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.
Interesting article and interpretation! I've never thought of the domino effect polygamy could have on other societal groups, but when I think about it, it makes a lot of sense that it would cause problems for all people in a society, ranging from the wives, their children, and single men who resent men with multiple wives. Still, I never thought that the negative effect polygamy has on a society would go so far as to raise the rates of rape, theft and murder in a community. People who live polygamous lifestyles should take into account what being polygamist means not only for themselves but for their entire community. This was a great, thought-provoking post, and I can't wait to read more from you!
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