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Polygyny: an indicator of nutritional stress in African agricultural societies?1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2011

Loretta Brabin
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There are many variables which affect nutritional status (Bennett and Stanfield, 1972: 7–8). A number of recent nutritional surveys have tried to assess the influence of polygyny on the incidence of malnutrition, though to date no clear relationship has been found between the two. This may partly reflect a methodological problem: accurate determination of a woman's marital status is not easily achieved by questionnaire, and this is especially true in view of the developmental instability of polygynous households (Muhsam, 1956: 16). Yet questionnaires are frequently used in nutrition surveys and they can generate large quantities of data, although Johnston et al. have urged that studies be simplified in the interests of discovering some underlying structure (1980: 292). As a result of the massive bulk of disparate data, multivariate analysis has come to the fore in an attempt to establish significant correlations among the many variables which can be associated with malnutrition. But, as McDowell and Hoorweg point out (1975: 98), this method requires that an adequate research design be employed: it is not good enough to collect the data first and to seek the associations afterwards. The data to be collected must be carefully chosen so that pre-selected hypotheses can be tested. An anthropological perspective is very important in determining this choice of data. For example, although the term ‘polygynous’ describes a woman's marital status, it gives no indication of her position in a household relative to at least one other wife. For this reason it would be preferable to make the polygynous household, rather than the individual woman, the unit of study. Specific information could then be collected to clarify if there are constraints or advantages experienced by different wives within a polygynous household, or between wives in polygynous and monogamous households, in order to see whether these influence the nutritional status of their children.

Résumé

Polygamie et niveaux de nutrition dans les sociétés africaines agricoles

Un certain nombre d'études sur la nutrition compare les enfants issus de mariages monogames et polygames, cet article traite de l'influence que la polygamie peut avoir sur l'incidence de la malnutrition. II semble y avoir quelques différences entre les sociétés qui pratiquent la polygamie et celles qui ne la pratiquent pas: bien qu'il faille souligner que la polygamie se présente sous diverses formes. Les chasseurs/ramasseurs comme les ‘Kung San’ sont monogames et les traits attribués aux sociétiés polygames, comme l'héritage du patrimoine et la compétition sont absents et le ‘Kwashiorkor’ est inconnu. Il est suggéré que la résidence matrilocale donne aux femmes un meilleur contrôle des ressources alimentaires, bien que quelques sociétés patrilocales, comme les ‘Lango’, laissant également aux femmes le contrôle des aliments de subsistance. Dans beaucoup de sociétés patrilocales cependant, la nourriture et les ressources productives sont souvent assignées de façon plus rigoureuse. Il est avancé que la polygamie était traditionnellement associée à une agriculture rotatoire et des terres abondantes. Dans les régions où les terres font défaut, la polygamie n'est plus économiquement faisable et les femmes polygames ne reçoivent pas suffisament de terre pour nourrir leur famille. Ce manque peut être contre balancé si les femmes ont d'autres moyens de gagner de l'argent pour acheter la nourriture, mais quelquefois les maris s'approprient tout l'argent liquide. L'économie de vente des récoltes a permis l'émergence de nouvelles règies en ce qui concerne l'assignation des ressources du ménage. Si une femme est dans une position vulnérable à l'interieur d'un ménage polygame, c'est à dire, si elle a plusieurs jeunes enfants, très peu de terre et ne peut gagner d'argent par elle même, ses enfants courent le risque de malnutrition. En Afrique de l'Ouest, beaucoup de femmes sont des commercants indépendants et subviennent à leurs besoins sans l'aide le leurs maris. La polygamie permet aux femmes plus de liberté de continuer leurs entreprises commerciales, et le conflit entre co-femmes est contrôlé. L'importance du divorce comme résolution de conflit est noté. Les hauts taux de divorce ne mènent pas nécessairement à la désertion des enfants, vu que: l'adoption et la mise en nourrice sont souvent institutionalisés. Il est considéré que la lien entre la polygamie et le taboo d'un relèvement de couches prolongé n'a pas encore été prouvé et demande une examination plus detaillée de la présentation, distribution et intensité de la polygamie. L'article se termine sur quelques suggestions telles que l'élaboration d'etudes de nutrition futures permettant d'amasser les matériaux pertinants à une comparaison de mariages monogames et polygames, et les categories de femmes polygames ‘en danger’.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 54 , Issue 1 , January 1984 , pp. 31 - 45
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1984

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