Polygamy’s Causes and Consequences: A Cultural Studies Perspective on Constructive Coping Strategies for Cowives in Polygamous Marriages

The study utilized an exploratory qualitative method to gather data from polygamous/Bigamous women who agreed to an in-depth interview. It aimed to examine the cultural aesthetics caused by polygamy, the results, and the coping mechanisms employed by women to navigate to deal with co-wives’ relationships and their consequences. First, the causes behind polygamy were found to be mostly related to infertility or only having female children, husbands’ love marriages, pressure from the in-laws’ families, and a desire to preserve their marriage rather than end it. The second theme: the negative effects of polygamy, such as loneliness, sadness, and jealousy brought on by injustice, were discussed. Sharing household duties and raising children was one of polygamy’s benefits. Although polygamous women acknowledge that there are drawbacks to their lifestyle, they do not see divorce as a possibility. Legislators and law enforcement organizations should pass laws for the protection of polygamous women. To handle the stress and other effects of polygamy, they need to be trained through various seminars and programs. However, through the integration of cultural studies, the study delves into the dimensions of neo-social norms, gender issues, and familial requisites in shaping the stem of polygamous marriage vis-a-vis cultural resilience.