• Independent thinking and outside

information are shunned• Relationships with others outside the cult are

prohibited• Non-constructive attitudes toward education• Adaptation to mainstream society is

punishing• Gestapo Mentality

Beall, L. (n.d.)

• Polygamy can be a last option for women– Financially unsupported– Divorced– Widowed

• Men’s reasoning– Not having a child– Sickness of wife– Tribal Competition

• Statistics– Most believe that a man cannot fully support more

than one wife– Generally people believe that the world should not be

made up of polygamist practices

Afghanistan Overview

Polygamy in Afghanistan, (2006)

African Outlook

• Marriage is a union of two clans

• Wealth

• Age of consent

• Why is underage marriage still around?

• Side effects of young marriage

• VirginityAli, S. (2007); DESA (2009); Nour, N. (2006)

Personal Effects

Anxiety

Depression

Low Self-Esteem

Lack of Medical Attention

Poverty

Beall, L. (n.d.)

Cont…

Loss of control

Family Separation

Poor education

Beall, L. (n.d.)

Legal Ramifications

• Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act – July 1, 1862, by President Abraham Lincoln– Punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred

dollars, and by imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years

• Article 16– "Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights states that persons must be at "full age" when married and that marriage should be entered into "freely" and with "full consent." In other words, any country that allows child marriage is committing a violation of human rights.”

Porter, P.L., (1998).

Nour, N.M. (2006)

Moral Ramifications

• "children are raised in a wholesome environment free of television and junk food and social pressures"

• Living a sheltered life

Anderson, S. (2010)

Polygamy Across the Borders

• Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA): – "...the full and complete development of a country, the

welfare of the world and the cause of peace require the maximum participation of women on equal terms with men in all fields" DESA (2009)

• Article 16– "Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate

discrimination against women in all matters relating to marriage and family relations and in particular shall ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women"

Nour, N. (2006)

Mohanty's Connection Regarding Solutions

• Educate, Educate, Educate...– Campaign Against Polygamy And Women

Oppression International CAPWOI

• Empowerment Of Women – Irma states (reference by Mohanty) that “the only

way to get a little measure of power over your own life is to do it collectively, with the support of other people who share your needs”

Mohanty, 2003, p. 168

ReferencesMEDIA

• UTUBE link (time length 3:36): Mormon's have nothing to do with Texas Polygamy Sect http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OqdOM9udv4&feature=related

• UTUBE link (time length 10:27): Interview with women from Texas Polygamist group http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSj3IM-gqIM&feature=related

• UTUBE link (time length 9:50): Warren Jeffs instructing child brides on marriage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGqJIqe6LEE&feature=related

OTHER SOURCES• Ali, S. (2007). Muslim-marriage guide: polygamy and other african tribal

customs. Retrieved from: http://www.muslim-marriage-guide.com/african-tribal-customs.html

• Anderson, S., (2010). The polygamists. In National Geographic online. Retrieved from http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/02/polygamists/anderson-text/1

• Beall, L. (n.d.). The Impact of Modern-Day Polygamy on Women & Children. Retrieved from Trauma Awareness & Treatment Center http://www.traumaawareness.org/id19.html

• Campaign Against Polygamy And Women Oppression International (CAPWOI). (2005). Polygamy Stop: History of polygamy. Retrieved from: http://www.polygamystop.org/history.html

• Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) (2009). Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW). Retrieved from: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm

• Joffe-Walt, B. (2010, July 13). Saudi men push for more wives. The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved from: http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=181305

• Kitch,T. (2009) Prof. of Anthropology at Minnesota State Community and Technical College - Wadena. Introduction to Anthropology. [Classroom lecture notes]

• Maiti Nepal (2008). Crusading for the prevention of girl trafficking, rescue, rehabilitation, integration of survivors of trafficking. Retrieved from: http://www.maitinepal.org/pages.php?option=About Us

• Nigeria, G. (2001). West Africa. Emory Law. Retrieved from: http://www.law.emory.edu/ifl/region/westafrica.html

• Nour, N. (2006). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): health consequences of child marriages in africa. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no11/06-0510.htm

• Nour, N.M. (2006). United Nations efforts and national law. In Health consequences of child marriage in Africa. [pdf document]. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol12no11/pdfs/06-0510.pdf

• Polygamy in Afghanistan. Rep. Open Society Institute, 2006. Web. 2011. <http://www.wclrf.org.af/English/eng_pages/Researches/Polygamy%20In%20Afghanistan.pdf>.

• Porter, P.L., (1998). A chronology of federal legistation on polygamy. Retrieved from: http://www.xmission.com/~plporter/lds/chron.htm

• Rahman, A. (n.d.). Polygyny in Islam: The profound wisdom behind it and its numerous benefits. Retrieved from: http://ezinearticles.com/?Polygyny-in-Islam---The-Profound-Wisdom-Behind-it-and-Its-Numerous-Benefits&id=1570807

• Roman, L. & Eyre, L. (1997). Dangerous territories: struggles for difference and equality in education. Retrieved from: http://cclp.mior.ca/Reference%20Shelf/PDF_OISE/Tolerance%20and%20Neutrality%20in%20the%20University.pdf

• Surat An-Nisa'.(n.d.). 4:3. In The Holy Qur'an online. Retrieved from: http://quran.com/4

• Utahstories (2008). Utahstories: Media outlets continue to inaccurately confuse LDS and FLDS faiths. Retrieved from: http://www.utahstories.com/lds_flds_confusion.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OqdOM9udv4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSj3IM-gqIM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGqJIqe6LEE&feature=related

http://www.muslim-marriage-guide.com/african-tribal-customs.html

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/02/polygamists/anderson-text/1

http://www.polygamystop./

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=181305

http://www.law.emory.edu/ifl/region/westafrica.html

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Polygamy