Question about polyandry...

[Orsorum]

I got into a discussion with a woman I'm working with about different social systems, and she started harping about how Western culture is so amazing, how our values must be "the right ones", simply because they're the dominant ones at the time.

Somehow the subject of polyandry came up, and she basically said that I was talking out of my ass. I know that there have been several examples of polyandry in different world cultures - nowhere near as widespread as monogamy or polygamy, but it does exist.

Does anyone know of any specific cultures or tribes that have used this system of personal relationships?

 

[RaySun2Be]

To help the discussion:

Cooperative Polyandry

Definition:

"Groups in which two or more males mate with a single female during a single breeding season and collaborate to raise her offspring"

more info can be found Here

There is mention of Asian cultures:

In primates, humans in Asia with traditional cultures have polyandrous mating systems, usually for much the same reasons as callitrichids do, who are the only non-human polyandrous primates.

 

[vi edit]

I *think* the Spartans practiced something similar to this. Can't remember exactly though.

 

[Shelly21]

back in College, In Anthropology class, I remember a short discussion on it....

Was an African tribe.

 

[Orsorum]

I love living on a college campus...

 

[Perknose]

If one of the other males were Red Dawn or Russ, you'd have to keep your kevlar codpiece on, Kevin, and sleep in another time zone for safety. :Q

 

[Orsorum]

Originally posted by: Perknose
If one of the other males were <STRONG>Red Dawn </STRONG>or <STRONG>Russ</STRONG>, you'd have to keep your kevlar codpiece on, Kevin, and sleep in another time zone for safety. :Q

 

[Jfur]

I've read that in old Tibet, women would often marry a man and his brothers

one example

 

[RaySun2Be]

I suggest doing some research on old Tibet customs.

China Lashes Out at Resurgence of Tibet Polyandry

Of course the above link just might be enough for the "I told you so" bit.

 

[ChefJoe]

Ahh, I remember a few things from my Cultural Anthropology class at U of Wisc.

Certain Trobriand Islanders - more than one wife, share same house... care of children

http://www.janeresture.com/trobriand_women/index.htm

There is a certain african culture that did that... except the men in the family lived in the men's hut and the women and children lived in the woman's hut (their culture views menstrual fluids as polluting and so the male can't live around the women... just visit). They're starting to adopt more western ways though.

EDIT: Found it... the Dani of New Guinea http://www.pedropoint.com/dani.htm They wear genital gourds, but they're covered.

 

[RaySun2Be]

ChefJoe,
In your first link, they practice Polygamy, 1 man, many women. ZAak is asking about Polyandry, 1 woman, many men

The privilege of polygamy is the foundation of a chief's or headman's power, and women, of course, have no such similar privilege of polyandry.

Same for the second article:

As a result, men often have multple wives

Both are practising Polygamy, not Polyandry.

 

[Orsorum]

Haha, cool, thanks, both of you!

Gotta remember the Tibetans.

 

[ChefJoe]

Ack, my bad, missed some of the question. Hrm... only thing I can remember like that was a culture that had a ritual festival where "marriage doesn't matter" and people get to mate all willy-nilly - kind of like Mardis Gras on steroids. But they raised children in the traditional family.

 

[Maverick]

sounds like a real life porno

 

[Orsorum]

Originally posted by: ChefJoe
Ack, my bad, missed some of the question. Hrm... only thing I can remember like that was a culture that had a ritual festival where "marriage doesn't matter" and people get to mate all willy-nilly - kind of like Mardis Gras on steroids. But they raised children in the traditional family.

I have heard of a culture like that, quite possibly the most sex-crazed culture ever known... kids start having sex 2-3 times a night when they're extremely young (8, something like that), by the time they're 18, it's a constant 3 times a night. It's crazy.

 

[Geekbabe]

Doing the laundry for more than one dude ? lol,no thanks, besides when would you ever get into the bathroom with 2 dudes always doing an Al Bundy in there ?

 

[KingNothing]

Originally posted by: RaySun2Be
I suggest doing some research on old Tibet customs.

China Lashes Out at Resurgence of Tibet Polyandry

Of course the above link just might be enough for the "I told you so" bit.

I find this ironic since China heavily encourages couples to have male children, which means there's significantly more men than women, which in a sense encourages polyandry.

 

[linuxboy]

Doing the laundry for more than one dude ? lol,no thanks, besides when would you ever get into the bathroom with 2 dudes always doing an Al Bundy in there ?

The thing is, Jean, that in polyandry, the older men are away most of the time procuring food and taking care on the husbandry leaving the younger behind. It is not uncommon for a group of brothers to take one wife. There are also patterns of servility developed based on sexual favor the wife has with one particular mate (as happens). Separation of labor takes different twists using polyandry as a survival mechanism.

Zakath, the Tibetans are the best example because they illustrate why polyandry still survives (limited land and preservation of estates)


Cheers !

 

[Jfur]

Originally posted by: KingNothing

Originally posted by: RaySun2Be
I suggest doing some research on old Tibet customs.

China Lashes Out at Resurgence of Tibet Polyandry

Of course the above link just might be enough for the "I told you so" bit.

I find this ironic since China heavily encourages couples to have male children, which means there's significantly more men than women, which in a sense encourages polyandry.

actually, I think it encourages war.

 

[Kadarin]

Interesting thread (I kind of dig these multi-cultural ones..)

Zakath15: Did you say you got into an argument with her regarding the "morality" of the practice? After all, there's no reason why Judeo-Christian rules of morality always need to be the best for any given situation.