Rethinking polygamy – new research upends conventional thinking about the advantages of monogamous marriage
- Written by David W. Lawson, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara
Most polygamous marriages are "polygynous," a union between one husband and multiple wives.HerminUtomo/iStock via Getty Images PlusIn July 2025, Uganda’s courts swiftly dismissed a petition challenging the legality of polygamy, citing the protection of religious and cultural freedom. For most social scientists and policymakers who have long...