Whereas polygyny is the practice of one man having more than one wife at one time. Polygamy and poverty are both widespread in subsaharan africa. Second, past inequality better predicts polygamy today than does current inequality. Basically, there are cultural reasons, biological reasons, religious or practical reasons such as satisfaction. But african cultures emphasize that the union of two individuals must fit into the larger picture of social networks known as kinship, clan or tribal groups. Polygamy operates to create concurrent sexual networks. Hope this information will helpful to get idea in brief about. In this way i quite agree with professor mbiti who says that. Most africans especially in the past were deeply involved in the practice.
She is not disputing the idea that african culture is. Tapestry against polygamy, composed of former plural wives, are countered by defenders of polygyny such as the women who wrote harmony of polygamy. Polygamy is the practice of having more than one wife or husband at one time. The polygamy was also encountered sporadically at the native americans, in the west african continent, polynesia, india and the ancient greece. After a controversial bill legalising polygamy became law in kenya last month, yalda hakim reports on how it is being received. Polygamy is most concentrated in west africa, though it is by no means limited there. The traditional practice of polygyny, whereby only a man is allowed to marry more than one wife in a customary marriage, has long been. Traditionally, polygamy was accepted all over africa as the cultural norm.
Polygamy is seen as a sign of prestige, and prosperity. Darker colors indicate higher rates of polygamy or greater mean years of schooling. A number of factors contribute to the high rate of polygamy in the modern day nigeria. Polygyny is the form of marriage practiced in africa not polygamy. While urban zulu communities have found it difficult to uphold the arrangement, those in the rural homelands have maintained the tradition. Polygamy, christianity, africa introduction polygamy is most common in africa. The traditional practice of polygamy, which is legally sanctioned in african culture, allows husbands to have more than one wife. First, greater female involvement in agri culture does not increase polygamy. In almost all african societies, polygamy is an acceptable and valid form of marriage in fact, monogamy has been associated with.
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. Jun 25, 2014 last month a controversial bill legalising polygamy became law in kenya. Local african culture was oppressed for many years by white south africans, who find their cultural roots in western countries. The polygamy has existed in all over the african continent thanks to the fact that it represents an aspect of their culture and religion. Polygamy is a phenomenon often associated with african people. These types of marriages have been more present in the whole history of africa like no other continent in the world. Polygamy remains common and mostly legal in west africa. I aggregate the women for whom coordinates are available to cells that are 0. This is as a result of the fact that christian catechetical teachings which hails from. Traditional practices one example of a cultural practice that conflicts with progressive international norms is the observance of polygamy. It is legal in 26 out of 54 african countries, particularly. When a man is married to more than one wife at a time, sociologists call this polygyny. The prosperity comes through having many children with is the fathers life insurance as well as a guarantee for a good home in old age.
According to the center for disease control and prevention4 in 2002, african american women had a 23 times greater chance of being diagnosed with hiv than white woman. Polygamy has declined in the last decade but remains common in west africa. Moreover, we need to correct a common mistake in referring to polygyny as polygamy. You, poor women, will become nothing more than a dish at the buffet. Jan 16, 2010 the scatterplots in figure 1 suggest that polygyny and hiv prevalence are negatively correlated. Mar 19, 2010 polygamy devalues women and the only person who revels in it is the husband who gets to enjoy variety. 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. This very old practice is essentially recognised under customary law andor religious practices. Polygyny and the spread of hiv in sub saharan africa. Cohabitation, marriage and remarriage patterns in africa. Polygamy is legal under certain circumstances in south africa.
In fact, the country has produced ancentus akuku ogwela, who married wives, and, when. Muslim populations and other cultural groups in south africa also practice polygamy. These types of marriages here are some more compilation of topics and latest discussions relates to this video, which we found thorough the internet. Jan 06, 2010 polygamy is very common in the animist and muslim communities of west africa. Contemporary african culture is a mixture of traditional elements and alien features. Yalda hakim reports for bbc our world on how it is being received.
A 48nation study of sex, culture, and strategies of. It has raised much debate ranging from the dignity. 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. The more wives a man had the more would be his children and the more children one had, the longer he would likely be remembered, long after his death mbiti 1967. How kenyans are reacting to legalised polygamy bbc news. It is important to be mindful of the fact that african societies used to be mainly rural. Mar 04, 2010 however, polygamy in south africa is still a fact of life for many. Polygamy bill allows kenyan men many wives swaziland. 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. All polygamous marriages entered into in accordance with the provisions of the recognition of customary marriages act are legal.
Nairobi, kenya kenyan men have practiced polygamy, or plural marriage, as far back as they can remember. The first is that the context of this article is subsahara africa. 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. Polygamy is a centuriesold practice in africa that has yet to disappear from modern life. Due to cultural and economic changes, polygamy does not seem to. Wherever polygamy is a culturally accepted form of marriage, it is preferred over and against monogamy. Critical reflections on polygamy in the african christian.
Secondly, according to a particular cultural tradition across africa, polygamy is an acceptable practice. In senegal, for example, nearly 47 per cent of marriages are said to feature multiple women. In africa, as already mentioned above, polygamy is a social practice used to ensure the continued status and survival of widows and orphans within an established family structure. Traditional african approaches in the light of natural values, and of modern secular attitude. Pdf critical reflections on polygamy in the african. One of the reasons why this has happened is because the african societies have managed to. Polygamy is less prevalent where there are higher levels of education and urbanization.
Motivated by a simple model, i use dhs data to test nine hypotheses about the prevalence and decline of african polygamy. Red dots are polygamists, while blue dots are monogamists. Polygamy is concentrated in west africa, though a highintensity belt stretches through to tanzania. Critical reflections on polygamy in the african christian context1 elijah m. Although it occurs throughout the world, african males, traditionalists in. Polygamy from late greek, polygamia, state of marriage to many spouses is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. Africa has the highest rate of polygamy prevalence in the world therborn2006. The relationship holds for femalecentered definitions of polygyny the. Culture, tradition, custom, law and gender equality mj maluleke culture is like an umbrella under which some people like to hide from rain, and also to shade themselves from the sun. Baloyi2 abstract polygamy is a phenomenon often associated with african people.
This is prominent in urban areas in the region mostly amongst the younger generation. If we are going to speak of traditional african concepts and customs regarding marriage and the family, a few clarifications are called for. Sub saharan africa has one of the fastest annual population. In the chilly dawn deep in kenyas rift valley, three. Some cultural and traditional practices do have an effect on hiv transmission in some parts of africa. Modern african christians are often faced with a dilemma as regards how to respond to the issue of conflict between christianity and traditional african cultures. African culture has experienced rapid change since the colonial invasion. The researchers suggested that a culture in which polygamy is not only tolerated but valued, where the larger family size associated with polygamy is a signifier of social status, and where women are respected for their role in producing children, may help children deal better with the risk factors associated with polygamy.
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. 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. Apr 06, 2016 the western attitude that marriage is the union of two people drawn together by love has had some influence in africa, especially in the cities. The pros and cons of polygamy would legalizing polygamy increase peoples freedom, or limit it. In almost all african societies, polygamy is an acceptable and valid form of marriage in fact, monogamy has been associated with people of lower social status. For example, 33% of women in nigeria reported that their husbands have more than one wife demographic and health survey, 20. Each point is a married woman for whom the dhs data gives geographic coordinates. For more cross cultural examples of multiple marriage or stories about the intrigues and violence accompanying historical polygamy, see stephanie coontz, marriage, a history. Marriage in contemporary sub saharan africa is substantially marked by the movement from polygamous marriages to monogamous marriage.