Polygamy in Primetime: Media, Gender, and Politics in Mormon Fundamentalism (Brandeis Series on Gender, Culture, Religion, and Law)

Insight into polygamy as it is now. This is not just someones personal story woven with sordid tales of living the lifestyle. Janet Binion is a professional writer and accomplished field researcher who spent a considerable amount of personal time living with and interviewing polygamist families and communities. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Fundamentalist Mormon based polygamy as it is now.

The author has been familiar with polygamy among the Mormons or Later Date Saints, both from her own distant family history and decades of research and publishing on these issues.In closely examining the subject, the author discovered quite a few serious cases of child molestation and rape, made easier by either the ideology, history, cultural environment, isolated rural locations, low parental investment on the part of the father, and secrecy of these insular communities where girls have no chance or opportunity to escape. Similarly, when men tend to gather harems, they must get rid of young males who will inevitably grow up to become their competition for the pool of available women. Boys are chased away, or deserted on some rural roadside.Yet, in taking a clear, full research with the tools of a sociologist, Bennion comes to a surprising conclusion: When polygamy works, when the relationships in the family are good, the formula actually empowers women: It frees them from the exclusive burden of child care, provides shared household responsibilities, and creates a supportive sisterhood. Women can be employed outside the home and reach autonomy, (some are educated, professional women,) and they are less likely to be bound by the demanding exclusive "service" of their spouses. Compared with facing divorce in traditional marriages, women in poly systems may find themselves much less emotionally isolated and have the space and capacity for self-development and growth. The author found quite a few biological sisters who had been close prior to entering a polygamous marriage with one man, and continue their friendship.Poly system also may solve the myriad problems of single mothers almost breaking under the strain of multiple roles and economic burden. Polygamy provides children with more parents to care for them and larger families with instant playmates and siblings with whom to create life-long alliances.This is certainly a fresh outlook on a topic so previously viled.

Very poorly researched. Given that the author is an academic I was expecting a well written, accurate book. This was not the case. It is rife with inaccuracies. Just having watched and read a great deal about polygamy I know this. She couldn't even get the details of the characters in Big Love right much less the ones of the real life polygamists. A massive waste of money. There are much better books out there.