A Cross-Cultural Summary: Polygyny

HRAF Press • New Haven, Connecticut • Published In • Pages: ??•
By Textor, Robert B.

Abstract

Textor summarizes cross-cultural findings on polygyny pertaining to cultural, environmental, psychological, and social phenomena.

Note

Polygyny is a section of A Cross-Cultural Summary. Additionally, following each hypothesis are two sets of numbers enclosed in parenthesis: the first is the identification for polygyny and the second is the identification of the other variable.

Hypotheses (21)

HypothesisSupported
In societies where full-time entrepreneurs are present, polygynous marriage will be common or occasional (242, 136).Supported
In societies where the incidence of personal crime is low, polygynous marriage will be less common or occasional (242, 148).Supported
In societies where the household authority is on the father's side, instead of the mother's side, polygynous marriage will be occasional or common (242, 254).Supported
In societies with high rates of punishment for abortion, polygynous marriage will be occasional or common (242, 295).Supported
In societies with high rates of sex anxiety, polygynous marriage will be occasional or common (242, 398).Supported
In societies with simple agricultural food production, polygyny will be prevalent (243, 56).Supported
In societies with greater female contribution to subsistence, polygyny will be prevalent. (243, 127).Marginally Supported
In societies where males marry before the age of twenty, polygyny will be prevalent (243, 260).Marginally Supported
In societies where wife-lending or wife-exchange is common, polygyny will be prevalent (243, 279).Supported
In societies with high rates of early dependence satisfaction, polygyny will be prevalent (243, 306).Supported
In societies where youth sexual expression is restricted or semi-restricted, polygyny will be prevalent (243, 386).Supported
In societies where females mainly weave, marriages will be polygynous and preferentially sororal (244, 129).Supported
In societies that practice female initiation rites, marriages will be polygynous and preferentially sororal (244, 382).Supported
In societies with high rates of avoidance for a son's wife, marriages will tend to not be polygynous and sororal (247, 258).Marginally Supported
In societies where the inferred transition between infancy and childhood is low, polygynous marriage is occasional or common (248, 326).Supported
In societies where with insecure food supply and frequent or annual food shortages, polygynous marriage will be less common or occasional (249, 48).Marginally Supported
In societies with a moderate or strong emphasis on military glory, polygynous marriage will be common or occasional (249, 419).Supported
In societies where a nurturing agent inflicts pain on an infant, polygynous marriage will be common or occasional (250, 324).Supported
In societies with extreme boastfulness, polygynous marriage will be common or occasional (251, 474).Supported
In societies with high divorce rates, polygynous marriage will be common or occasional (252, 272).Supported
In societies that practice male initiation rites, polygynous marriage will be common or occasional (252, 373).Marginally Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: milagro.escobar  anj.droe