POLYGAMY

marriage to more than one spouse at a time-either polygyny, marriage with more than one woman, or polyandry (q.v.), marriage with more than one man. The term polygamy is often used, however, as a synonym for polygyny, which appears once to have been common in most of the world. Nowhere, however, has it been the exclusive form of marriage. Among most peoples who permit or prefer it, the large majority of men live in monogamy either because of a limited number of eligible women or because only the well-to-do can afford to support several wives and households. From the male viewpoint polygyny may be preferred for several reasons: the economic contributions of the wives to the wealth of the household; the availability of sexual companionship, especially in those cultures where pregnancy and lactation dictate abstinence for the married couple; and the enhanced social status and prestige that accrue to the head of a large household. Polygyny also offers certain advantages to women. Particularly in societies that provide no institutionalized role for the unmarried woman, a surplus of women may make polygyny a preferred way of life. Shared labour is also a factor, as it lightens the woman's economic burdens. Despite certain advantages to both sexes, the polygynous family is commonly fraught with bickering and sexual jealousy. To preserve harmony, one wife, usually the first, is accorded seniority, and each wife and her children have separate living quarters or compounds. The practice of polygyny in developing countries is becoming increasingly unfeasible, as a result of economic changes, urbanization, and mass education. The general prestige of Western ways and the influence of the Western women's movement have also contributed to the decline of polygyny.