IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/qualqt/v58y2024i4d10.1007_s11135-024-01844-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

From revenge to compromise: women’s strategies in the face of polygamy

Author

Listed:
  • Mostafa Zahirinia

    (University of Hormozgan)

  • Yaser Rastegar

    (University of Hormozgan)

  • Malihe Rahmanian

    (University of Hormozgan)

Abstract

Though polygamy is still prevalent in some southern parts of Iran, it is not considered the dominant culture and brings about challenges for women in local communities. The present study aimed to narrate such women’s experiences facing the phenomenon of polygamy. The study implemented a qualitative mythology, using Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenology. In depth-interviews with 33 women living in polygamous families showed that they considered the tradition discriminatory and adopted three strategies to deal with it. The included strategies based on hostile vengeance against co-wives, strategies based on compensation to improve relationships and control circumstances, and strategies based on a compromise to maintain one’s personal interests and tranquility. The ultimate result of the study showed that the polygamous tradition faced serious challenges from women themselves. In other words, the women were no longer passive and obedient figures but resisted the discriminatory tradition by actively taking stances against it and making it a very costly undertaking for men.

Suggested Citation

  • Mostafa Zahirinia & Yaser Rastegar & Malihe Rahmanian, 2024. "From revenge to compromise: women’s strategies in the face of polygamy," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 58(4), pages 3905-3919, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:58:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s11135-024-01844-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11135-024-01844-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11135-024-01844-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11135-024-01844-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Marie Boltz & Isabelle Chort, 2019. "The Risk of Polygamy and Wives’ Saving Behavior," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 33(1), pages 209-230.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jean-Marie Baland & Roberta Ziparo, 2017. "Intra-household bargaining in poor countries," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-108, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Deschênes, Sarah & Dumas, Christelle & Lambert, Sylvie, 2020. "Household resources and individual strategies," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    3. Jean-Marie Baland & Roberta Ziparo, 2017. "Intra-household bargaining in poor countries," WIDER Working Paper Series 108, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Pauline Rossi, 2019. "Strategic Choices in Polygamous Households: Theory and Evidence from Senegal," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 86(3), pages 1332-1370.
    5. Elisabeth Cudeville & Charlotte Guénard & Anne-Sophie Robilliard, 2017. "Polygamy and female labour supply in Senegal," WIDER Working Paper Series 127, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Elisabeth Cudeville & Charlotte Guénard & Anne-Sophie Robilliard, 2017. "Polygamy and female labour supply in Senegal," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-127, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:58:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s11135-024-01844-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.