What might some social problems of polygamy be?

Question

Please avoid "IDK" answers, or answers that are dogmatic. I am interested in opinions about actual social data.

Answer 1

1. Social Stigma.

It's really the only one I could find.

Answer 2

One thing that really bothers me is when young girls are brought up in polygamist communities and married off as teenagers to middle aged men.  I don't have a problem with the consenting adults being polygamists as long as their children aren't forced into it.

Answer 3

There are many problems involved with polygamy, but here are a few one might categorize as "social."

BONDING: God made the marriage relationship distinct from other relationships for a variety of reasons, but one of them is so the man and woman could come together and become "one flesh" Like meiosis in biology. If a man bonds with multiple women in a pseudo-marital manner, then this upsets the social balance between the two.

AUTHORITY STRUCTURE: To whom are the children to respond in obedience? What happens when two mothers disagree over the behavior of one of their children?

MALE CHAUVINISM: Polygamy is a matter of the man's socially subjugating multiple women to an inferior status, but it rarely, if ever, happens the other way. Polygamist wives are greatly (though not entirely) reduced in their social value to little more than child-bearing agents for the husband.

These are just a few.

Answer 4

The only real problem I can see with polygamy is trying to keep one mate from thinking the other is getting more. It's impossible to treat two people equally. Two wives, or two husbands would always breed jealousy, especially in today's TV soap oriented society that says one person has to be all things to another forever. (Don't they wish)  Logically multiple mates would be ideal, for all concerned. Lots of women want two or hubby's too.