How have societies tried to reduce conflict among cowives in polygynous marriages?
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A Hindu couple being blessed by a priest during their wedding ceremony, Bali, Indonesia.
To reduce conflict and jealousy among cowives in polygynous marriages, societies have developed several social and structural strategies:
- Sororal Polygyny: Many cultures prefer or restrict polygyny to the sororal form, in which cowives are sisters. This practice is based on the belief that sisters are naturally more mutually supportive and less prone to argument than unrelated women.1
- Seniority Systems: To dampen potential strife, many groups establish a hierarchy by according seniority to one wife, typically the first woman married.1
- Cultural Valorization: Societies may foster marital harmony through customs that explicitly valorize the institution of polygyny, reinforcing the social expectations and roles of each spouse.1
- Divorce Accessibility: In certain cultures, particularly those that are matrilineal, the ability to obtain an easy and recrimination-free divorce serves as a mechanism to resolve irreconcilable conflicts within the household.1
These methods aim to mitigate the inherent challenges of shared households, such as bickering and sexual jealousy, while maintaining the economic and social benefits associated with the practice.1