Question

Why do plural marriages exist? What is the common cultural advantage it has for various societies? What other reasons explain the existence and acceptance in some societies and cultures?

Answer 1

One of the most important reasons for plural marriage is the cultural make-up. While in some cultures, it’s the women who can have more husbands and in others it’s the man who can have more wives. This would mean that in some cultures, a particular gender outnumbers the other thus leaving the other with less chance to get a pair. Plural marriages would provide equal opportunity for everyone to get a pair. However, it’s practiced only in the tribal cultures in order to utilize the resources wisely. However, it was adopted by some of the individualistic cultures such as the US in which some groups such as, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints practiced it for a while from the middle of the 19^th century until the end of the 19^th century. As time passed and as the society became more individualistic, people started to adopt plural marriage because they called themselves as liberals who called themselves in an open marriage. Collective cultures on the other hand forbid this practice and they stick to single partner theory due to their established family systems and cultural norms.

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