" Children's 'curiosity is not monogamous. It ranges.' "
In the essay "Against Monogamy," Bersani argues that monogamy, a well accepted and normalized pillar of society, suppresses the individual's natural desire and curiosity. This supports the notion that everything in society that is portrayed as "normal" is ultimately socially constructed. Besani makes us question: why do most humans have the idea that everyone should only have one partner? It’s practically impossible to find an animal species that is completely monogamous, and yet in American culture, polygamy is virtually an untouched topic. Bersani believes that one of the reasons what this happens is because adults repress the “promiscuous curiosity of childhood.” What is interesting to think about is how come children's natural tendencies are inhibited as they grow older. Why do people believe that as we get older, we need to become more controlled in our behavior? Why does society choose to restrict itself? A child is not born with the pre-conception that girls do this and boys do that, and that couples should only be opposite genders. They are instilled these unjustified beliefs through the process of “growing up’ by their families. Maybe if the characteristics that humans are innately born with, such as curiosity and openness, were accepted, there would be less discrimination and inequality.
In 2010, TLC broadcasted a new reality television series called “Sister Wives.” The show documents the life of a polygamist family that includes Kody Brown, his four wives, and his sixteen children. The family claims that they are participating in the show to make the public more aware of polygamist families and to combat societal prejudices. While one may assume that the family would be highly patriarchal, the wives actually form the center of the family and “their bonds appear far stronger and more vital than the casual fondness with which they all treat Kody.” What one may want to consider about this is whether the matriarchal structure of this family is due to the unrestricted formation of their relationships.
Reading your blog post after what I wrote, I see that you are right in saying that most people assume that the polygamous family is patriarchal. I wrote that in my blog post because to me it seemed that he would be the center of attention in such an imbalance, but now that you mention it, having more women would give them the upper hand, maybe even simply due to the fact that they outnumber that man.
ReplyDeleteYou make some really amazing points! As I was reading this essay, I also found myself interested in the idea that parents repress the “promiscuous curiosity of childhood.”
ReplyDeleteI think that the greatest point you make is this one: "Maybe if the characteristics that humans are innately born with, such as curiosity and openness, were accepted, there would be less discrimination and inequality." I agree with this so much! Sometimes I find myself wondering how different the world would be if humans were more accepting of eachother rather than so judgemental.