Polygamy: The Basics

Polygamy: The Basics is an accessible and engaging introduction to the kinship structure known as plural marriage or polygamy. Tailored for general readers and non-specialists, this book distils research findings from evolutionary anthropology, history, economics, political science, and cultural anthropology to survey polygamy’s place in human cultural, economic, and demographic developments from prehistory to the present. It addresses questions such as:

• How have perceptions of plural marriage have changed over time?
• Where does polygamy fit within human reproduction and family organization?
• What is the pair bond and is it universal or learned?
• Is polygamy a choice and, if so, for whom?
• Is polygamy inherently harmful?

Drawing on global case studies, it endeavors to help readers aside their own cultural prisms and preconceived notions in order to examine plural marriage in its proper complexity.