Polygamy, a social fact

Polygamy refers to the situation in which a person has several spouses of the same sex at the same time. Perceived as a crime in Western civilizations and practiced in Africa, it is still permitted or tolerated today in countries representing nearly one-third of the world’s population. What explains the attachment of polygamists and the rejection of non-practitioners of polygamy? Are polygamous relationships not one of the causes of social disparity between men and women in our societies? In today’s world of economic and financial crisis, what is the place of polygamy in the life of society? The practice of polygamy is causing increasing concern with regard to the care of women and children. Even if polygamous marriages are recognized in many African states, they remain a difficult problem to manage in daily life. This set of problems raised will be the subject of the present analysis through the works of Bâ and Goethe.