Polyandry is illegal in virtually every state in the world. Pdf polygamy is a phenomenon often associated with african people. Pdf critical reflections on polygamy in the african christian context. Box 20, mutare abstract the study investigates the link between polygamy and academic performance in johanne marange apostolic sect in marange, mutare district. Indeed, supporting polygamy is a sensible thing to do because men already like having many partners, it enhances personal freedom, helps to prevent or minimize adultery, is an integral part of some culture, was practiced by great men of christianity and islam and other religions, helps to decrease the number of single women in society, helps. Believing that polygamy is a highly significant aspect of subsaharan african. I aggregate the women for whom coordinates are available to cells that are 0. Polygamy, in a large part of subsaharan africa, has long coexisted with a primi. Secondly, according to a particular cultural tradition across africa, polygamy is an acceptable practice. First, historical inequality better predicts polygamy today than current inequality.
However, there is limited data on polygamy and its effect in south africa. The seventhday adventist church and polygamous converts a paper presented at the meeting of the society for the scientific study of religion, albuquerque, n. Polygynous marriage and child health in subsaharan africa. The traditional practice of polygyny, whereby only a man is allowed to marry more than one wife in a customary marriage, has long been. In most of these states, polygyny is allowed and legally sanctioned.
Apr 09, 2011 we use your linkedin profile and activity data to personalize ads and to show you more relevant ads. Motivated by a simple model, i use dhs data to test nine hypotheses about the prevalence and decline of african polygamy. Whereas it is believed erroneously among many people that polygamy implies the art of a man being married to more than one wife, the true definition of polygamy implies the. Polygamy is legal under certain circumstances in south africa. Between 1965 and 1990, africas real gdp has exhibited no growth, while 17 countries in subsaharan africa grew at negative rates. Polygamy the practice of and reasons for polygamy sponsored link.
Last month a controversial bill legalising polygamy became law in kenya. The trend over the past century has been toward limiting polygamy. Polygyny is the form of marriage practiced in africa not polygamy. The current restudy in south africa in 201418 found that most young women now disapprove of polygyny, despite the ideology of romantic love and sexual jealousy, although the reasons for entering such marriages are fairly similar to those found 30 years ago. Polygyny is a traditional practice whereby only a man is allowed to marry more than one spouse. However, polygamy continues to be practiced in much of africa 7,8,9, 11. The average total fertility rate in subsaharan africa was 5. The women worked, caring for the house, the crops, the children. For example in senegal there are almost 47% of the marriages where they feature more than one woman. Impact of a polygamous marriage on children and family there are deeper reasons men and women enter into polygamy. Africa, recently liberated from western political domination, is in danger of falling under the domination of westernor easternideological neo colonialism. Polygamy is a phenomenon often associated with african people. Polygamy has been cited as a possible contributor to africas low savings rates tertilt, 2005, widespread incidence of hiv brahmbhatt et al. An african perspective there are many strong cultural arguments in support of polygamy among african societies from the social, economical, cultural and traditional points of view.
Polygamy is the practice of having more than one wife or husband at one time. Polygamy africa ethnic institutions family structures i evaluate the impact of education on polygamy in africa. Polygamy of either sort is far less common than it used to be, and is now concentrated in africa, the middle east, india, thailand, and indonesia. Jan 16, 2010 the scatterplots in figure 1 suggest that polygyny and hiv prevalence are negatively correlated. In traditional african society, men guarded the home and the cattle, or went to war. This is a reflection on the treatment of polygamy in africa. Daltony wake forest university tin cheuk leungz chinese university of hong kong may 20 abstract polygyny rates are higher in western africa than in eastern africa. Impact of a polygamous marriage on children and family. D department of religious studies olabisi onabanjo university, agoiwoye ogun state, nigeria abstract.
Second, greater female involvement in agriculture reduces. The issue of polygamy has dominated the press for the past week in south africa not least of all because of president zumas polygamous practices, as profiled on the world stage, and his impregnation of irvan khozas daughter as revealed in the press over the weekend. A few weeks into the trip, and after a rather stressful time in kumasi in. Polygamy refers to a situation where a man marries more than one wife or is when a man is living with more than one wife at the same time. Much has been written on this subject as evidenced by the extensive bibliography of this article. Polygamy and poverty are both widespread in subsaharan africa.
Martha bailey, principal researcher, professor beverley baines, coprincipal researcher and professor bita amani, coprincipal researcher of queens university at kingston. Pdf polygamy 1 and the missionary church william r. Polygamy was widely practiced in africa and it often formed the backbone of the traditional african family patterns. Polygamy remains common and mostly legal in west africa. Polygamy in subsaharan africa exists under the cult of ancestry and gerontocracy caldwell and caldwell 1987. Polygamy serves as a means to maintain the endless line of births and rebirths and to strengthen the power of the family as well as the status of the old patriarch through the growth in family size and the expansion of conjugal linkages to other clans. Whereas it is believed erroneously among many people that polygamy implies the art of a man being married to more than one wife, the true. The pros and cons of polygamy is there a link between polygamy and social unrest. Polygyny and womens health in subsaharan africa penn arts. A strong argument of weather the subject is right or wrong. The polygamy issue as confronted by meserete kristos church evangelist bekele tamirat went to the northwestern part of ethiopia to preach the gospel. Cohabitation, marriage and remarriage patterns in africa. First, greater female involvement in agriculture does not increase polygamy. The legality of polygamy varies widely around the world.
Overall the polygamy in africa is a very common practice that you are going to find all over africa, but it tends to be more popular especially in the west african countries. Moreover, we need to correct a common mistake in referring to polygyny as polygamy. The lord used him mightily and many persons from the local area accepted the christian faith. Polygamy and christianity in africa t a falaye, ph. Polygamy is less prevalent where there are higher levels of education and urbanization. The polygamy was widely accepted throughout the world until the roman empire and the roman catholic church has imposed the rules of having just one wife, but multiple other lovers were the norm. Polygamy, according to anderson 2000, is more common in africa than anywhere else in the world today.
Polygamy and islam polygamy and islam 5 one point greatly in need of clarification is the fact that in the matter of marrying more than one woman, the initiative does not lie solely with any individual man. Polygamy in africa has little to do with sex september 26, 20 by msafropolitan 35 comments at its core polygamy is natural because men biologically need to spread their seed and it is hard for them to commit to one woman. I evaluate the impact of education on polygamy in africa. Some societies have introduced a gradual reduction. It stems from an experience i had in 1960 while on a four month tour looking at various landsettlement projects. In the polygamy belt stretching from senegal to tanzania, it is common for more than one third of married women to be polygamous jacoby.
Polygamy and poverty are both widespread in africa. Polygamy is concentrated in west africa and has declined in recent decades. Africa, in particular western africa, has established itself as a region where polygamy is viewed as the norm. The husband in an existing customary marriage wishing to marry a second wife must apply to a competent court for such a marriage to be legal. These types of marriages have been more present in the whole history of africa like no other continent in the world. At familial and individual levels, it remains appealing in many respects.
In this paper we will be dealing with the most serious problem of all faced by africa, i. Okorje introduction polygamy as been at the heart of the whole polemics within the church and the african community. Loyola university chicago loyola ecommons social justice centers january 2014 divorce and polygamy in tanzania rachel j. Scholars have suggested, for example, that polygamy crowds out productive investment tertilt 2005, reduces investment in girls education edlund and lagerlof 2006 or diminishes the labour supply of unmarried men edlund and lagerlof 2012. Polygamy is illegal or criminalized across europe and. Given the rapid cultural changes operating in africa, it seems likely that, within a decade or two, polygamy as a pastoral problem will be replaced by western style divorce and remarriage. The traditional practice of polygyny, whereby only a man is allowed to marry more than one wife in a customary marriage, has long been perceived to be an offender of womens rights. Having presumably the ability to communicate with the deceased ancestors who are believed to possess the powers to reward good behavior and to.
Polygamy is common in africa, and is blamed for negative outcomes. In several subsaharan countries, more than 10% of married women are in a polygamous union. The disadvantages of polygamy essay sample july, 2017 by admin essay samples, free essay samples. Polygamy within africa is, simply, hard to predict. Darker colors indicate higher rates of polygamy or greater mean years of schooling. Inequality is related to polygamy, but acts over the very long term. It is important to be mindful of the fact that african societies used to be mainly rural. Pdf critical reflections on polygamy in the african. The polygamy was also encountered sporadically at the native americans, in the west african continent, polynesia, india and the ancient greece.
