Preview

The Burning Issue Of Polygamy

Best Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2683 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Burning Issue Of Polygamy
Jim Meyer
Social Ethics
21 March 2013
Disclaimer: You have requested a machine translation of selected content from our databases. This functionality is provided solely for your convenience and is in no way intended to replace human translation. Neither Gale nor its licensors make any representations or warranties with respect to the translations.

Polygamy a Burning Issue

The debate surrounding the issue polygamy is highly fervent, impassioned and ideologically charged. Sarcastically, it might be said, ‘If marriage to a woman civilizes a man it follows that the more women a man marries, the more civilized he becomes.’ This is the world of polygamy. Polygamy explores abundant debates concerning the practice of plural matrimonial, including
…show more content…
"Polygamists Should Be Prosecuted." Polygamy. Ed. Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. At Issue. Rpt. from "Putting Polygamy in the Spotlight." Philly.com. 2006. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
Mazer, Susan. “Fighting the culture of polygamy.” Philadelphia Inquirer 13 Oct, 2001. 27 Oct, 2003
Mazur, Suzan. "Polygamists Should Be Prosecuted." Polygamy. Ed. Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. At Issue. Rpt. from "Putting Polygamy in the Spotlight." Philly.com. 2006. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
Naomi, Schaefer R. "WEEKEND JOURNAL; Taste -- De Gustibus: Harem, Scare 'Em: Worrying about Polygamy." Wall Street Journal: W.13. Jan 06 2006. ProQuest. Web. 20 Mar. 2013 .
"Polygamy." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
Voshell, Fay. "Polygamy Is Detrimental to Marriage, Faith, and Society." Polygamy. Ed. Stefan Kiesbye. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. At Issue. Rpt. from "Kody Brown, His 'Sister Wives, ' and the Return of Polygamy." www.americanthinker.com. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
Webb, Betty. The True Story Behind “Desert Wives”. 29 Oct,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    When discussing the issue of polygamy, the one case ruling mostly, and heavily relied on is in Reynolds v. United States, 98 U.S. 145, 25 L. Ed. 244 (1879) when…

    • 1347 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    According to The American Heritage Dictionary, polygamy is “The condition or practice of having more than one spouse at one time. Also called plural marriage” (The American Heritage Dictionary, 2005). Recently there has been a large amount of speculation about polygamy in the media. Speculation and bigotry has also become out of hand with the public, so the purpose of this paper is to provide accurate information about the Fundamental Ladder Day Saints, or FLDS, members. I will provide information on the historical background of the FLDS religion, the important holidays, traditions, and the challenges that FLDS members must face every day; including what the women have to say, who have left the FLDS religion. I will also share information given to me by a member of the FLDS faith.…

    • 2265 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    “It should also be emphasize that equality of treatment with regard to the right to marry implies that polygamy is incompatible with this principle. Polygamy violates the dignity of women. It is an inadmissible discrimination against women. Consequently,…

    • 134 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Monogamy isn’t realistic” (Trainwreck) is a recurring theme in Aziz Ansari’s Modern Romance. Ansari’s argument is that with the ever growing influence of technology in modern relationships/dating it is ridiculous to expect you and/or your partner to remain monogamous. Here enters the idea of monogamish relationships; “the couple is deeply committed to each other, but there is room for outside sexual activity” (Ansari 228). Relationships based on trust that leave room for the natural need for sexual variety allow individuals to meet both their emotional and physical needs without fear of backlash from their partner.…

    • 890 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    vi. Polygamy: heterosexual marriage when individual of one sex marries several people of other sex…

    • 1759 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Polymory

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the article, “A Humanist Looks at Polymory”, Valerie White creates a strong argument on the topic of Polymory (believing it is possible to love more than one person at a time without deception or betrayal) . White uses numerous amounts of examples of what Polymory is, and why people would be against it, and then why people are wrong to assume certain things about the group. She uses personal experiences, backs up her statements with strong facts, and gives more insight on the true meaning of Polymory.…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    One of the norms that Margret Farley states within her writing that could be used to support not only sexual justice but polygamy could be do not unjust harm, this norm could be used because it focuses on not harming the other person within the relationship. Even though within a polygamist relationship there are many people to care for, all of the women and children were mentally, physically, financially and spiritually supported and cared for. Another norm that could make polygamy just is commitment; within the marriages the man stayed faithful and committed to his multiple wives. Furthermore, even though the wives expressed jealousy, they were all committed to each other in the context of support with raising children or supporting one another.…

    • 217 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Polygamy In Canada Essay

    • 1443 Words
    • 6 Pages

    With reasonable guidelines in place to prevent human right violations, should polygamy be legal in Canada? First of all, a clear definition of the term is required: “Polygamy occurs when one husband is married to two or more wives” (Ozkan,M et al,215) .This scenario is not common in North America however has been known to occur in the past. To gain an insight to the world of polygamy, it seems that research has been undertook investigating its effects in areas of the world where it is more common, for example, the Muslim world. The decision as to whether Polygamy should be legal in Canada will be based on the research found on the effects of Polygamy on both the children of the senior and junior wife. “A senior wife is defined as a woman who was followed by another wife into the marriage. A junior wife is the most recent wife joining the marriage” (Al-Krenawi,447). In-depth research has taken place into the emotional,…

