Angel Park is a Mormon fundamentalist polygamous community where
plural marriages between one man and multiple women are common. In
contrast to mainstream America's idealization of the nuclear family
and romantic love, its residents esteem notions of harmonious
familial love, a spiritual bond that unites all family members. In
their view, polygyny is not only righteous and sanctified-it is
also conducive to communal life and social stability. Based on many
years of in-depth ethnographic research in Angel Park, this book
explores daily life in a polygamous community. William R. Jankowiak
considers the plural family from the points of view of husbands,
wives, and children, giving a balanced account of its complications
and conflicts. He finds that people in polygynous marriages,
especially cowives, experience an ongoing struggle to balance the
longing for romantic intimacy with the obligation to support the
larger family. They feel tension between deeply held religious
convictions and the desire for emotional exclusivity, which can
threaten the stability and harmony of the polygamous family. Men
and women often form exclusive romantic pairs within plural
marriages, which are tolerated if not openly acknowledged, showing
the limits of the community's beliefs. Jankowiak also challenges
stereotypes of polygamous families as bastions of patriarchal
power, showing the weight that interpersonal and social
expectations place on men. Offering an unparalleled look at the
complexity of a polygamous religious community, Illicit Monogamy
also helps us reconsider relationships, love, and family dynamics
across cultures and settings.
General
Imprint: |
Columbia University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
March 2023 |
Authors: |
William Jankowiak
|
Dimensions: |
216 x 140mm (L x W) |
Format: |
Hardcover - Trade binding
|
Pages: |
320 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-231-15020-0 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-231-15020-2 |
Barcode: |
9780231150200 |
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