The culture practice of Polygamy is often discussed in media in the United States under the context as it pertains to religious or cult practices, except in certain contexts, as in shows like “Polygamy USA” and “Sister Wives,” the former of which is still being aired as of this writing.

While the practice of polygamy has existed in the United States for quite some time, it remains relatively taboo in most regards, being that is often associated with child abuse and oppression of women. For the purposes of this blog, we are only discussing marriage between consenting adults, and find that relationships derived from coercion, brainwashing, and abuse do not meet the standards of “marriage.”

What is problematic are the various words used to define multiple partner relationships and how often they get confused.

Polygamy is the blanket term used to describe any form of multiple marriage, perhaps with the exception of bigamy, in that bigamy can occur without some partners knowing, while Polygamy generally is classified by all partners knowingly being involved in a multiple marriage. Ergo, while we often think of polygamy as a man with multiple wives or “polygyny,” it also can include a woman with multiple husbands, or “polyandry.”

Polygyny is much more widely practiced around the world and has it’s basis more in survival than in religion, which only served to codify the practice, such as in Islam, where a man is limited to four wives. When women are prohibited from working, the task of caring for them falls on the men, and thus the system to dispense of excess amount of females in a tribe, became polygyny. It also serves to bolster the number of surviving children. If a tribe has fewer males, they can split their time between multiple females, thus increasing tribe numbers and the amount of viable offspring that might reasonably grow up and prosper. Societies that restrict women often show this practice, since it puts women into an acceptable “marriage” even if there are not enough available men to be matched to women, one on one.

Often societies that accept polygyny do not allow for polyandry, citing inheritance concerns, paternity concerns, and often outdated fears. This is still the major criticism of polygamy today, that it is disposed towards the males in the society and imposes more rigid gender laws on females. Women who participate in polygamy outside of societal structures, such as women in the US who are not restricted in a closed-community, often say there are benefits to polygamy as well. Such as having another mother around for their children, babysitters, etc.

The survival needs behind polygamy have essentially vanished in much of the world. leaving the practice more a of religious one, and many say they find comfort in following what they believe to be a designated religious calling.

Polyandry has appeared in many societies and cultures throughout history, but it is uncertain if there has ever been a society where it has been the standard codified practice as the dominant relationship between man and woman. Tibet shows evidence, as do older societies in antiquity, but they are often accompanied by multiple wives for husbands, and an open definition of marriage as we would understand it today. This stands in direct opposition to strictly polygyny societies, where polyandry would be opposed and punished under law.

Often, when a person violates the laws against polygamy in the United States, they are charged with Bigamy. Specifically defined, bigamy is entering into a marriage with another person while already being legally married. Bigamy is therefore, the criminal term for polygamy of all sorts where legal marriage is concerned in a monogamous society.

Therefore, a person can be a bigamist if they enter into a polygamous union knowingly, or blindly, although it is more common that the person perpetrating the marriages, usually the male, will receive the punishment as opposed to the women. Or vice-versa, if the woman has multiple husbands.

Most bigamy laws as they exist in Western states are not enforced, the focus is more on spousal or child abuses contained within said unions. Hence, why fundamentalist compounds in Utah are raided, but often independent polygamist families are only monitored by the government.

This poses two questions, is it dangerous for the United States and will it ever become legalized? Often, those opposing gay marriage bring up the idea of polygamy as something that will follow.

On it’s surface, there doesn’t appear to be anything about polygamy that if legalized, would harm the United States in general. Given the lack of overall persecution of families in polygamous unions, except those in cult-like settings, it would seem that people would gravitate towards it, if it was what they wanted. But with the evolutionary need for the practice non-existent here, it is unlikely that even religious teachings would spur a good deal of citizens in polygamous unions, especially under the eyes of old-fashioned jealousy.