Monogamy Versus Polygamy and Other Forms of Marriage
Monogamy versus Polygamy and Other Forms of Marriage
Rasheedah Tyler
COM/155
5/3/2013
Tiffany Nelson
Monogamy versus Polygamy and Other Forms of Marriage
“I believe in monogamy if that is what a couple decides upon together, but it all depends on the personal history and culture of the two involved.” -K. D. Lang. The traditional family system--a lifelong alliance of a man and a woman--has in the past served as an institution for mobilizing the economic, moral, and emotional resources needed to raise children, (Bergmann, 1996).
In many cases, marital satisfaction is influenced by the husband’s supportiveness, maternal employment and the age of the husband. However, “a 50 percent divorce rate in the USA makes a mockery of the beautiful brides’ pictures that appear in newspapers across this nation. It suggests that America's belief in a lifetime monogamous marriage has degenerated into the mere acceptance of serial matrimony” (Miller, 1989). Roget’s Thesaurus defines monogamy as “a kind of marriage.” In other words, there are other kinds, and perhaps one of these might suit us a little better (Preston, 2011). Monogamy is the only form a legal marriage in Western society. Monogamy can mean marriage to only one person for a lifetime or, as is more common today, marriage to one person at a time, aka “serial monogamy.” Monogamy is usually between opposite sex couples, though same-sex monogamy is becoming legal in some states and countries, (Libertine, 2008).
“Society expects marriages to be both, but studies that have shown that ten percent of babies are fathered by men other than their legal fathers indicate that the two don’t always go hand in hand; that while social monogamy might be ubiquitous, biological monogamy is not”, (Libertine, 2008). Monogamy can mean marriage to only one person for a lifetime or, as is more common today, marriage to one person at a time, aka “serial monogamy,” (Libertine, 2008). Monogamy is usually between opposite sex
Rasheedah Tyler
COM/155
5/3/2013
Tiffany Nelson
Monogamy versus Polygamy and Other Forms of Marriage
“I believe in monogamy if that is what a couple decides upon together, but it all depends on the personal history and culture of the two involved.” -K. D. Lang. The traditional family system--a lifelong alliance of a man and a woman--has in the past served as an institution for mobilizing the economic, moral, and emotional resources needed to raise children, (Bergmann, 1996).
In many cases, marital satisfaction is influenced by the husband’s supportiveness, maternal employment and the age of the husband. However, “a 50 percent divorce rate in the USA makes a mockery of the beautiful brides’ pictures that appear in newspapers across this nation. It suggests that America's belief in a lifetime monogamous marriage has degenerated into the mere acceptance of serial matrimony” (Miller, 1989). Roget’s Thesaurus defines monogamy as “a kind of marriage.” In other words, there are other kinds, and perhaps one of these might suit us a little better (Preston, 2011). Monogamy is the only form a legal marriage in Western society. Monogamy can mean marriage to only one person for a lifetime or, as is more common today, marriage to one person at a time, aka “serial monogamy.” Monogamy is usually between opposite sex couples, though same-sex monogamy is becoming legal in some states and countries, (Libertine, 2008).
“Society expects marriages to be both, but studies that have shown that ten percent of babies are fathered by men other than their legal fathers indicate that the two don’t always go hand in hand; that while social monogamy might be ubiquitous, biological monogamy is not”, (Libertine, 2008). Monogamy can mean marriage to only one person for a lifetime or, as is more common today, marriage to one person at a time, aka “serial monogamy,” (Libertine, 2008). Monogamy is usually between opposite sex