The Why Factor

Polygamy


Listen Later

When many people struggle to maintain one relationship, why do some people enter into multiple simultaneous marriages? Lucy Ash speaks to polygamists around the world to find out why they were drawn to these complex arrangements and how they manage them.

Lucy hears about rotas, hierarchies and curfews from the stars of a popular South African reality TV show about a businessman, his four wives and their ten children. The creator of a dating website in Gaza explains why many of his clients are looking for second or third wives. A woman who left her Mormon plural marriage in the American state of Utah tells how having to share her husband with a sister wife had a devastating impact on her mental health. What about polyandry – one woman marrying multiple men? Anthropologist Katie Starkweather explains why some societies have favoured it.

(Photo: Models on wedding cake, Photo credit: Shutterstock)

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Why FactorBy BBC World Service

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

182 ratings


More shows like The Why Factor

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,389 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,839 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,886 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,718 Listeners

CIPD by CIPD

CIPD

18 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,791 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,052 Listeners

Luke's ENGLISH Podcast - Learn British English with Luke Thompson by Luke Thompson

Luke's ENGLISH Podcast - Learn British English with Luke Thompson

663 Listeners

Witness History by BBC World Service

Witness History

962 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,921 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,078 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

823 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,562 Listeners

The Bonfire with Big Jay Oakerson and Robert Kelly by SiriusXM

The Bonfire with Big Jay Oakerson and Robert Kelly

3,625 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,964 Listeners