    • 1443 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    For centuries now, we have been taught by society that being monogamous is the socially accepted norm. In fact, having more than one marital or sexual partner in many cultures is considered to be taboo. Yet that leaves many people wondering how that tradition was even constructed and whether or not we should continue to live in a monogamous manner. In this paper, we are going to examine if being monogamous is truly a part of human nature and whether or not we are meant to be with only one marital or sexual partner throughout the course of our lives. Now more so than ever, society is moving in a direction that challenges traditional ways of life and many people are no longer following this socially constructed norm. In fact, monogamy has become a very popular, controversial topic that is continuously being addressed by the media and it has people second-guessing if remaining monogamous fits their ideal lifestyle. This is an especially important topic for our generation, due to the fact that we are currently at the stage in our lives where we set goals for ourselves that will pave the roads of our futures. Deciding whether or not to be monogamous is just as important as picking career paths and it holds just as much significance in the way it affects the rest of our lives. This is a problem in relational communication because whether we decide to be monogamous or non-monogamous, our decision will ultimately affect the way we interact with others and the way we approach intimate relationships. With today’s society slowly moving against monogamy, it’s time to decide if limiting ourselves to one marital and sexual partner is really in our nature, or if it’s just a tradition of the past that no longer holds the social significance that it used to.…

    • 1861 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this essay I will argue the point that polygamy will not work in the Australian society in which we live today. ‘Polygamy is not merely an exotic habit of a few faraway people. A wide range of very different societies allow a man to be married to more that one wife simultaneously and is even today a viable form of marriage in large parts of the world’. (Bretschneider 1995 p.11) I will support my argument based on the reasons some of these cultures practice polygamy and why in Australia there is no need for this type of marriage. There are many theories to explain the development of polygamy within cultures, I will examine several of these reasons and compare them to the Australian society of today.…

    • 1441 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Monogamy In Canada

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The purpose of this paper is not to highlight the benefits of non-exclusive relations but rather to criticize a far from perfect institution that is at the center of western culture and is an implicit rule that is rarely or never questioned. Within these societies the seeming social dependence on such sexually and romantically exclusive relationships leads to the objectification of both men and woman, the creation of a stigma for those who do not follow its practice. It is here where the journey of questioning the social norm of monogamy begins.…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    life and family

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages

    However, in other cultures, such as the Sobtenga people of Burkina Faso, wealthy men practice polygyny, they can marry two or more wives and this is indisputably a norm within that society. Possessing a small number of cattle guarantees the security of the wives and this practice is supposedly more common than polyandry in that society.(Haralambos M & Langley P). Alternatively polyandry is habitual practice amongst the Todas of India and the Marquesan islanders. Two or more men marry one wife to combat the economic hardship of fending for a wife and offsprings .(Browne K.p253). Concentrating on the Zinacantepec community of southern Mexico enhances this argument. They don't focus the concept of the word family only as a parent-child relationship. Instead their basic social unit comprises of complex families, meaning a joint or multiple families related or not related, sharing a single dwelling.(Ponzetti J).…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Polygamy In Canada

    • 1795 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Although polygamy has been around for many decades, we have been witnesses to how several groups of people in our society look at the practice. Although from the research that was conducted for the purpose of this paper we are able to understand that the thought of doing this practice was not openly accepted in early decades by all; however, it wasn’t until the world learned about what Warren Jeff’s did to his wives and children of his community that the most of the world was completely against plural marriages and plural families. It was after the Warren Jeff’s case that many people believed that plural families would not be suitable for children to be brought up in, however, as we have seen that is not the case. Plural marriage allows for the sharing of children to be loved by many individuals. It is quite clear that the questions this essay set out to look into have now been answered. Yes, polygamy might not be the most common and viewed as the best way to raise a family that being said, as long as the family is caring and loving and raising the children without causing any harm to them then they should be able to live in peace with the lifestyle they have…

    • 1795 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The history shown can stand by the other facts given to end polygamy and rights being taken from women. America should protect young girls who do not have a choice because they are under 18. The treatment of the women is greatly shown in this research paper and the facts stand to it being morally and legally wrong. Polygamy needs to be controlled and stopped for good throughout the nation. In order to understand what Polygamy is and why America should not legalize it , one must know, the history of Polygamy, the limit of freedom the young girls have, and the treatment of the…

    • 1310 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Once referred to as the “original marriage” Polygamy is now an alternative lifestyle lived by many, but is it right? There are multiple countries around the world that believe that this is in fact an applicable way of living. The Origins of polygamy are extremely vast and are practiced all over the world. However, in the United States it is illegal, yet there are many knowing individuals who still partake in this style of living. It is reported that “there are 40,000 people living in polygamous families or communities across the Western region of the U.S” (Scharnberg & Brachear, 2006). Should these people be prosecuted? Or are we as Americans pre judging a lifestyle that we know nothing about? In this paper, I will discuss what polygamy is,…

    • 1521 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics