979
moms rule (mander.xyz)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
90 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 1 point 2 years ago (2 children)

There is no such thing as redundant wives in a total sense.

There's only kidnapped wives, or dead or single men. That's the only way you get a relative surplus. The amount of women remains the same whether you do polygyny or not.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago (1 child)

    I’m sure there’s some kidnapped wives historically. Some wives bought from their fathers. But there’s also plenty of women who have consented to marry a man who already has a lot of wives. The issue has to do with resources and political power.

    A rich and powerful man has a lot of resources available for his wives and children. A poor and weak man has few or none. Your chances of escaping starvation and death are much higher with the rich and powerful man.

    Notice that I made zero mention of love. Marriage for love is a luxury of modernity, of wealth and power overflowing. You didn’t marry for love in the days when a bad year meant there was no food to last through winter.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •