Concept in Definition ABC

Polyandry comprises a marriage bond from which the woman is united to more than one man. The concepts of marriage, family or kinship are essential to understand the structure of a society. Throughout the history of mankind these concepts have been accompanied by different forms of social organization and the evolution of the idea of ​​family nucleus is the key element to understand the different social models.

Different ways of understanding marriage

The most widespread family nucleus model is based on marriage. However, not all marriages have the same scheme. On the one hand, there is monogamous marriage, which consists of the union of a single man and a single woman. Marriage conventional It has been incorporating a series of variations in the last decades, such as de facto couples or homosexual marriages. On the other hand, in some societies polygamy has been practiced, which consists of a union between more than two spouses. In turn, the polygamous marriage can be divided into two: the polygamous marriage and the polyandric marriage.

The difference between polygamy and polyandry

In polygamic marriage, a man has a sentimental bond with several women. This modality has occurred in very traditional societies of shepherds or farmers, who need a high number of children to meet the economic needs and also to compensate for the high rates of Child mortality.

Polyandric marriage is less common than polygamic and consists of a woman being married to several men. While polyandry is not directly related to matriarchy, this type of marriage union produces a specific lineage, matrilineage (in a society matrilineal descent is organized maternally, which means that individuals belong to a certain group based on their links with the women of that group. group).

The anthropological causes that explain polyandry

The anthropology social is the discipline that studies family relationships within a society. According to the studies carried out, there are several causes that explain the phenomenon of polyandry. First, this marital union usually occurs in remote places and isolated societies.

The high number of men compared to women is one of the elements of polyandry. On the other hand, this disproportion between men and women is usually related to female infanticide at birth.

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