Research Update

Thankfully, over the past week I have had more time to do the research for my polygamy project. I have found a lot of boring facts about how the concept of polygamy began and several legal documents detailing its illegality in the US. I have also begun to notice that the mormon people, those who practice polygamy the most openly and therefore are the basis of my research on polygamy in the US, are very stubborn and rebellious people. I have realized that whenever there is a law passed about banning polygamy, the mormon polygamists counter it with by passing a law within there own church supporting the act. It is almost as though the group is intentionally trying to rebel against the US rather than simply supporting their religion. I plan to look deeper into this aspect and see if I can compare the laws passed by the US government to those passed by the Mormon church.

Research Update

Over the past week and a half, I have not had a particular abundance of time to research polygamy through the past century. I have done some general research about the topic and have found that societies view of polygamy has, in fact, change through the years but does not seem to have changed as much as I expected. Although people have become more accustomed to polygamy and society in general has become more open about controversial topics (sexual orientation, domestic violence etc.), I have found that there is not that much dialogue on the topic of polygamy in the regular social scene. I have found some court cases concerning polygamous families (generally in Utah and Colorado) and I also think I might try to watch some episodes of the TV series Big Love.  I plan to look for more court cases from other states and regions of the country and will them compare them and sort them chronologically. I think that I am off to a good start and look forward to where my research will take me in the upcoming week!

Research Strategy

For my Secondary Analysis of polygamy, I will utilize a range of resources to document the change in societies opinion and acceptance of polygamy in the United States. I will limit my search on this change to the information that has been gathered since 1912 (a century). I will begin my secondary analysis by using websites to see exactly when this change occurred and will hopefully gather a list of set dates or years in which thinking on polygamy changed. I expect these dates to center upon important supreme court cases regarding polygamy, protests in the United States, and public figures speaking out on the topic. From there, I will use these dates to get more in depth information from New York times, the Washington Post, and USA Today regarding the public's opinion on these specific times. I will look for supplemental information in the supreme court online records and other reliable websites or historical records. I hope that this method of gathering research will help me to find how exactly the country has grown to accept or reject polygamy over time.

Research Method

Because the topic of polygamy cannot be directly observed in society, I think the best method for me to conduct my research is to utilize Secondary Analysis.  I plan to track the change (if there is one) in America's opinion on polygamy.  I will look at how public the topic of polygamy has become in the media and how the punishments for polygamous beliefs have varied throughout the years.  I will use court cases, articles, television shows, previously conducted surveys, and news reports, to track this change.  I hope that my research will provide a clear answer as to how society as a whole feels about the topic of polygamy.

New Understanding

This is it. My last post for this quarter and the conclusion of the first half of my quest to understanding polygamy.

Since I first started this blog, what seems like a lifetime but was only 8 short weeks ago, I have come to a better understanding of polygamy.  I still do not think I would ever consider the lifestyle to be one I would participate in, but I now can accept and see the reasons why others believe it is a good thing to do.  Through this portion of the project, I have been able to shed a little bit of my ethnocentric view of the topic of polygamy and have become significantly more culturally relativistic when it comes to the topic.

I've also really enjoyed reading all of the
polygamy related online comics! 

Through my research, articles, and videos, I have been able to get a better sense of the wide range of people who participate in, condone, or shun the practice and I have gotten the opportunity to see why these people believe what they do.

Going into this project, I truly believed that it was only those of the Mormon faith and maybe some small cult-like tribes who participated in polygamy, but now I have realized that it is not the the Mormons who are polygamists but that there are several other societies and groups that also subscribe to the polygamist belief.

I think that so far, this project has proven to be very interesting and has lead me to understand a subculture that I may have gotten the opportunity to learn about otherwise.  I am very happy with the places my research has taken me thus far and can't wait to see where it takes me next!

Polygamous Penalties

In class, we have been talking about sanctions and the way people are treated when they violate rules, whether they are social norms or even laws.  This concept got me thinking what the punishments in the United States are for people caught practicing polygamy.  As it turns out this topic, like most regarding polygamy, is quite controversial.  I was very surprised by the plethora of articles, blogs, and comments that resulted from my search of  "polygamy punishments." This one from usatoday.com, highlights the hypocrisy in the laws that have been passed in the US regarding polygamy.

Apparently, there is no nationwide law (or punishment) for polygamy, but rather it is up to the states to decide what to do with their polygamous residents.  I find this to be a poor decision on the part of law makers, simply because by passing the buck of polygamy punishment to the states they are creating disunity in the country.  Some states, like Utah, have very lenient rules on polygamy and basically allow the practice as long as it does not cause issues, while other states, like New York, will send polygamous residents to jail for up to ten years.  Some states think that polygamy is okay because of its religious connections and simply view it as an "alternative lifestyle" while others could not imagine condoning such a practice.

I feel that this drastic difference in punishment is not fair for citizens who believe in either polygamy or monogamy.  Since there is no set government standard for the punishment or tolerance of polygamy, how are the nation's people supposed to know how to react to the topic?

