Monogamy Versus Polygamy
SSC 101-2
Research Paper
Monogamy versus Polygamy Nobody ever said marriage was easy. Marriage is a vow to remain honest, true, and faithful, and a promise to always love and cherish the chosen one. In many cultures worldwide, young girls dream of the day that her knight in shining armor will come to her, sweep her off her feet, and propose marriage in a rush of romance. This dream of love is instilled in cultural values and beliefs that affect the child throughout his or her upbringing, which result in her expectation of her one-and-only. There are, however, cultures in which young girls have a different expectation for the moment that marriage will come for her. Rather than a dream of love, acceptance of an understanding of a woman’s role in a marriage is the focus in the minds and beings of young girls from the very beginning of life. These girls do not understand the notion of faithfulness or exclusivity because it is not their trained way of life. In some cultures, a wife is but one of her husband’s many wives, a role she must share with numerous other women. Different systems of culture create different systems of marriage, whereas some cultures value the power of a two-person marriage, some see marriage as the more, the merrier. A thorough understanding of the rationale for each view is necessary to effectively compare and contrast the two-lifestyle choices.
Monogamy “By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” These words are frequently repeated throughout the world in order to officially seal the bonds of matrimony throughout a variety of cultures. The idea of a man and a woman marrying each other for an eternity is the idea of monogamy. Webster Dictionary Online provides three different definitions for the word monogamy. First, a historical definition of the word defined it as “the practice of marrying only once during a lifetime.” This first definition does not mesh well with today’s society, which is rampant with
Research Paper
Monogamy versus Polygamy Nobody ever said marriage was easy. Marriage is a vow to remain honest, true, and faithful, and a promise to always love and cherish the chosen one. In many cultures worldwide, young girls dream of the day that her knight in shining armor will come to her, sweep her off her feet, and propose marriage in a rush of romance. This dream of love is instilled in cultural values and beliefs that affect the child throughout his or her upbringing, which result in her expectation of her one-and-only. There are, however, cultures in which young girls have a different expectation for the moment that marriage will come for her. Rather than a dream of love, acceptance of an understanding of a woman’s role in a marriage is the focus in the minds and beings of young girls from the very beginning of life. These girls do not understand the notion of faithfulness or exclusivity because it is not their trained way of life. In some cultures, a wife is but one of her husband’s many wives, a role she must share with numerous other women. Different systems of culture create different systems of marriage, whereas some cultures value the power of a two-person marriage, some see marriage as the more, the merrier. A thorough understanding of the rationale for each view is necessary to effectively compare and contrast the two-lifestyle choices.
Monogamy “By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” These words are frequently repeated throughout the world in order to officially seal the bonds of matrimony throughout a variety of cultures. The idea of a man and a woman marrying each other for an eternity is the idea of monogamy. Webster Dictionary Online provides three different definitions for the word monogamy. First, a historical definition of the word defined it as “the practice of marrying only once during a lifetime.” This first definition does not mesh well with today’s society, which is rampant with