Quote:
Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk
Cultural 'norm'....there in lies the problem. Gay marriage is not seen as a cultural norm and probably will not be seen as the norm for quite sometime. Are you saying then that women in polygamous marriages are exploited and oppressed? