Enduring Polygamy: Plural Marriage and Social Change in an African Metropolis

Polygamous marriage continues to be prevalent in African cities, despite earlier expectations that it would decline. Enduring Polygamy provides insights into the customs, gender norms, hierarchies, kinship structures, and laws affecting marriage in Bamako, Mali, offering a cultural relativist perspective on a contested form of marriage.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 14 April 2023
Publisher: Rutgers University Press

Why has polygamous marriage persisted in African cities, defying the expectations of experts who once predicted its demise? Enduring Polygamy delves into this question by examining the phenomenon in Bamako, the capital of Mali, where approximately one in four wives practices polygamy. By using polygamy as a lens to explore the transformative changes occurring in urban life, the book offers ethnographic and demographic insights into the customs, gender norms, hierarchies, kinship structures, and laws governing marriage in Bamako. It also situates polygamy within the broader structures of inequality that shape marital options, particularly for young Malian women. Through a cultural relativism approach, the book provides an open-minded yet critical perspective on a contentious form of marriage. While addressing issues of patriarchy and women's oppression, it presents polygamy from the everyday perspectives of Bamako residents, allowing readers to form informed judgments about it and to appreciate the rich tapestry of human cultural diversity.

Why has polygamous marriage persisted in African cities, defying the expectations of experts who once predicted its demise? Enduring Polygamy delves into this question by examining the phenomenon in Bamako, the capital of Mali, where approximately one in four wives practices polygamy. By using polygamy as a lens to explore the transformative changes occurring in urban life, the book offers ethnographic and demographic insights into the customs, gender norms, hierarchies, kinship structures, and laws governing marriage in Bamako. It also situates polygamy within the broader structures of inequality that shape marital options, particularly for young Malian women. Through a cultural relativism approach, the book provides an open-minded yet critical perspective on a contentious form of marriage. While addressing issues of patriarchy and women's oppression, it presents polygamy from the everyday perspectives of Bamako residents, allowing readers to form informed judgments about it and to appreciate the rich tapestry of human cultural diversity.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978831131