Pros And Cons Of Polyandry In Society

According to dictionary.com; polygyny is defined as the practice or condition of having more than one wife at one time. dictionary.com also says polyandry is the practice or condition of having more than one husband at one time. Many societies practice both polygyny and polyandry across the world. However, still to this day, polygyny and polyandry are restricted in many religions and countries and these relationships are often not properly recognized amongst every culture. Both of these can be found not only among humans, but also lions, chimpanzees, and canines. Polyandry is found amongst Islamic culture, as well as in India, Africa and China, and nomadic Tibetans. There are many pros and cons in being involved in a polygamous relationship. …show more content…
In many cases where the whole family lives in one residence, the sister wives, or brother husbands are able to communicate their problems with each other and receive advice to greater strengthen their own relationship with their spouse and each other. Another benefit is that once children start coming into the picture, “it takes a village” really comes in handy. Having multiple wives care for a child offers many benefits to that child as well as the mother. Children in polygamous families are less likely to abuse drugs, fail out of school, and commit any crimes. This is because not only are there more eyes watching the child, but the child has multiple “parent sources” for any problems they are dealing with. With many parents in the equation, they all come from different backgrounds and offer different advice. Another benefit of polygamous relationships is the low rate of …show more content…
There are many diseases infants can contract in this region of the world, so mothers refrain from having intercourse for up to two years. Men will often seek other sexual partners. An increase in polygamy is found in other societies where there is a high male mortality rate due to war. This creates an imbalance between men and women and therefore promotes polygamy. Some societies view men with having multiple wives as a symbol of power and wealth. This can be seen in the Siwai culture in the South Pacific especially since women are the workers for their agriculture. In this society, all the wives take care of each other’s kids as well as tend the farms and pigs. Certain cultures have rules to prevent any fighting and tension that may occur. Societies like in Tonga, the first wife married in, has the overall say against future wives (sister