Should polygamy be made legal in the United States - Essay Example

Should Polygamy be Legalized in the United s? Polygamy is widely observed in Africa until now, particularly in Zimbabwe. Polygamy in Zimbabwe has been observed to not merely display the riches of a man, but also to secure the survival of the man’s kin (Zeitzen 2008). It is regarded as a good measure of the potency of a man and desire for sexual gratification. In Zimbabwe, men can have as many wives as possible as an outcome of birthright. In the average African society, subsistence is difficult and women have previously realized the benefits of polygamy, which is the sharing of burden among the many wives (Junod 1962).

This enabled a division of labor. It also relieves the difficulty of child bearing. Few women in Zimbabwe desired to be a single wife in a marriage because of the numerous responsibilities customs and the larger society would give her (Zeitzen 2008). In contrast, Western societies has championed two conflicting principles of marriage’s purpose, one rooted in collective or joint principles, and the other rooted in personal satisfaction and companionship (Gordon 2002). This fusion of principles has generated laws that rigidly control sexual behavior in accordance to a monogamous definition of marriage.

The United States, as such, bans polygamy (Zeitzen 2008). In my opinion, it should remain to be so. The success of polygamy depends on the culture which hosts it. For instance, as shown in the above discussion, in largely agricultural or labor-intensive societies such as Zimbabwe polygamy is more favorable than monogamy. But in a society like the United States, which is highly industrialized or mechanized, monogamy is more acceptable than polygamy. Polygamy, in my opinion, should not be legalized.

According to my research, some of the most compelling reasons for the prohibition of polygamy are the following: (1) Legalizing polygamy will further deprive women of some basic rights. They will become mere properties of men (Gordon 2002). (2) Gender inequality and discrimination will widen and intensify since sons will be esteemed much more greatly than daughters (Gordon 2002). (3) Polygamy violates the very sanctity of marriage in relation to Christianity (Junod 1962). (4) Christians adhere to the belief that marriage is to engage a woman and a man in lifetime commitment.

Western cultures have obstinately banned polygamy because of this traditional belief, the moral righteousness of having one lifetime partner (Zeitzen 2008). (5) If both men and women are allowed to practice polygamy, the children will be placed at great emotional and psychological risk. There will be confusion of the traditional family structure that Western societies are accustomed to. People who greatly value the practice of monogamy and deem that it is vital to the wellbeing of our children and the larger society will have to critically reflect on not just the possible legalization of polygamy and the unrestrained individualism that reinforces it, but other developments that weaken the traditional family system, as we strive to make marriages stronger and cope with the challengers of society’s catastrophic testing of the family.

References Gordon, S. The Mormon Question: Polygamy and Constitutional Conflict in Nineteenth-Century America. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2002. Junod, H. The Life of a South African Tribe. New Hyde Park, New York: University Books, 1962. Zeitzen, M. Polygamy: A Cross-Cultural Analysis. New York: Berg Publishers, 2008.