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CHAPTER I
1.1 Introduction.
Butambala district is one of the new districts established in Uganda.Created by Act of parliament, the
district became operational on 01 July 2010, having been split off Mpigi district, together with
neighboring Gomba district. Prior to becoming a fully-fledged district, Butamabala was one
of the eighteen (18)counties that constitute Buganda Kingdom, Butambala district is bordered by
Gomba district to the west and northwest, Mityana District to the northeast, Mpigi district to the east
and south and Kalungu district to the southwest. The district headquarters at Gombe town council.
This location is approximately 68 kilometers (42 mi), by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda’s capital
and largest city. In 2001, the population ofButambala was about 86,600.
1.2 Background
Across many countries around the world, polygamy is a familiarand apparently robust social institution.
Polygamy is legal in Uganda, where a man is allowed to marry multiple wives at a time.
Besides, Uganda is one of the few predominately Christian nations to legally recognize
polygamous unions, with others being the republic of the Congo, Zambia, and Central African
Republic. The legal status of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is disputed. There have
been numerous attempts to outlaw polygamy in the country, the first of which was in 1987:
though none of the active proposals have passed. Polygamy is being challenged in the constitutional
court in a petition brought by MIFUMI in January 2010.The case has yet to be heard.
On March 29, 2005, over 1,000 Ugandan Muslims rallied against the proposed domestic relations
bill that would require a husband to seek permission from his frrst wife before marrying any
more women. Uganda is one of the few countries allowing polygamous unions that do not have
such restrictions.
1.3 Statement of the Problem.
Polygamy iii Uganda is not only a type of marriage but also a value system. Acrossmany countries
around the world, polygamy is a familiar and apparently robust social institution. In August 2003,
Human Rights watch published a report over the increase in cases of new infection with HIV in
Uganda linked to
domestic violence and spousal rape. It called for an overhaul 1n Ugandan domestic law.
Butambala is a Muslim dominated district. Within the district, polygamy is widely practiced. Part of
the reason for thisis that the Quran supports the practice. Chapter 4 verse 3 (surat Niisa:3) of the
Holy Quran allows Muslim men to marry more than one wife. Due to mistreatment and lack of
justice, many Muslimfamilieshave continued to experience instability.
The purpose of the proposed study is to investigate and explore the contribution of polygamy
towards social stability in Butambala district. Understanding the contribution of polygamy to social
stability would be important in addressing variousissues of development in Butambala.
1.4 Objectives.
The overall objective of the study is to analyze the contribution of polygamy towards
social stability in Butamba district. Specifically, the study- aims to achieve the following objectives:
(a) To critically review the existing literature on polygamy and its
contribution to socialstability and community development.
(b) To examine the causes of polygamy in Butambala.
(c) To investigate the negative effects of polygamy in Butambala.
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(d) To identifymeasures and programmesthat could be implemented to enhance the contribution of
polygamy to social stability.
1.5 Scope:
The proposed study will focus on Butambaladistrict as a case study. Investigations will be carried
out on polygamyand its contribution to social stability. Specifically, the study will be carried out in
Kalamba sub count. Units to be sampled under this research will be only polygamous families due
to limitations of time, cost and complexity.
1.6 Significance of the study.
An analysis of the contribution of polygamy towards social stability in Butambala district will
have the following functions: understand the cause of polygamyand how polygamy is related to
domestic violence in Uganda. The study will also identify measures to improve social stability. The
results of the study are important for the formulation of coherent social policies. Such as the
domestic relations law.
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Introduction.
A literature review is a body of text that aims to review the critical points of current knowledge including
substantiv·e fmdings as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to a particulartopic in this
context about polygamy in Butambala district.
2.2. Definitionof polygamy.
The term polygamy (literally many marriages in late Greek) is used in related ways in social
anthropology and sociobiology. In social anthropology, polygamy is·the practice of marriage to more
than one spouse simultaneously (as opposed to monogamy where each person has only one
spouse at a time). Lke monogamy, the term is often used in a defectorsense, applying regardless
of whether the relationship is recognized by the state.In sociobiology, polygamy is used in a broad
sense to mean any form of multiple mating. Polygamy is condemned or restricted by the
majority of the world’s religions. Anthropologists have observed that, while many societies have
permitted polygamy,the majority of human partnerships are in fact monogamous.