In almost all african societies, polygamy is an acceptable and valid form of marriage in fact, monogamy has been associated with. Sociodemographic and behavioural profile of women in. It is a socially accepted practice among tribes and communities in a number of african countries, particularly those in the. Considering the above discussion it might be said that the marriage pattern of africa or polygamy is the most common reason or one of the most common reasons for which africa is facing the disasters of poverty, economic disparity, and transmission of hiv. Polygamy is very common in the animist and muslim communities of west africa. The reasons for its existence and persistence are varied and have been a source of fierce debate.
Jun 27, 2011 the issue of polygamy has dominated the press for the past week in south africa not least of all because of president zumas polygamous practices, as profiled on the world stage, and his impregnation of irvan khozas daughter as revealed in the press over the weekend. How kenyans are reacting to legalised polygamy bbc news. You, poor women, will become nothing more than a dish at the buffet. Polygamy is concentrated in west africa, though a highintensity belt stretches through to tanzania. Africa, in particular western africa, has established itself as a region where polygamy. Muthengi polygamy has been a persistent problem in africa for the christian missions which brought the gospel to the contment. This practice is very common among the animist and the muslim communities.
Wherever polygamy is a culturally accepted form of marriage, it is preferred over and against monogamy. Although this essay focuses on polygamy as a form of conjugal union, it dwells on its various perspectives in nigerias sociopolitical firmament. Districts of french west africa that received more colonial teachers and parts of subsaharan africa that received protestant or catholic. There is always the conditionan inescapable onethat whatever the society, the women should outnumber the men. Districts of french west africa that received more colonial teachers and parts of subsaharan africa that received protestant or catholic missions have lower polygamy rates in the present.
For example, 33% of women in nigeria reported that their husbands have more than one wife demographic and health survey, 20. What really is the african s honest opinion of polygamy. Polygamy in africa diop major reference works wiley. It has raised much debate ranging from the dignity. This very old practice is essentially recognised under customary law andor religious practices. Some societies have introduced a gradual reduction in the number of wives permitted, while others. Studies conducted from the 1930s to 1950s indicate that polygamy was common virtually in all regions of africa.
Polygamy has declined in the last decade but remains common in west africa. In senegal, for example, nearly 47 per cent of marriages are said to feature multiple women. In africa, polygamy is viewed as a sociological issue rather than a religious one doi, 1996, and in some countries polygamy has also become a legal issue. I use dhs data to test nine hypotheses about its prevalence and decline. Polygamy, which is defined as the practice of having more than one spouse, is a common, and widespread, socially as well as culturally accepted phenomenon in many african countries 1,2. While some groups hail the decline in the practice of polygamy, there is a conflict between the desire to protect african cultural traditions and increasing pressure to recognise womens rights simmons 1999. Oct 15, 2014 a documentary that talks about polygamy in africa. Polygamy devalues women and the only person who revels in it is the husband who gets to enjoy variety. Polygyny and the spread of hiv in sub saharan africa. Polygamy was common and widespread in the ancient world and widely practiced among some religious groups. Geographic variation in womens agricultural productivity does not predict differences in the prevalence of polygamy, but historical inequality and exposure to the slave trade do. The polygamous family, consisting of a man, his wives more than one wife, and their children, is the ideal for most africans 2. The african countries are being barraged concretely by western ideas on sex, marriage and the family.
While sociologists view polygamy as a reproductive strategy by which men maximise the number of their offspring, but minimise investment in each. Yalda hakim reports for bbc our world on how it is being received. Whereas polygyny is the practice of one man having more than one wife at one time. All polygamous marriages entered into in accordance with the provisions of the recognition of customary marriages act are legal. Riley bove a, claudia valeggia b a department of medicine, massachusetts general hospital, harvard. In vhavenda culture to marry more than one wife is a sign of richness, power and a symbol of control. The polygamy was widely accepted during the last two thousands of years in the subsaharan africa also.
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