So what do you think? Should the US have a uniform punishment for polygamy? Should it be strict?

Just a Social Norm?

Today I have found a somewhat sketchy source for this blog that if I were writing an English or History essay would not be valid.  It is authorless, and on a strange website with nothing but a series of essays, however; the essays are well written in my opinion and happen to be on the topics of on polygamy, marriage, love etc.

This authorless essay, that I have provided a link to, provides both pros and cons of polygamy. Based on the content, it seems to me that the author him/herself is a supporter of polygamy and is trying to understand the other side of the coin while also trying to prove to readers that polygamy is not a problem .  This perspective provides some interesting view on what is and is not actually acceptable and natural in human relationships.   

Although there are many interesting pros and cons brought up in the essay, the most interesting point, in my opinion, is that, according to the author, the act of polygamy is nothing more than the breaking of a social norm (monomgamy).

"What?" was the first thing that occurred to me after reading this the first time.  But after some thought I realized that the author might just be right.  In class, we have been talking about how social norms are things that society deems acceptable or unacceptable and subsequently provides either positive or negative sanctions for.  Studies have shown that humans are naturally polygamous creatures so why exactly do the vast majority of us feel the need to find a single person to dedicate our lives to? Is it because we feel pressured by society to do so? Does marriage fit into the category of a social norm? Is polygamy simply someone going against the grain and breaking it?

Think about it.

Polygamy Pros

When most women think about polygamy (if they every do), they think about the jealousy that may occur with having to share their husband with other women. They think about all of the extra chores there would be to do around the house.  And they think about the shear awkwardness of living such a lifestyle.  Or so I thought.

As I was searching for an interesting article to show you today, I came across this one on Psychology Today.  The article claims that it is actually the women, not the men, who reap the most benefits from a polygamous life.  At first I did not believe the author but after reading that women have a tendency to need "less" of a husband and therefore would rather share a wealthy man with a high social status rather than have a man of a lower status to themselves it started to make more sense.  The women who choose a polygamous life are also choosing one that will move them higher up the social latter.  To them sharing a husband is a small price to pay for the major benefits that come along with their new status.

The author also brought up a good point by saying that the single male to single female ratio in the world is essentially 50:50, but if more women partook in polygamy the ratio would drastically alter and the men would get the short end of the stick.

I had never before considered this side of polygamy.  Prior to reading this article I believed that women, in fact, were the ones getting jipped in a polygamous relationship, however; I was mistaken.

I find it very interesting that men typically seem to be the ones who think polygamy is such a stellar idea, when really it is the women who should be all for it.  Although I still do not believe in the practice myself, I am starting to see why others might. 

Big Love

This past week I, along with the majority of other American women, watched the Emmys.  I love seeing the dresses, hearing the speeches, and rooting for my favorite TV show characters as if they are my best friends.   Along with providing me with the false sense of friendship, the actors provided me with an idea for this post.

During one of Jimmy Kimmel's dialogues, he mentioned the TV show Big Love.  Having never heard of it before, I googled what it was and found it was about....wait for it... polygamy! This (along with homeland winning just about everything) made my day.

After the Emmys were over I did some research on Big Love and watched a few clips from the show.  Here I have included my favorite of the bunch:

I think this clip - in its 3 minutes- says a lot.  The main character, Bill Hendrickson, played by Bill Paxton, is a polygamist male who has just been elected for a senate seat in Utah.  I thought it was very interesting that he chooses not to be straightforward and truthful with his voters until after he has been elected, but instead hides the fact that he has many wives until the general public cannot do anything about it.  This is because Hendrickson knew that he would not be socially accepted and would not win the election if the public was aware of his polygamist actions.

After Hendrickson announces that his practices polygamy, the audience goes into shock.  Some leave, some boo him, and others just sit there confused, but all of them immediately change their opinion of the man whom each of them voted for.  This reaction does not necessarily seem wrong at first glance, however; Hendrickson is the same exact man he was when the audience voted for him.  He still has the same beliefs, plans to enact the same bills, and wants to be in government.  If these people voted for him initially, they should still support him because his marital choices will not change anything on his political agenda.

I think that by creating this scene, the show's writers are trying to speak to the point that society (the audience) is not willing to accept people that have ways of life that differ from the norm (Hendrickson) but that these different people can still be important members of society.  After all, the community chose to elect Hendrickson because they thought he would help their state and be a beneficial addition to the Senate so, in the end, what do his marital beliefs have to do with anything?

Many Wives = Many Problems

This week when I began searching for a media source that might further explain the concept of polygamy and see the views of polygamous people I stumbled upon this article. Although it does not provide a particularly positive opinion of the infamous polygamy, it explores a different side of the topic that I feel is commonly ignored.  In this article polygamy is viewed through a more social perspective and thought of as negative because of the effects it has on various aspects of a family, a society, and also the world.

The author, Libby Copeland, writes that polygamy is used in many cultures, both past and present, to represent wealth and maintain a social status.  Because as men who choose to participate in polygamy grow older and still feel the need to take on new wives, they essentially deplete the supply of potential wives for their fellow men, who may not be fortunate enough to be able to support a polygamous lifestyle.  These men are typically members of the lower classes and are not able to secure wives, therefore degrading their social status even more.

