What does polygyny family mean?

What does polygyny family mean?

Polygyny, the practice of one man being married to multiple wives at the same time, is a common family structure in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Settings in which polygyny is widespread tend to be economically, socially, and culturally distinct from those in which the practice is rare.

What is polygyny give example?

Polygyny, marriage in which two or more women share a husband. Sororal polygyny, in which the cowives are sisters, is often the preferred form because sisters are thought to be more mutually supportive and less argumentative than nonsiblings. Polygyny can also have a positive effect on maternal and child health.

What are the benefits of polygyny?

The perceived advantages of polygyny included sharing of house chores and child rearing. The women’s ways of coping included the use of religion, faith and a strong sisterly bond formed with the co-wives. Though the majority of the women disapproved of polygyny unions, divorce was not an option.

Is polygyny the same as polygamy?

Abstract. Anthropologically, polygamy is defined as marriage between one person and two or more spouses simultaneously. It exists in two main forms: polygyny, where one man is married to several women, and polyandry, where one woman is married to several men.

What are the types of polygyny?

Three general types of polygynous mating systems occur in mammals: resource defense polygyny, female defense polygyny, and leks.

Is it good to have 2 wives?

The key to a long life could be as simple as getting a second wife. Research suggests that men from polygamist cultures live 12 per cent longer than those who limit their affections to one woman at a time.

What is the rarest form of marriage?

–fraternal polyandry
The form of marriage they are about to enter–fraternal polyandry in anthropological parlance–is one of the world’s rarest forms of marriage but is not uncommon in Tibetan society, where it has been practiced from time immemorial.

What does Second wife mean?

the state or practice of being married to more than one wife or one husband at a time. — bigamist, n. a second legal marriage after the termination of a first marriage by death or divorce.

What are the benefits of polygyny for women?

Polygyny can also have a positive effect on maternal and child health. During postpartum recovery, for instance, cowives can usually rely upon each other to perform the most strenuous work of the household.

What was the average number of wives in polygyny?

…one wife at a time, polygyny was considered both legitimate and good. The average number of wives in polygynous unions was 2 or 3. The maximum in the Great Sandy Desert was 5 or 6; among the Tiwi, 29; among the Yolngu, 20 to 25, with many men having 10….

How does polygyny affect the economy of a country?

The economist Michèle Tertilt concludes that countries that practice polygyny are less economically stable than those that practice monogamy. Polygynous countries usually have a higher fertility rate, fewer savings reserves, and a lower GDP.

What are the disadvantages of being a polygynous family?

Despite certain advantages to both sexes, polygynous families can be fraught with bickering and sexual jealousy. In order to dampen strife, many groups accord seniority to one wife, usually the first.