Final Summary/ Reaction

I couldn't have been happier with my topic. Not only did I realize what a polygamy is, but I know understand how the media can warp things to make them appear like something they aren't. As a Catholic, I am not suggesting that I am in favor of polygamy, but I now understand what it is and what it isn't.

Revised Summary/ Plan/ Update

I have researched the ideology of a polygamy and  what it is and I have to say that my research went really well. I now have a better understanding of what a polygamy is as opposed to what media and society has made it to be.

Strategy & Plan

I didn't realize that this hadn't posted, but for my project I am going to research polygamys: what modern society thinks they are and what they are. I think it is best to understand myself what a polygamy is.

Research

For my topic of polygamy, I am going to utilize case studies in order to better understand why polygamys the way they are and also to learn more about its association with sects and cults.

The Reasons

The United States sees polygamy as an action of disgust and is usually given negative sanctions for their actions, but what does the rest of the world think of polygamy? In this article, a psychologist discusses the three reasons for why polygamists are hated by the developed modern world.
1. In the modern world, there is an excess of men instead of women
2. Cold winters make it impossible for a woman to raise a child independently
3. Developed countries, which are highly urbanized, make it difficult for people to raise larger families.

Its not to say that these reasons aren't valid, but I think the writer needs to look at this from a holistic point of view. He needs to consider the personalities and the cultures of people and not just the geography of where they exist.

Unraveling the Tapestry

Chapter 8 deals with deviance. What seems deviance to some is obviously not to others. This website is exactly what it says it is. It is an anti-polygamy website that works to expose the irregularities and abuse that exists within a polygamous culture. Obviously this people that began and follow this website believe in monogamy and freedom which are two things an individual may lose when joining a polygamous society. Women lose their rite to choose what they want to do with their lives and lose their ability to be viewed as equal to men. People lose their freedom of dress, choice, and personal preferences because breaking away from the norm of a polygamous society would be seen as disloyal.

The people that began this website obviously have a serious stigma with the way that polygamists run their lives. The site has different pages and links discrediting the works and ideas of polygamous societies in order to discredit them. On the other hand, the site also provides pro-polygamy websites in order for the reader to get both sides of the story instead of having the site be just propaganda for why polygamy is bad. I think that this website is structured as it should be. The site obviously gives a negative sanction towards polygamy, but it also gives viewers the chance to see the subject and its views in a different light.

Pretending to be Happy

**Sorry for the late post, the entry apparently didn't publish on Friday!

We all know polygamy as a society. Many people that are against polygamy choose to even consider them as a separate race, but why is that? One of the main problems that people have with society is its ability to almost dehumanize females. Polygamist sects have basically ignored all of the progress that has been made for women because it would lower the superiority of men. Because polygamy is so looked down upon in most of the 50 states, many polygamists are located in Utah. Although there is an obvious association between polygamy and Utah, many Utahns are against polygamy as well. This article discusses the decriminalization of polygamy in Utah as well as who is for and against it. 

One group in Utah, the Sound Choice Coalition has been visiting state officials of Utah in order to ensure that they don't loosen Utah's laws on polygamy. The group's founder, Kristyn Decker is a former polygamist who chose to leave the sect that she was previously born into. She is one of the few women every year that have the courage in order to step away from the world she was born into. As related to Chapter 6, this subculture of polygamy almost forces men, women, and children to stay in the polygamous sect because they were taught that their salvation depends on it. Kristyn Decker openly admitted that she pretended to be content with her polygamous lifestyle even though she realized the violation of human rights. The reason that it took her so long to break away was because the children in the polygamous sects are brought up knowing only the polygamous lifestyle. They are taught that everything outside of their world is wrong which limits their ability to know whats really out there.