Historically, human beings have been immature, failing to fulfill their unique potential as
individuals, and consequently failing to achieve successful
partnerships and families based on true love. The solution to happiness and fulfillment on the
individual,family, societal, and world levels is not to be found in polygamy,but rather in
individuals who grow to maturity and the commit to an exclusive partnership with another mature
individual, each fulfilling the other’sneeds and hopesin a relationship of true love.
2.3 Polygamyin the historicaland cultural context.
Although sub-Saharan Africa has had a long history of contacts with the out side world, a form
of rather ancient culture that was based on an economy of high land/man ratio became well
established in sub-Saharan Mrica. Due to the high mortality caused _by unfavorable climate, deadly
diseases, and wars, population density remained very low for many centuries, and the decimation of
whole tribes has been of serious concern. Therefore, at the core of this culture are the values and
customs that promote reproduction. Sterility is not only undesirable but also evil. In contrast, moral
judgments on sexual conduct tend to be relatively mild or largely absent (Caldwell and orubuloye
1992).
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The main features of polygamy in this culture are women’s very early age at frrst marriage,which en ures their
early exposure to pregnancy, men’s very late age at frrs.t marriage, which is determined by their family’s
ability to pay for the marriage and to support a household, and the quick remarriage of separated,
divorced, or widowed women, which helps extend their reproductive duration. The payments of the bride-
price by the groom’s family to the bride’s family can be a substantial amount and may be stretched through
a long period until or even beyond the birth of the first child (Ueda 1992). The bride-price originally
took the form of tangible goods like livestock but has never included land. However it has
increasingly been replaced by cash. The remarriage of a widow is usually of the nature of levirate (i.e, to
another male of the deceased husband’s family,usually one of his younger brothers}.
Polygamy, in a large part of sub-Saharan Africa, has long coexisted with a primitive system of
agriculture in which women do most of the farm work (Boserup 1970}. Typically, when a mangets a
new wife, he clearsa field for her, and later her children, to cultivate. Men are motivated to have two
or more wives ·and many children, because their wives and childrn serve as a form of cheaplabor and as a
means to expand their ownership of farmland cleared from communally owned land (Boserup 1985). Since, in
addition to farming,there are many domestic chores to do (e.g, fetching water and frrewood, cleaning,
cooking, and nursing), a womanmay even encourage her husband to take in a co-wife to share her
heavy workload, the first wife is usually vested with the authority to assign and distribute domestic
chores to her co-wives, the existence of co-wives also helps enhance her status.
Having little propertyright and being treated essentially as a form of property to be exchanged for material
goods between families, women in the polygamy system of sub-Saharan countries have much lower status
than men and are especially vulnerable when they become spouseless or childless (Boserup 1970). Without
the right to inherit the property of her husband, a wife in this systemis motivated to maintain high fertility,
hoping that at least one of the surviving children is a son on whose inherited field she can continue
farming after her husband’s death. Her gre{ltest fear is the inability to bear children, which is not only a
valid reason for her husband to divorce her but also a cause for her community to make her an outcast.
From the perspective of individuals, polygamy in sub-Saharan African tends to be a rather unstable
marriage system, because the obsession with the lineage weakens the conjugal bond. Many women
experience divorces and remarriages through their life courses. Since the bride price is basicallygiven in
exchange for the labor and reproductive capacity of the bride,a divorce is accompanied
by the return of the bride price to the husband’s family. In a patrilineal system, the repayment can be
pq.rtial, it the wife has given birth to a son who will remain in the husband’s family. The
repayment is the responsibility of the woman’s own family or her new husband’sfamily.
