"Polygamy is the practice of marrying multiple spouses."
Refers to the practice of having multiple spouses, which was widespread in many ancient cultures and often associated with social status, wealth, and religion.
Polygamy definition and history: The definition and history of polygamy, including its origins, prevalence, and cultural context.
Polygamous societies and cultures: A study of polygamous societies and cultures, including their social structures, dynamics, and values.
Polygamy and religion: A study of the role that religion has played in the practice of polygamy, including its influence on religious texts and teachings.
Polygamy and marriage: An exploration of the relationship between polygamy and marriage, including its impact on marital dynamics and relationships.
Polygamy and gender: An examination of the role of gender in polygamous societies, including the impact of polygamy on women and men.
Polygamy and sexuality: A study of the relationship between polygamy and sexuality, including how polygamy affects sexual dynamics and practices.
Polygamy and power: An exploration of the role that power plays in polygamous societies, including how power dynamics are influenced by polygamy.
Polygamy and economics: An analysis of the economic implications of polygamy, including its impact on wealth distribution, inheritance, and property ownership.
Polygamy and politics: An examination of the political implications of polygamy, including how it affects social stability, governance, and conflict.
Polygamy and modern society: An evaluation of the relevance and implications of polygamy in modern society, including its legal and ethical dimensions.
Polygyny: It is a type of polygamous relationship where a man is married to multiple wives at the same time. It is prevalent in some cultures where men are allowed to marry more than one wife.
Polyandry: It is a type of polygamous relationship where a woman is married to multiple husbands at the same time. It is less common than polygyny, but it does exist in some cultures.
Group Marriage: It is a type of polygamy where a group of people, irrespective of gender, are married to each other simultaneously. This type of marriage can include both heterosexual and homosexual individuals, forming a marriage-like relationship.
Hierarchical Polyamory: It is a type of polygamous relationship that includes a primary partner and secondary partners. The primary partner has a more significant role in the relationship than the secondary partners.
Communal Marriage: It is a type of polygamous relationship where a whole community or society is married to each other. In this type of marriage, the partners don't necessarily have exclusive relationships, and all members of the community participate in a shared commitment.
Open Marriage: It is a type of polygamous relationship where the partners are free to form sexual or romantic relationships outside the marriage. Open Marriage is not necessarily polygamous, but it can be if the multiple partners are acknowledged and accepted.
"When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny."
"When a woman is married to more than one husband at a time, it is called polyandry."
"In sociobiology and zoology, researchers use polygamy in a broad sense to mean any form of multiple mating."
"In contrast to polygamy, monogamy is marriage consisting of only two parties."
"In many countries, the law only recognizes monogamous marriages, but adultery is not illegal, leading to a situation of de facto polygamy being allowed without legal recognition for non-official 'spouses'."
"Worldwide, different societies variously encourage, accept or outlaw polygamy."
"In societies which allow or tolerate polygamy, polygyny is the accepted form in the vast majority of cases."
"Of 1,231 societies noted between from 1960 to 1980, 588 had frequent polygyny, 453 had occasional polygyny..."
"186 were monogamous..."
"And 4 had polyandry..."
"...although more recent research found some form of polyandry in 53 communities, which is more common than previously thought."
"In cultures which practice polygamy, its prevalence among that population often correlates with social class and socioeconomic status."
"Polygamy (taking the form of polygyny) is most common in a region known as the 'polygamy belt' in West Africa and Central Africa."
"The countries estimated to have the highest polygamy prevalence in the world being Burkina Faso, Mali, Gambia, Niger and Nigeria."