"One powerful structural factor which enforces and replicates patterns of male dominance is the practice of polygyny, which is shown by data to be harmful to women, children, men, and society"--

Psychosocial Impact of Polygamy in the Middle East is the first to deal with polygamy in the Middle East in a comprehensive way. This book fills a gap in the literature by addressing the question of the psychosocial impact of polygamy on all members of polygamous families by offering a new way of examining family structure, such as father-mother, father-children, mother-children relationships, and the relationships between offspring from different mothers. It introduces a model for intervention with polygamous families for scholars and practitioners. This book also explores Islam’s role in polygamy as well as the social and economic consequences of the phenomena.

This book examines Islam and women’s everyday life, focusing in particular on the highly controversial issue of polygamy. It discusses the competing Islamic interpretations of polygamy, and - based on detailed fieldwork conducted in Indonesia - women’s actual experiences and perceptions of the practice, and the impact of public policy.

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