At any moment in time, a high proportion of adult males in polygamous sub Saharan countries are single
(Caldwell and Orubuloye 1992). Because of the near balance in sex composition atbirth and the large gap
between husband’s and wife’s ages at marriage (about ten years), the polygamy system always has a large
surplus of spouseless young adult males. Traditionally the sexual needs of these single adults are satisfied
mainly by the wives of the male relatives within the family (eg, the wives of their brothers and uncles
and their father’s younger wives). Discreet sexual relationship with pre-marital girls is in general tolerated, as
long as it does not result in pregnancy. Separated or divorced women, who are not yet remarried, as
well as prostitutes, are additional altematives. In addition to the single males, many married males,
especially those in monogamous unions, also look for female sexual partners, mainly because of the
long (traditionally about two years) postpartum female sexual al;>stinence (Caldwell, Orubuoye, and
Caldwell 1991). Thus, pre-marital, extra marital, and inter-marital sexual relationships, involving multiple
and overlapping partners, are an integral part of the polygamy system in sub Saharan Africa.
The culture of polygamy in sub-Saharan Africa remained relatively undisturbed until the major expansion
of the European colonial powers in the late nineteenth century. Together with the Christian
missionaries, the colonial administrators attempted to replace polygamy by monogamy through changing
marriage regulations and giving preferential treatments to monogamous men (Ngondo a Pitshandenge
1994). Through their schools, they transmitted the westem ideal of the nuclear family based on a strong
conjugal bond. By commercializing the economy, the created income opportunities to young adults and hence
weakened the parental authority. The urbanization process further physically removed many young adults
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from the social constraints of their family compounds. The cumulative effects of such changes on
polygamy varied substantially among and withinsub-Saharan countries.
The prevalence of polygamy among married women has fallen to less than 20% in Zambia and areas further
south, but remains at over 40% in most West African countries (Lesthaeghe, Kaufmann, and Meekers
1989). In some villages, the recruitment of young adult males for mines, plantations, and urban
industries has resulted in a prolonged shortage of malesin the 20-35 age group and the further lengthening of
the difference in marriage age between the two sexes (Boserup 1970). The relatively large rural-to-urban net
migration of males has resulted in a large surplus of unmarried males in urban areas where a
different economic reality forces the polygamy system to mutate into various arrangements
(Locoh. 1994).
The independence of sub-Saharan countries since the early 1960s was accompanied, to
some extent, by the reassertion of the values of the native culture. The rapidly expanding
local Mfrican churches in west Adrica have largely removed from Christianity the Westem value
judgement on marriage (Caldwell, Orubuloye, and Caldwell 1991). Many well-educated and
wealthy men are not ashamed of enjoying the advantages of having several wives. It has also
become rather common for Christianized monogamous men to have one or more “outside wives” or
“girl friends,” provided that they are wealthy enough to afford the luxury. Actually, many sub-
Saharan African men in urban areas consider the possession of outside wives as a reflection of
high status and achievement (Kkaranja 1994). So the spirit of polygamy still remains very
strong.
It is useful to obtain further insight into the evolving living arrangements of sexually related
individuals m sub-Saharan African countries. These arrangements, largely rooted in the culture of
polygamy, may have important implications on the care for children and elderly parents, the sense
of belonging and identity, the status of women, the diffusion of sexually transmitted
diseases, fertility levels, and other socioeconomic problems. In the remaining part of this paper,
we will attempt to gain some insights into the factors on m.arried women’s propensities of being
in polygamousunions, based on the microdata of the DHS.
2.4. Polygamyand religion.
Religion has different perception about polygamy different religions vtew polygamy different as
explained below:
2.4.1 Islam.
According to traditional Islamic law, a manmay take up to four wives, and each of those wives must
have her own property, assets, and dowry. The Quran also stipulatesthat a husband must be able
to love them equally. The Quran in verse whichdescribesa man taking an orphaned girl as hiswife.
The caregivers
·of these orphan girls have an unfair advantage (with them then only one. This
verse is linked to the preceding verse which describes a man taking an orphaned girl as his
wife. The caregivers of these orphan girls have an unfair advantage (especially during the time
during which the Quran was revealed) over themif theywish to marry them.
As their guardians, they may be tempted to marry them without paying them their full dowries or .in orderto
confiscate their inheritance. This verse tell such men that if they fear that they cannot deal justly with the
orphans whom they wish t.o marry, then they should marry other women (not orphaned women but free
women with guardians and families who can look over and protect their rights). However, the verse
could also have another meaning, such as if a person is worried about not treating orphan(s) under his
care fairly, he could have a wife or wives to delegate the tasks of taking care of them. It is important to
note the context within which the term “orphan girls” is being used. Orphaned girls (that is,
orphaned of both mother and father as well as any immediate family to look after them) at the time
when the Quran was revealed women ha very low status in society and virtually no recognizable rights,
unless a caregiver chose to take them in. the relationship of the caregiver to the orphaned girl would
have to satisfy the criteria set out in the Quran verses 4:23 and 4:24 as to whichwomena man is permitted
to marry under Islamic law in order for verse 4:3 to be valid. Some Muslims, however, believe that
polygamyis restricted.They quote the following verse 4:129, (translation by Yusuf Ali):
Ye are never able to be fair and just as betweenwomen, ev.en ifit is yourardent desire: But turn not away
(from a woman) altogether, so as to leave her (as it were) hanging (in the air). If ye come to a
friendlyunderstanding, and practice self-restraint, Allah is Oft-forgiving, most Merciful.
This combined with the requirement for fairness stated in 4:3 and arguments based on its context,has led
to the conclusion that polygamy is only sanctioned in exceptional circumstances, such as when there is a
shortage of male adults after a war, and that monogamy is generally preferable. Opponents of this view
believe that verse 4:129 does not seek to discourage polygamy, but instead guides the husband on
how to treat all of his wives fairly in practice, even though he may not be able to love them
equally.
Islamic polygamists point out that an imbalanceof the ratio of men to women means that polygamy serves
to help womenmaintain a respectable presence. In their defense, they cite c,ases in supposedly
monogamous societies where women may becomemistresses to men with a legal wife, and be in a
forbidden, shameful relationship. Also, the practice within monogamy of simply taking one wife after another
leaves-the f!rst womanabandond and in a more shameful and un-protectedstate. As a co-wife, they have
legal rightsand status.
Usually wives have little to no contact with each other and lead separate, individual lives in their
own houses, and sometimesin different cities, though they all share the same husband. Thus, polygamy is
traditionally restricted to men who can manage things efficiently. In West Africa the education of men
Increases the incidence of polygamy, but the education of women decreases their
participation !nsuch relationships.
2.4.2 Christianity.
Saint ugustine saw a conflictwith Old Testament polygamy, and wrote about it in the good of
marriage (chapter 15, paragraph 17), where he stated that though it ‘was lawful among the ancient
fathers:whetherit be lawful now also, I· would not hastily pronounce. For there is not now
necessity of begetting children, as there then was, when, even when wives bear children, it
was allowed, in order to a more numerous posterity,· to marry other wives in addition, which
now is certainly not lawful. “He declined to judge the patriarchs,but did not deduce
from their practice the ongoing acceptability of polygamy. In another place, he wrote, “Now
indeed in our time, and in keeping with Roman custom, it is no longer allowed to take another
wife, so asto have more than one wife living”
The Catholic Church clearly condemns polygamy in their canon. The Catechism of the Catholic
Church in paragraph 2387 under the head “Other offenses against the dignity of marriage” states
that it “is not in accord with the moral law.” Also paragraph 1645 under the head “The goods
.and requirements of conjugal love” states”The unity of marriage, distinctly recognized by our lord,
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is made clear in the equal personal dignity which must be accorded to man and wife in mutual
and unreserved affection.Polygamy is contraryto conjugal love which is undivided and exclusive.”
Periodically, Christian reform movements that have aimed at rebuilding Christian doctrine
based on the Bible alone (sola scriptura) have at least temporarily accepted polygamy as a
Biblical practice. During the protestant reformation, martin Luther advised Philip of Hesse that
although he found nothing un-biblical about polygamy, he should keep his second marriage a
secret to avoid public scandal (Mozley 1878). The radical Anabaptists of Munster also
practiced polygamy, but they had little influence after the defeat of the Munster Rebellion in
1535.
However, other protestant leaders including John Calvin c.ondemned polygamy. Sanctioned
polygamy did not survive long within Protestantism, with modern Protestants believing that all
forms of polygamy are condemned by the Bible, citing versessuch as I Timothy 3:2. Saint Paul
wrote “submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of
conscience” (Romans 13:5), for ‘the authorities that exist have been established by God.”
(Romans 13.:1) saint Peter concurred when he said to “submit yourselvesfor the
Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme
authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend
those who do right.” (1 Peter 2:13,14).
Temporary ·exceptions to this doctrine have been found, however, under extremecircumstances,
such as the loss of men due to extended warfare. Such a situation was reported by Jensen (1980),
following the Thirty Years War:
On February 14, 1650 the parliament at Numberg decreed that because so many men were
killed during the Thirty Years’ War, the churches for the following ten years could not
admit any man under the age of 60 into a monastery. Priests and ministers not bound by any
monastery were allowed to marry: Lastly, the decree stated that every man was allowed to marry
up to ten women. The men were admonished to behave honorably, provide for their wives property,
and prevent animosity among them.
2.5 The domestic relations bill in Uganda.
In August 2003, Human Rights Watch published a report over the increase in cases of
new infection with HIV in Uganda linked to domestic violence and spousal rape. It called
for an overhaulin Uganda domestic law, which among other things would enable women
to prosecute their husbands for rape. The bill which would enable this prosecution,the
Domestic Relations Bill was flrst mooted nearly 17 years ago but has been shelved
several times.
Polygamy is also strictly regulated by guidelines that provide for the
·economic support of all wives. The bill also provides for equal sexual rights and
established more equitable grounds for divorce. Polygamy has been the most hotly
debated issue, initially dominated – and nearly derailed-by religious groups protesting the
Bill’s attempt to limit men to two wives. Muslim groups insist that the new
proposal was an infringement of their religious traditions. The resulting bill was a
compromise. Whereas in the past, customary law has allowed men to marry as many
women as they like, from now on the will be limited to four.
2.6 The problemswith polygamy.
One argument against polygamy is that it is more likely to present harmful effects,
especially towards women and children, then monogamy. There are several
studies that appear to support this position. For example, then monogamy. There are·
several studies that appear to support this position. For example, women in
polygamous marriages are at higher risk of low self-esteem,as well as depression,
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then women in non-polygamous relationships (Al-Krenawi, et al 2002: Slonim – Nevo and Al-Krenawi
2006). Other studies show that these women are also enjoying less marital satisfaction and more
problematic mother-child relationships (Al-Krenawi and Slonim-Nevo2008). In addition, further studies
demonstrate that women in polygamous marriages are especially vulnerable to depression after
becoming pregnant, as their husbands become more likely to turn their attention to their other wives (Fatoye,
et al 2004: Ho-Yen, et at 2007). Women in polygamous marriages are typically subservient to their
husbands who hold their wives primarily.
I cannot hope to offer an extensive examination of the full scientific literature on polygamy and any
related harmful effects. Instead, I will only highlight some key studies with the aim of presenting at
least a prima facie case that thereis reason to believe that there are higher risks
of harmful effects resulting from polygamous marriages. Responsible for
·child-bearing (Gher 2008: 584). These woman may a_
lso lack control over
their ability to seek employment, as several studies have found that only a small fraction of women in
polygamous marriages work outside the home (Al-Krenawi 200: Elbedour, et al2002: 257: Peterson 1999).
Women in polygamousmarriages have also been found to be at a greater risk.of sexual diseases, including
AIDS. For example, one study of 1,153
Nigerian men and women found that not only were men with three or
more wives more likely to engage in extramarital sex and were at greater risk of contracting sexual
diseases and infecting their wives than men with one or two wives. Thus, women were at greater risk
from men with three or more wives both as their wives and as extramarital sexual partnersthan from
men with one or two wives (Mitsunaga, et al 2005).
Studies have also found that children form polygamous families may be at a greater risk of several
harmful effects. For example,there is
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considerable research that children of polygamous families experience a
higher incidence of marital conflict, family violence, and family disruptions than do children of
monogamous families’ (Elbedour, et al
2002). Moreover, children from polygamous marriages are at a greater risk of both behavioral and
developmental problems (Elbedour, et al,
2003).there is also some evidence that young that young woman from
polygamous families perform less well in school than those in monogamous families (Elbedour, et al
2000). In addition, the Utah supreme Court has recently state that polygamy’often coincides with
crimes target in women and children (including)incest, sexual assault, statutory rape, and failure to pay
child support’ (Strasser 2008:88-9)
Polygamy has also been linked to several negative effects regarding men. For example, some studies have
shownthat men are more likely to suffer from alcoholism which is thought, in turn, to perhaps arise
from psychological problems with men from polygamous families (Oley 2004).
·Additionally, men in polygamous marriages are also more likely to fall
below men in monogamous marriages in terms of educational attainment
(Al-Krenawi and Lightman2000).
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The standard argument against polygamy is that it subordinateswoman and fails to treat women as equals
with men (Okin 1999). For example, John Rawls argues that the state generally should take no interest
on
‘fully voluntary’ family arrangements for fear that taking an interest would illegitimately endorse one
comprehensive doctrine over others as long as these family arrangements did ‘not result from or
lead to injustice’. Fro Rawls, an unjust family arrangement would be one that undermined ‘the
equality of women’ and failed to recognize that ‘wives are equally citizens with their husbands’ with
‘the same basic rights, liberties,and opportunities as theirhusbands’.
Polygamy should then be forbidden by the state insofar as it fails to treat wives as equals with their
husbands, denying women the same rights, liberties, and opportunities available to men.
Therefore, polygamy represents an unjustified asymmetry of power between men and women:
polygamy should be banned.
Chesire Calhoun and Martha Nussbaum are highly sympathetic with this view. For example, Nussbaum
argues that polygamy is a structurally unequal practice’ (1999:98). This inequality lies in the fact that
polygamy as practiced today normally permits only men to marry multiple wives and it does not n
rmally permit women to marry more than one husband. In fact, Nussbaum argues that ‘the most
convincing’argument against polygamy is that ‘men are permitted plural marriages, and
.women are not'(200_8: 197). This asymmetry of power is unacceptable.In
addition, structural inequality informs Nussbaum’s. concems with other issues affecting women. She argues
that an ‘symmetry of power plays a crucial role in the law of sexual harassment’ (1999:407n4). Indeed, one
of her arguments against female genital cutting is that it is ‘unambiguously linked to customs of male
domination’ (1999:124). Likewise, polygamy also represents an asymmetry of power between men and
women which appear similarly linked to make domination of women.
2.7 Argumentsfor and against polygamy.
Polygamy has continued to be practiced in large numbers in the world into the beginning
of the twenty-first century, primary in Africa and some Islamic countries. In these countries,
tradition and religion usually mix to form a confusion of law and application of law,
creating problems of clear jurisdiction and/or officials who hesitate to enforce laws that
may conflict with another’s jurisdiction.
Typical abuses encountered in polygamous relationships involve the woman not even
being aware of any other wives, as they have separate
.residences, with the result that the woman must effectively care for her children and the
house alone. There are efforts to create and enforce
local laws that would provide for responsibility from such husbands. Other abuses occur
because the women may have little access or ability to make any income, and they become
trapped in the marriage. Many are from traditional societies that would completeiy ostracize
them ifthey left their marriage.
The Libertarian Party in the United States supports complete decriminalization of
polygamy as part of a general belief that the government should not regulate marriage.
The argument that polygamy tends to benefit most women and disadvantage mot men has
been used to support the legalization of polygamy (Friedman 1990).
The sexual partnering of a man and a womanis a complexrelationship
·that impacts all aspects of their lives and contin es over an extended period of time. The
physical level of sexual activity involves personal health, with many diseases being
sexually transmitted, as well as the potential for pregnancy, which leads to the
responsibility of giving birth to a child.On the psychological level, entering into the most
intimate of relationships has intense emotional consequences. The phrase, “broke my I?-
eart” reflects the depth of pain that follows termination of this relationship. Sociallywhen
a large number of men and women in a society do not have stable partnerships, the
society suffers as jealousy and other emotionsdisrupt the harmony of interpersonal
relationships.A wife is not like a machine,or a vehicle,that can be “traded in” or put into
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storage when a newer, more exciting model becomes available. As the Quran states, a man
should only have more than one wife if he is capable of loving and caring for them.
When children are added into the
.picture,it is a great man indeedwho can successfully love and care for multiple families.
