Citation

Iturriaga N, Saguy AC. Soc. Probl. 2017; 64(3): 333-350.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Society for the Study of Social Problems, Publisher Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/socpro/spw038

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Understanding the processes that lead to change in institutions and meanings is a central concern of sociology. This paper examines the tactics used by "plural-marriage" activists to cast members of such marriages as an oppressed minority and portray polygamy as empowering to women. In-depth interviews with Mormon fundamentalist polygamist women (N = 30) and men (N = 4) involved in the plural-marriage-rights movement suggest that, to achieve these goals, our respondents distance themselves from Mormon fundamentalist groups known to force underage girls into marriage while rhetorically likening themselves to a population with whom they have moral objections: gays and lesbians. Movement leaders reinforce the analogy with gay men and lesbians by strategically and self-consciously employing a language of "coming out of the closet" to talk about revealing and affirming their polygamist status. We argue that they are drawn to this particular language not merely because it is culturally ubiquitous but also because of how same-sex marriage and polygamy have been connected via what we call discursive networks. As feminist scholars, we consider our respondents' claims that polygyny offers women advantages over monogamy, while also examining how post-feminist discourse about choice can reinforce patriarchal structures.

Language: en