Evils of Polygyny

Rose McDermott

Description

Why do men act violently toward women?What are the consequences of "normal violence," not only for women and children but also for the men who instigate it, and for the societies that sanction it?The Evils of Polygyny examines one powerful structural factor that instigates, enforces, and replicates patterns of male dominance: the practice of polygyny. From more than a decade's worth of study, Rose McDermott has produced a book that uncovers the violent impact of polygyny on women, children, and the nation-state and adds fundamentally to the burgeoning focus on gender concerns in political psychology and international relations. Integrating these fields, as well as domestic policy and human rights, the author urges us to address the question of violence toward women and children. If we do not, a system that tells young women they must marry whom their elders dictate and devote their entire lives to serving others will continue to plague the contemporary world, and restrict development.The timely nature of McDermott's book reflects the mission of the Easton Lectures at the Interdisciplinary Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality at the University of California, Irvine, which charges its lecturers to produce work that is creative, controversial, and cutting-edge, and offers substantial real-world impact. The Evils of Polygyny, edited by Kristen Renwick Monroe, includes commentary from Valerie Hudson, Robert Jervis, and B. J. Wray. The book does just that, providing a coherent analysis of sexual violence and a provocative and chilling analysis of one of the major problems of the contemporary world.

Sujets

• Sociologie, société et politique
• Domestic violence
• International relations
• Gender studies

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 15 mai 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781501714849
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

TheEvilsofPolygyny

TheEastonLectures

TheEvilsofPolygyny

EvidenceofItsHarmtoWomen, Men, and Society

RoseMcDermott

Edited by Kristen Renwick Monroe

Commentaryby B. J. Wray, Robert Jervis, and Valerie Hudson

CornellUniversityPress IthacaandLondon

Copyright©2018byCornellUniversity

Allrightsreserved.Exceptforbriefquotationsinareview,thisbook,or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850. Visit our website at cornellpress.cornell.edu.

Firstpublished2018byCornellUniversityPress

PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData

Names: McDermott, Rose, 1962– author. | Monroe, Kristen Renwick, 1946– editor. | Container of (work): Wray, B. J., 1968– Canadian polygamy reference. | Container of (work): Jervis, Robert, 1940– Polygyny, pastoralism, and violence against women. | Container of (work): Hudson, Valerie M., 1958– Deep structure of collective security. Title: The evils of polygyny : evidence of its harm to women, men, and society / Rose McDermott ; edited by Kristen Renwick Monroe ; commentary by B.J. Wray, Robert Jervis, and Valerie Hudson. Description: Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Identifiers: LCCN 2017052531 (print) | LCCN 2017053204 (ebook) | ISBN 9781501714849 (pdf) | ISBN 9781501714757 (ret) | ISBN 9781501718038 | ISBN 9781501718038 (cloth ; alk. paper) | ISBN 9781501718045 (pbk ; alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Polygyny. | Male domination (Social structure) | Women—Violence against. Classification: LCC HQ997.5 (ebook) | LCC HQ997.5 .M33 2018 (print) | DDC 306.84/23—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017052531

Toourmothers,KathleenMcDermottandGertrudeRenwick Monroe, whose generation paved the way for a fuller inclusion of women into public and political life, and whose personal support and love encouraged us to follow our own paths.

ToKristi’sdaughter,Chloe.Maysheliveinaworldwherewomen are valued and cherished as equal members of society.

Polygyny: Marriage between one man and multiple wives. Polygamy: Having more than one spouse. Polyandryenwmonateewneotiplemena.ndmuliarrbge:Ma

Polygamyisabroaderconceptthanarepolygyny,whichreferstosituations where one man has multiple wives, and polyandry, which refers to one woman with multiple husbands. It is frequently but erroneously assumed that polygamy refers only to the marriage of one man to multiple women. Most likely this confusion arises since polygyny is more common—or at least more newsworthy—than is polyandry. In current media discussions, polygamy most frequently is used to refer to North American religious sects that, in fact, practice only polygyny. In the contemporary world and among modern countries that permit polygamy, polygyny is typically the only form of multiple marriage practiced. The bulk of the discussion here is thus restricted to polygyny, not only because it is vastly more prevalent, but also because the harms documented here do not necessarily apply to cases of polyandry. Therefore, it would be erroneous to overattribute the ills discussed here to situations where polygyny does not apply.

Contents

Introduction:PolygynyandtheTreatmentofWomen Kristen Renwick Monroe

1.TheMeaningandMeannessofPolygyny Rose McDermott

2.MakingNewGarmentsfromOldCloth:Reincorporating Clinical and Developmental Psychology into Models of Political Behavior Rose McDermott and Peter K. Hatemi

3.PolygynyandViolenceagainstWomen Rose McDermott and Jonathan Cowden

4.AttitudestowardPolygyny:ExperimentalEvidencefrom Six Countries Rose McDermott, Michael Dickerson, Steve Fish, Danielle Lussier, and Jonathan Cowden

Comment1.TheCanadianPolygamyReference: Demonstrating Harms to the Court B. J. Wray

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vi i i Contents

Comment2.Polygyny,Pastoralism,andViolence against Women Robert Jervis

Comment3.TheDeepStructureofCollectiveSecurity: Thoughts on McDermott, Smuts, and Sanday Valerie M. Hudson

Afterword:TheEastonLecturesandDavidEaston’s Intellectual Legacy Kristen Renwick Monroe

Acknowledgments

AbouttheAuthors

Index

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TheEvilsofPolygyny