The purpose of marriage is, ultimately, the next generation, children, and
·the continua1?-on of one’s lineage. The conjugal relationship of husband and wife is the emotional and
physical foundation for building a family, in which children, produced through the love of man and
woman, are nurtured and protected until they reach maturity, and embark on their own lives, which also
involve the continuation.ofthe lineage.
Childrearing is a major responsibilityfor human beings. Unlike most species in nature, the time
period required to raise a human child extends far beyond the period of physical recovery from
childbirth, and usually several siblings are horn while the frrst childis still at home.The parenting
process requires more than temporary bonding between adults,
and is best carriedout by a stablehusband and wife couple, the biological parents of the children. Children
naturally inhabit not only physical characteristics and physical and material wealth, they also receive
their social heritage from their parents. Beyond the benefit received through these types of
inheritance, children raised in a stable family by their married parents, have been found, on average,
to be “physicallyand mentally healthier, better educated, and later in life, enjoy more career success than
children in other familysettings” (Waite and Gallagher2000, 124). On the other hd;children of divorce,
single parent families, and step-families are considerably more likely to have emotional and behavioral
problems -they sometimes fail to graduate high school, abuse drugs and alcohol, engage in sexual
activity as teenagers, suffer unwanted pregnancies, are involv:ed in violence and crime, avoid
marriage and child-bearing, get divorced, and commit suicide,at higherrates than those raised by two
marriedparents.
Generally, the world’s religions condemn polygamy, or at least have restricted its practice, reflecting
their concern with the spiritual
·implications of sexual partnership and the consequ.ent birth of children. Anthropological surveys have
reported that the most common form of marriage relationship in human society is monogamy,
although the practice is often not strict monogamy, as individuals form temporary extra-marital
relationships, or practice seria). monogamy moving from one exclusive partnership to another. Such
activities, however, tend to dest bilize society causing pain to the individuals, and traumatic injury to any
children involved. Sharing one’s husband (polygyry) or wife (polyandry) with others is generally the cause
of great emotional pain.
CHAPTER3
RESEARCH METHODOLY
3.1 The research design.
Research design refers to the strategy to integrate the different components of the research projectin
a cohesiveand coherent way. It is a meansto structure a research projectin order to address a
definedset of questions (Trochimand Land, 1982). According to Green and Tull “A research designis
the specification of methods and procedures for acquiring the information needed.
Under the proposedstudy both quantitative and qualitativedata sources will be used. Besides, a case
study approach focusingon Butambala district will be adopted in carryingout the proposed study.
3.2 Study Area.
The research will be carried out in Butambaladistrict. Butambala has been chosen because it isone
of the most polygamous districts in Uganda.
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3.3 Samplingdesign.
3.3.1 Target population.
The study will target both polygamous and non-polygamousfamilies especially house-headsin
Butambala district. Interviewswill also be carriedout with the key informants especially
Sheikhs and opinion leaders.
3.3.2S mple and size.
A sample of 500 respondentswill be selected for the study. Most of the respondent will be
household heads. A few will be key informants especiallyreligiousleaders and opinion leaders.
3.3.1 Primary data
. Primary_ dada refers to data collected for the first time. This will be collected through the
use of questionnaires, observation and interviewing the population of study in Butambala
district.
3.3.2 Secondarydata
Secondary data is data that has already been collected and collated by somebody for
some reason other than the current study. A lot of secondary data will be used in this
research especially in literature review and reference chapters. ·
3.4 Data collectionmethods and instruments
Various data collection tools will be used. Observation, interview and questionnaires will be
used in undertaking the study.
3.4.1 Questionnaires.
A questionnaire is a research instrument consistingof a seriesof questions and other
·prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. These questionnaires will be
distributed to Butambala polygamous and non-polygamous couples to fill in the possible
answers. This method will help the researcher to gather the information and data. The
respondents will be requested to also give explanations to some of the questionnaires.
3.4.2 Interviews.
An interview is a conversation between two people (the interviewer and the
interviewee) where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the
interviewee. An interview schedule will be used in undertaking the interviews.
3.4.3 Literature review.
This is a list of items of information tc;> be obtained from documents, records and other
materials. In order to secure measurable data, the items included in the schedule are limited
to those that can be uniformly secured from a large number of case histories or other
records.This will be used especially in the literature review chapter.
