3 ms·

Perhaps the economic leverage of agriculture was lucrative enough to increase dominance by the owner's male lineage. I.E. providing food to starving women from

Perhaps the economic leverage of agriculture was lucrative enough to increase dominance by the owner's male lineage. I.E. providing food to starving women from your dad's crop could get you laid more than the hunter gatherer next door.

PakG1 9y ago
I recall reading an economic study on polygamous societies in the Middle East that concluded the same thing about why women would be ok with it. Financial security. Edit: I find it annoying that I'm getting downvoted for just saying I once read an article that studied similar phenomena. To be clear, I think polygamy is a horrible thing, especially in countries where women have far from equal rights. That doesn't mean that the circumstances that make it systemic shouldn't be studied. Edit 2: I realize that I didn't particularly contribute anything enlightening to the conversation with this comment either. In that case, downvote away. :)
- jacobolus 9y ago
  Polygamy shows up routinely in peasant societies when there is a severe shortage of men, for example after a war, or when economic hardship causes many young men to leave looking for work, or when severe poverty makes a large proportion of young men unable to afford a family. The young women left behind have few good choices for husbands, and so are forced to choose (or have the choice made for them by their parents) between becoming spinsters (i.e. not marrying and living alone or with their parents into adulthood), or becoming an older man’s second wife (or third, etc.). This causes all kinds of resentment between the multiple wives and often leads to abusive relationships, but is still arguably a better outcome for some of the young women than being stuck unmarried in a context where supporting yourself as a single person is extremely challenging.

3 ms·

Perhaps the economic leverage of agriculture was lucrative enough to increase dominance by the owner's male lineage. I.E. providing food to starving women from

by billions 9y ago

PakG1 9y ago
I recall reading an economic study on polygamous societies in the Middle East that concluded the same thing about why women would be ok with it. Financial security. Edit: I find it annoying that I'm getting downvoted for just saying I once read an article that studied similar phenomena. To be clear, I think polygamy is a horrible thing, especially in countries where women have far from equal rights. That doesn't mean that the circumstances that make it systemic shouldn't be studied. Edit 2: I realize that I didn't particularly contribute anything enlightening to the conversation with this comment either. In that case, downvote away. :)
- jacobolus 9y ago
  Polygamy shows up routinely in peasant societies when there is a severe shortage of men, for example after a war, or when economic hardship causes many young men to leave looking for work, or when severe poverty makes a large proportion of young men unable to afford a family. The young women left behind have few good choices for husbands, and so are forced to choose (or have the choice made for them by their parents) between becoming spinsters (i.e. not marrying and living alone or with their parents into adulthood), or becoming an older man’s second wife (or third, etc.). This causes all kinds of resentment between the multiple wives and often leads to abusive relationships, but is still arguably a better outcome for some of the young women than being stuck unmarried in a context where supporting yourself as a single person is extremely challenging.