Al Mandhari 1

AlWaleed Al Mandhari
Professor Lusine Makarosyan
English 114B
10 May 2016
Polygamy in the US
Family values have been a center for interest for many over the years. Media
representation of family according to history was mainly concentrated around the view of parents
as being wise individuals with family being characterized by minimal disagreements and
harmonious behavior (Marks, Lam and McHale 222). Traditional and contemporary perception
of household is majorly portrayed through shows and plays on television. Media has seemingly
become a vital part of society from where people learn certain values and social morals. From
the early 19th century, television shows were being used to represent the family. Issues like
family conflicts, socially acceptable spousal behaviors, as well as the parental guidance, continue
to form the initial concept of household in the media. Historical media coverage of family in the
50s and 60s majorly revolved around diverse presentations, which were later narrowed down to
the concept of nuclear families. The United States populace considers nuclear settings as a primal
and acceptable representation of household (Bennion 3). However, over years, as the media
sector development and new family practices came up, the image of family also diversified to
include program portraying single parenting as an everyday social practice. With the advent of
new technology and civilization, the family picture and concept changed to include the
representation of family as open to same marriages with the primary focus being that the role of
provider and homemaker stay put as the vital building blocks of the family (Marks, Lam and
McHale 224). The issue of gender role disparities in family depiction gained popularity as the
social concept of who should head a family became uncertain from the different media

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descriptions of the family. Contemporary American societies uphold the view of family as
largely being one where there are a father, mother, and children. While the American community
embraces notions of same-sex families, the perception of polygamy for most of the populace
continues to be a major conflicting concept.
Media portrayal of the traditional family is extensively characterized by the negative
representation of different societies. For example, during the 70s and 80s, media shows focused
on showcasing ethnic diversities in family settings, most images of the African-American family
were depicted as irresponsible (Television and family 2). Moreover, other marginal societies also
experienced negative representation; the Native American family, for example, is usually
illustrated as constituting dysfunctional families while the Latino family setup is depicted as law
offenders with limited education. The negative representation of the marginalized family settings
paints a poor picture of the respective community while portraying the Western families as ideal
and highly organized. Mostly, the television shows highlighted the traditional nuclear family
settings by highlighting family relations. Over the years, different approaches to family dynamics
have also been incorporated. The notion of polygamy was commonly considered alien among the
American families (Marks, Lam and McHale 225). However, with the advent of globalization,
this concept continues to gain popularity across the board. Media coverage throws shows like the
Sister Wives on television present a new dynamic to the idea of traditional families. In the United
States, polygamy is highly disregarded and considered illegal by state laws. The traditional belief
that a family should constitute one man married to only one woman continues to hold ground as
the federal regulations put stringent measures to discourage multiple marriages.
Media representation of this issue in the United States, centers on the issue of power and gender
inequalities. Different television recordings have come up to try to display the reality of

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polygamous families. The television show Sister Wives, for example, is one among many
portrayals of the concept of multiple marriages. Bennion (4) seeks to correct the misconception
of polygamy among the American societies. American communities repeatedly pucker their brow
at the notion of polygamy, the majority of the American population considered polygamy as a
deviant subculture (Bennion 1). Historical records of different religious, as well as social
groups, indicate acceptance and embrace of polygamy. The present day American society,
however, continues to disapprove of multiple marriages by asserting that it is disrespectful to the
female gender. In as much as the setting may be different from the traditional nuclear family,
polygamy family settings still uphold similar virtues and goals as the nuclear families. The desire
to raise children appropriately as independent and respectable citizens by ensuring that their
needs are catered for remains as the center of the polygamous marriages. The negative
representation of polygamy in American media contributes towards the continued social detest of
polygamous families (Marks, Lam and McHale 225). Media portrays polygamy settings as
having a high likelihood of the men taking up immoral social acts like becoming rapists. The
American Society is repulsed by the possible dangers of their cultural practices of nuclear family
settings if they allow the polygamy practices in its community. Moreover, the belief among the
American society that women and children in polygamous families tend to be oppressed and live
in wanting situations influences the social perception of polygamy as a bad practice. The
majority of the American Society holds beliefs that this type of marriage tends to impact on
individual psychology and leads o major mental health issues. The women in such marriages are
disadvantaged as they are forced to share limited resources, and the education of their children is
affected in the end.

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On the contrary, the negative media portrayal of polygamy seems to be biased in
advocating for an individual family structure as compared to one that seemingly promote social
unity. Polygamy in a way advocates for the social cohesion of people with varying perceptions
and belief. Living as a family under one family roof as is the case with most polygamous
marriages encourages diversity of views and approaches to resolving issues. Compared to the
nuclear setting where the father is under pressure to manage the varying personalities and cater
for the needs of everyone in the family, polygamous families encourage sharing. That lessens the
burden to provide from one person as family members unit and strive to cater to the needs of
each other (Marks, Lam and McHale 227). The presumption that polygamy undermines the
woman in society is largely misplaced as the people fighting it have limited information of the
family structure. More often than not, women in polygamous marriages tend to be overly
independent and strive to provide for the needs of their large family. The family cohesion among
polygamous families is considerably high as compared to nuclear families (Television and family
5). The reason for this is because each member overly upholds family values in a polygamous
setting, and mutual respect is central to all family interactions. The nuclear settings highly center
on individualistic beliefs as each member tends to pursue their self-interests. A society that
embraces multiple marriages records small numbers of divorce as compared to those that
advocate for nuclear family establishments. Additionally, the issue of infidelity is considerably
high among nuclear families than in a polygamous setting. By marrying different wives, a man is
legally enabled to restrict his desires in a socially acceptable setup.
Islam beliefs and practices support polygamy. The Islam practice and approach to
marriage is overly based on religious belief. The Quran seemingly permits Muslim men to marry
a maximum of four wives on condition that one can cater to their needs. Quran (4:3) "Marry of

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the women, who seem good to you, two or three or four; and if ye fear that ye cannot do justice
(to so many) then one (only) or (the captives) that your right hands possess," (The Religion of
Peace 2). Selfish interests are not supported in Islam on multiple marriages. According to the
religious teachings, Islam men are encouraged to be respectful and fair to their wives despite the
number one chooses to have. Contrary to media representations where the media creates a
picture that showcases women in polygamous unions as being objects of disrespect, the Quran,
and traditional practices paint a different picture. Negligence by the media to research on the
actual realities of polygamy continues to distort social beliefs of marrying more than one wife.
Moreover, advocacy for family cohesion and respect is embedded in this type of marriage.
According to Islam beliefs, "No woman should ask for the divorce of her sister (Muslim) so as to
take her place, but she should marry the man (without compelling him to divorce his other wife)"
(The Religion of Peace 4). The assertions in the Quran highlight the importance of family unity
and cohesion and greatly disqualify the general media representations of family conflicts and
disunity among polygamous households.

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Work Cited
Bennion Janet. Polygamy in Primetime. Media, gender and politics in Mormon fundamentalism,
2011. Retrieved from,
https://muse.jhu.edu/book/13998
Marks Jaime, Lam Chun Bun and McHale Susan. Family patterns of gender role attitudes. Sex
Roles, 2009; 61 (3-4): 221-234
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3270818/
Television and family- the portrayal of a family on television. Web. 2016. Retrieved from,
http://family.jrank.org/pages/1680/Television-Family-Portrayal-Family-on-Television.html
The Religion of Peace. Polygamy. Web. Retrieved from,
https://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/quran/polygamy.aspx