3.4.4Observation.
Observation is a way of gathering data by watching behavior, events or noting
physical characteristicsin their natural setting. This method will be used by moving
around the study area.
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3.5 Data analysis and interpretation.
Data collection is the systematic recording of information, data analysis involves working to
uncover patterns and trends in data sets, data interpretation involves explaining those patterns and
trends. The researcher will use tables to enter the data collected from various sources and this will
be represented in a pie chart format to get the figuresin percentage, this will simplify the interpretation
of the data collected.
REFERENCE:
Badawi.J.uPolygamy in IslamicLaw” Polygamy. Com…1998 <www.polygamy.com>
Barkow,J.H. 1972, Hausa Women and Islam, Canadian Journal of African studies, 6(2), special issue: The
roles of African women: Past, present and future, 317-328.
Caldwell,J.C pat C, and Orubuloye, 1.0 1992, the family and sexual networking in sub-Saharan Africa:
Historicalregional differences and present-day implications. Population studies 46(3): 385-410).
Caldwell, J.C. Orubuloye, 1.0 and pat C 1991. uThe destabilization of the traditional Yoruba sexual
system.” Population and development review, 17, not 2:229-62.
Chapman, S.A. 2001. Polygamy, Bigamy and Human RightsLaw. Xlibris Corp. ISBN 1401012442.
Esther M. “Changingthe terms of the debate: Polygamy and the rights of women in Kenya and Uganda,
uEast African Journal of peace and Human Rights Vol. 3(2): 200-239 (1996).
Henry Mukasa, polygamy ban for those wed in church, New Vision, July 22, 2003. Hillman, 1. (1975).
Polygamy reconsidered: African plural marriage and the Christian churches. New York: Orbis books. ISBN
0-88344-391-0.
Izugbara C.O and Alex C.E 2010, women and high fertility in Islamic Northern Nigeria, studies in family
planning 41(3) 193-204.
Khadduri, M. (1978). (Expression error: Missing operand for) uMarriage in Islamic Law: The modernist
viewpoints”). The American Journal of comparative Law 26(2): 213-218.
Main street church (2007: video documentary) lifting the veil of polygamy. Main street Church.
httpIwww.mschbc.org/video/vid-lvp.htm.
Mugenda olive (1999) research methods: quantitative approaches, Nairobi: Act press.pp 71-93-216-217.
Prohibited under new domestic relation Bill, (Nov. 13, 2003) available athttp/www.
Polygamyinfo.com/intnalmedia% 20210chinaview.htm (last visited July 8,2004).
Slonim-Nevo, vered and Alean Al-Krenawi (006). “Success and failure among polygamous families: The
experience of wives, husbands, and children’family process 45:311-30.
The center for publiceducation and informa,tion on polygamy, polygainUganda to be.
The new encyclopedia of lslam(2002).Altamira press.ISBN 0-7591-0189-2477.
Timaecus, Ian and Angela Reynar.1998, polygynists and their wives in sub-Saharan Africa: An analysis of five
demographic and health surreys•. Population studies 52 145-162.
Kwiarlmwski, S. 1975 polygon, Age of marriage, and female status paper presented at meetings of
America anthropological association, San Francisco, CA.
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Project Time Frame.
NO. ACTIVITY PROPOSED START DATE END DATE
1 Proposal Writing Approval 01/05/11 01/25/11
2 Surveying Literature 26/05/11 29/05/11
3 Methodology, planning,requirements
Analysis and design
30/05/11 31/05/11
4· Collection of data 01/06/11 15/_06/11
5 Dadaanalysis 16/06/11 20/06/11
6 Data representation 21/06/11 25/06/11
7 Report consolidationand handing in 26/06/11 30/06/11
Budget (Uganda Shillings)
QTY ITEM UNIT·COST TATAL
01 Research guide 50000 50,000
01 Research assistants 100,000 100,000
03 Stationary 10,000 30,000
30 Transport 5,000 150,000
500 Printing 100 50,000
05 binding 5,000 25,000
2,000
50,000
440,000/=
40 Photo copying