Unfortunately, this "wife hoarding," is not the only problem Copeland finds with polygamy.  She also tries to make an argument for the detrimental effects polygamy has on women, children, and even crime rates.  She believes that the crime rate in areas that support and even encourage polygamy increases.  This is due to the fact that there are an abundance of unmarried men of lower social class and also because the women who are engaged in the polygamous relationships have the potential to become jealous of one another.  Because of this, the rates of rape, theft and murder increase drastically in areas of polygamy.

I think that Copeland's views on polygamy provide an interesting perspective that is not commonly related to the subject.  Never before had I associated such societal issues with the act and I found the data presented in the article to be very compelling and to further push me from understanding why exactly people would choose to be polygamous.

So far I have yet to find a reason why polygamy might be a valid or socially acceptable option, however; I will continue in my quest to investigate all aspects of the choice and try as hard as I can to see polygamy through the mindset of cultural relativism rather than just that of a teenage Catholic school girl.

Asking the Mormon Girl

As I began my research on this topic I asked myself  "what first comes to mind when I hear the word polygamy?"

My answer: Mormons.

Now I know that this answer is a product of inherent stereotyping in combination with faulty advertising, a few SNL skits, the occasional South Park clip, and maybe even some comments that have been made with regard to the current presidential election - but nevertheless, I decided that the Mormon religion would be a good place to start my investigation into the topic of polygamy. 

Joanna Brooks (aka Mormon Girl)

While doing my research I came across a fellow blogger who happens to be not only an award winning author but also a Mormon woman who provides "an unorthodox but friendly perspective on Mormon thought and culture" - the perfect source for my quest to get to the bottom of polygamy and Mormonism!  Of course, she has made posted several articles on the controversial subject and here I have linked my favorite of the bunch.    

In this article, Joanna Brooks (better known as "Mormon Girl"), recounts a brief history of the Mormon religion and its connection to polygamy.  In addition she writes about the opinions of the current Mormon Church, influential Mormons (like Mitt Romney), as well as her own opinion on the subject.  Throughout the article Mormon Girl makes a point to reiterate that "we need to talk about polygamy."  She believes that people will not truly understand the reasons why/if those of the Mormon faith believe in polygamy if Mormons do all that they can to avoid the subject. 

As it turns out, whether or not Mormons of today truly believe that a man should take more than one wife is incredibly debatable.  

After reading the article, I got the sense that the doctrines of the religion state that it is a man's duty to wed more than one wife so he can have many children and increase the Mormon population.  It also states that unless a Mormon is married, he or she will not be accepted into Heaven.  Since, at the time these religious documents were written, there were significantly more women practicing Mormonism than men, the only way for them to ensure that all members of the faith  would have a place in Heaven  would be to practice polygamy. 

After learning this I assumed that the current members must still believe the same things. I was wrong.  Apparently many "progressive" Mormons (aka women who don't want to share their husbands and/or men who don't want to have a bunch of children) reject the idea of polygamy.  Mormon Girl also rejects the act because, as a feminist, she believes in equality between the genders and that polygamy ultimately places the man in a higher position than his wife and her sister-wives.  Even the Republican presidential nominee and the current face of Mormons, Mitt Romney, claims he does not support polygamy (although Mormon Girl is not fully sure she believes him). 

Although many Mormons do not support polygamy, there are some who still choose to follow the dogmas of Mormonism and do. These members who, according to the article, will deny that they are polygamists, practice it in an "underground" way, with the fear of being caught and judged by their fellow Americans.  

The bottom line is that while some Mormons do, in fact, practice the act of taking on several wives, the majority of Mormons do not (or at least claim not to).  I found this to be surprising considering the hype around the Mormon religion and polygamy but as it turns out polygamy is not such a big facet of the faith and most Mormons would rather not address the topic of polygamy or even better have it eradicated all together.  

Why Polygamy?

When presented with the task of writing a weekly blog about a topic of my choice I did not immediately think of writing a blog about polygamy.   I am certainly not obsessed with the topic nor do I adamantly support those who choose to live a polygamist lifestyle. Believe it or not, the topic of polygamy is not one that I frequently think about or on which I have a serious and informed opinion.  However, I believe that through this blogging experience I will have the opportunity to inform not only myself but also my readers about all sides of this subject. 

I find that when the topic does cross my mind (even thought it is infrequently) it somewhat confusing.  Because the concept of having multiple wives goes against anything I have ever been told to believe, I am very curious to learn about why other people find it not only acceptable but also encourage it. Typically I, along with the rest of the general population, associate the act with the Mormon religion, but I am sure there are other cultures/religions that support it as well. I would also like to investigate what cultures/religions/regions believe in polygamy and if it is something that is/was/or ever will be universally acceptable.  I would like to present arguments by both those for and against the act. I think that overall this blog will be an excellent way to present different opinions about the subject while also developing my own personal one.  I look forward to what the upcoming weeks have in store!