PolygamyCross Cultural Study with Focus on African Tribal Societies free essay sample

This research paper explores polygamy all over the world. This paper describes in detail both polygyny and polyandry all over the world. The topics covered include an in-depth look polygamous practices of African tribes, tribes of New Zealand, Mormon groups of Utah, citizens of Tibet and Nepal, and more. The paper also includes the influence of Catholicism, Christianity, Mormonism, and Islam on the practice of polygamy. From the paper: Polygamy is made up of polygyny and polyandry. Polygyny can be loosely described as a man having more than one wife, and polyandry is a woman having more than one husband. Polygamy is in more individual societies than monogamous relationships, but far more people ascribe to monogamy than polygamy. As Pettitt explains, Polyandryous marriages or polygynous marriages are found in many parts of the world. In fact, one study discovered that among 475 different societies, 378 were basically polygynous, 31 approved of polyandry, and only 66 were basically monogamous. We will write a custom essay sample on Polygamy:Cross Cultural Study with Focus on African Tribal Societies or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The most populous countries are monogamous, and this form of marriage is therefore accepted by far the greatest number of people (64). One reason for polygamy is made clear by Pettitt, Men accept the idea of sharing a wife, just as a women accept the idea of sharing a husband, provided that this is a socially sanctioned form of marriage contract (64).