Is the idea of having one partner for life still a realistic one?
by Lim Lay Wan Emily
1. Yes, since polygamy is inherently unstable as it is difficult for the man to provide equal support to all spouses and children.
1.1. Results in fragmented families as one spouse may be preferred over another, leading to preferential treatment. (esp in families where the husband is the sole breadwinner)
1.2. In terms of current economic situations, it would take one to be above average in terms of finances to be able to support all spouses, and in some cases, their children too. Thus, one will think twice about polygamy, as this will be a "burden" if they are unable to provide for the families.
1.3. Hence,this shows that the monogamous relationships have a higher chance of surviving the economic situations right now, and is the more practical than polygamy, hence it is realistic.
2. Yes, as conservative societal norms would turn out to be a restricting factor.
2.1. Strong family values, children are raised in enviroments where monogamous relationships are known as 'right'.
2.2. Many religious institutions ban polygamy (eg.christianity), conservative mindset of monogamous relationships prevalent.
2.3. Still illegal in many countries. Even if legalised, it takes time for people to accept polygamy as something common.
2.4. Hence, as the majority of people still possess the conservative mindset and view polygamy as an immoral act, it would be unrealistic for one to enter into a polygamous relationship due to the judgement they will face from the rest of society which may pose as an obstruction in either their career or family life.
3. No,media influence has created a misconception among people that it is alright to have more than one life partner for life.
3.1. No, with online dating on the rise as well as the increase in life expectancy, it is almost impossible for people to have only one partner for life.
3.2. Eg.cohabitation - no legal commitment to partner
3.3. Some people feel that monogamy restricts them, and thus choose to adopt the "open marriage" concept, where couples stayed married but were free to date other people.
3.3.1. Eg, news where ministers or celebrities such as Will Smith are reported of having affairs.
3.4. Therefore these leads to the followers thinking that it is alright to have more than one partner for life. Hence causing an increasing number of cases of divorce as well as scandals. In addition, with online dating, strangers who are "bored" of their other party could gain easy access to find new partners. Such convenience have also made the idea of having only one partner unrealistic.
4. No, with the increased competition in society, people are now more concerned about their work than their relationships
4.1. Such demands from the careers would cause the couples to have less time devoted to their relationship.
4.2. This causes the relationship of couples to become strained and hence making it easier for them to find faults and flaws of each other.
4.2.1. As a result, divorce rates would rise, making it impossible for people to have only one life partner for life since they would be able to find new partners after their divorce.
4.3. Hence, the idea of having one partner for life is unrealistic as people tend to focus more on their careers in recent years and find relationship commitments a chore and unable to stay in one for long.
4.4. The number of career women have been increasing, and most of them do not want to start a family and have children, so that they could better focus on their work. Family is no longer of utmost importance as now most men and even women begin to place their careers first. The traditional values of family such as being monogamous no longer hold much relevance, and polygamous relationships in contrast appear to be more realistic in a career-driven world.
5. No, as it was never realistic as polygamy was widely practiced and accepted by many societies in the past. Even today, it still legal in some countries.
5.1. Present Malaysia: Permitted for all Muslim men with consent from the first wife.
5.2. Few hundreds of years ago polygamy was widely spread across the territory where Utah is now situated. Despite announcing abandonment of the practice in 1890, among American Muslims, a small minority of around 50,000 to 100,000 people are currently in illegal polygamous relationships.
5.3. Even in countries where polygamy is illegal, many people practise serial monogamy where they marry and divorce multiple times. In other words, this is similar to polygamy but achieved throungh legal means
5.3.1. This shows that even with the implementation of laws to prevent multiple partners, people will always find another way to achieve what they want i.e. not to be restricted to only one life partner. thus it is not realistic to have only one life partner be it in the past, present or future.
5.3.1.1. ok.
5.3.2. Countries where polygamy is legal makes it easier for people to have multiple partners. On the other hand, in many countries, there are laws implemented so that people are not allowed to have multiple partners. However, just because they cannot, does not mean they will not. In desperate situations, they will find other means to achieve what they want i.e. multiple partners ( as shown in previous examples). Thus it is not realistic to have one life partner be it in the past, present or future.
5.4. Still a tradition in developing countries
5.4.1. Eg. Nigeria