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Note that Gallup changed the question in 2011: before the question defined polygamy as "when one husband has more than one wife at the same time", after 2011 it

Note that Gallup changed the question in 2011: before the question defined polygamy as "when one husband has more than one wife at the same time", after 2011 it was defined as "when a married person has more than one spouse at the same time". That may not account for the slope post-2011, but it's a significant enough difference that it's important to call it out. A lot of people who were opposed to polygamy when it was framed as patriarchal switched their opinion when it was made gender-neutral.

fasthands9 3y ago
That is a good clarification. From 2012 to the most recent poll it went from 11% to 20%. I realize "moral acceptance" is not the same as "widely popular" but still think it directionally shows a meaningful change, even if its a change from "very rare" to "uncommon".
- lolinder 3y ago
  Yeah, I'd be more interested to see the numbers of people who are actually interested in polyamory rather than those who think it's okay for someone else to do it. 38% of the population believe that gender can be different than biological sex [0], but only ~1% of the population identifies as transgender. All the data from Gallup shows is that people are increasingly open to alternative marriage arrangements, but it doesn't indicate anything about how many people are interested in those arrangements. [0] https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/06/28/americans-complex-views-on-gender-identity-and-transgender-issues/ https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/06/28/america...
voidwtf 3y ago
Just to be clear... Polygamy/Polygyny IS NOT polyamory, and it is very much incompatible with the ENM and polyamory ethos afaik.
- lolinder 3y ago
  I'm aware that that's a distinction people make, but I was just responding to what OP was citing. I would expect that the numbers wouldn't move much if you could do a poll on polyamory as distinct from polygamy. The distinction is so far removed from most people's experience that it's not likely to change their sentiment.
  - voidwtf 3y ago
    Maybe so. There is definitely a lot of confusion and misunderstanding for those that have only ever been taught and only ever experienced monogamy. I'm polyamorous but I find polygamy to be pretty vile. I've never seen polygamy mentioned or practiced outside the context of religion, cults, or seeing people as property. Polygamy almost never benefits all the people involved and when I've heard of it practiced in the U.S. it's often commingled with the absolutely vile practice of child marriage. edit: I'm surprised this is an unpopular opinion, curious what I said that people don't like.

fasthands9 3y ago

That is a good clarification. From 2012 to the most recent poll it went from 11% to 20%. I realize "moral acceptance" is not the same as "widely popular" but still think it directionally shows a meaningful change, even if its a change from "very rare" to "uncommon".

lolinder 3y ago
Yeah, I'd be more interested to see the numbers of people who are actually interested in polyamory rather than those who think it's okay for someone else to do it. 38% of the population believe that gender can be different than biological sex [0], but only ~1% of the population identifies as transgender. All the data from Gallup shows is that people are increasingly open to alternative marriage arrangements, but it doesn't indicate anything about how many people are interested in those arrangements. [0] https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/06/28/americans-complex-views-on-gender-identity-and-transgender-issues/ https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/06/28/america...

voidwtf 3y ago

Just to be clear... Polygamy/Polygyny IS NOT polyamory, and it is very much incompatible with the ENM and polyamory ethos afaik.

lolinder 3y ago
I'm aware that that's a distinction people make, but I was just responding to what OP was citing. I would expect that the numbers wouldn't move much if you could do a poll on polyamory as distinct from polygamy. The distinction is so far removed from most people's experience that it's not likely to change their sentiment.
- voidwtf 3y ago
  Maybe so. There is definitely a lot of confusion and misunderstanding for those that have only ever been taught and only ever experienced monogamy. I'm polyamorous but I find polygamy to be pretty vile. I've never seen polygamy mentioned or practiced outside the context of religion, cults, or seeing people as property. Polygamy almost never benefits all the people involved and when I've heard of it practiced in the U.S. it's often commingled with the absolutely vile practice of child marriage. edit: I'm surprised this is an unpopular opinion, curious what I said that people don't like.