From: shemlon@occlusal.rutgers.edu (Shiyghan Shemlon)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: POLYGAMY: GOOD OR BAD???? (Was: Walt Mweene Disney does UCT
Summary: IS POLYGAMY GOOD OR BAD
Date: 22 Nov 92 17:31:31 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

In article <1992Nov21.131627.21877@lut.ac.uk>, M.Titahmboh@lut.ac.uk (Mana TitahMboh) writes:

> |> > Western culture isn't a package deal - some of it's bad, some
of it's  good.
>
> |> > Anthony Davies
> ___________________________________________________________________________

> |> frankly i am sick and tired of reading about how bad the african culture
> |> is.  
>
> |> phoka

> It is up to us (Africans) to be proud of our culture, a large part
> of which, I can assure you has remarkably survied colonialism. 
> The problem w it (the culture) faces is nothing to do with the (
> white man's) condemnation of it per se. It is much more to do with a
> lot of "Africans" having for so long taken to
> the white man's culture, with the apparent belief that it was better.
>
>
> 
> And now to the main point... My girl-friend has been disagreeing
> with me on the  subject of polygamy, which ( polygamy, that is) I
> might cite as something of the culture left in tack in the wake of
> colonisation, I would be interested to know  other readers' views on
> the subject. I imagine there will be a lot said about  this subject,
> so please don't flame me; notice I haven't expressed a view on the 
> subject; and stick to the subject. 
> 
> Mana.TitahMboh
> 
> 

I have been in many social settings where the discussion drifted to
polygamy and all of a sudden, many friends in the gathering
(especially the females) would start giving their negative views on
this subject and describing African males as chauvinistic pigs
(irrespective of their views on the subject) just because of western
stereotypes and the belief that every African male has to "own" many
females to feel like a "man". In fact I have a female African-American
friend who calls me "Shem the polygamist" (perhaps after the character
in Rev. N. Sithole's novel The Polygamist) because I happened to have
argued strongly against this western stereotype. Before I go ahead and
give my views on this subject I would like to make the following
remarks:

1. African males are not lower primates, so I don't think they enjoy
   "owning" a harem of females.
2. Throughout history polygamy has been practiced in almost every
   culture, race and colour. So, the western stereotype that makes
   polygamy to seem inherent to Africa is pure nonsense.
3. Polygamy still exists today in all cultures, races and colours. The
   manner in which it is practiced may differ from culture to culture,
   country to country, race to race, or location to location. But it
   exists in the America, Europe, Asia and Africa and will continue to
   exist in one form or another as long as our civilization survives.

Now to the main question. IS POLYGAMY GOOD OR BAD? 

I believe this question should be answered within specific frameworks,
in an intellectual manner devoid of any emotional undertones,
irrespective of whether we are male, female, African or non-African.
I have examined the practice of polygamy in many societies, going back
to about the time of Ancient Egypt and the reasons for this practice
can globally be summarized as follows:

1. RELIGION: 
   One of the principal reasons for the practice of polygamy
   in history has been religion. For proof you can contact the Bible
   (old testament christianity), the Quran (islam), the Torah
   (Judaism), Oral history of African religions or any written works
   on the major religions of mankind. For some weired reason that  I
   cann't explain the priest and priestesses of these religions
   succeeded in convincing their followers that God had endowed the
   man with some patriarchal powers that gave him the ability to be
   married to more than a single woman. As a person who is not deeply
   spiritual I am not well armed to argue for or against this endowment
   because my contact with "Supreme" are too limited for me to inquire
   directly from him or her if this is actually true. The religious
   pretext  is still used to justify polygamy all over the world today 
   (the moslems in the Arab world, the mommons in America, the
   Africans etc. ....). As a strong proponent of religious freedom I
   will say these people should be allowed to practice polygamy as long
   as they are harming no one. It is a basic human right, to be able to
   practice one's religion freely. 


2. CULTURAL NECESSITY: 
   Throughout history, in times of trouble certain laws have been
   modified for contingency reasons in many societies. I have spotted
   some cultures in west and central Africa which were predominantly
   monogamous but switched to the practice of polygamy to make sure
   that certain moral standards were respected. In most of these
   societies, prostitution was outlawed because it led to illegitimate
   children and the spread of veneral diseases for which cures were
   not known. In the course of history, ethnic wars and slave raids
   (Arab and later Western) resulted in a huge population inbalances
   (4 women to a man in some cases). These people decided to choose
   the "lesser of two evils" (polygamy over prostitution) and so
   polygamy was born in some of these societies, origanally with a
   view to abandoning it when the population balance was re-establihed. 
   However with time the men realized that this practice gave them
   more "power" than they had had before and the fought hard and
   institutionalized the practice. Regretable, what good intentions
   can result in, eh!!

3. ECONOMIC POWER AND STATUS:
   Perhaps the most rediculous reason for the practice of polygamy
   among humans was because men were physically, politically and
   economically capable of doing so. You can call it the law of the
   jungle because in fact this reason for practicing polygamy makes men
   no different from the stongest "cock" in the neighbourhood or the most
   powerful "bull" in the flock. Surprisingly this is perhaps the greatest
   reason for the practice of polygamy today. The richest and most
   powerful people in the west have as many mistresses as they like (in
   different homes and different cities, so they can claim there is no
   polygamy in the west, but what do you call it?). In Africa and the
   Middle East the men have the audacity to put all these women under the
   same roof. In Asia the mistresses are not officially acknowledged
   but culturally accepted. Men of high status or the famous can
   afford to have as many extra-marital affairs as they like without
   anyone calling it polygamy, but what is it? Let's stop kidding
   ourselves in the west. Everyone is doing it, yet you will like to
   pretend it is an African evil practice. Wake up to reality westerners.


NB:
---
I will vote for POLYGAMY over PROSTITUTION if it will stop the pread
of AIDS in Africa. Call me whatever you like.


footnote:
---------
   In my country polygamy has been writtten into the marraige laws
   because about 55% of the population is either Moslem or practices
   an indigenous African religion which accepts polygamy. So a
   marraige is recognized officially as either monogamous or
   polygamous but not both. To change from one status to  
   another  a couple will have to divorce and remarry. A man in a
   monogamous marraige cannot have another wife. For those who may be
   curious, I am married monogamously with no intention of changing
   this status and I am not a christian.


THANKS FOR LETTING ME SHARE MY THOUGHTS WITH YOU. 


Shemlon wo wan wan viban wunna wiy mo-on. 
(Monogamous Shemlon, the grandson of Viban)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african,soc.culture.african.american