Polygyny

This article discusses polygamy as an adaptive cultural practice for Africa. It examines the effects of polygyny on population growth and fertility for select countries. It argues that polygyny has a positive effect on population growth and fertility but at the same time may be harmful to the health and well-being of women and children. It ends with a discussion of interviews conducted with Ivorian women during the summer of 2002. The women reveal their concerns that a monogamous relationship may become polygamous in the future; that they have little control over their husbands' taking a second wife.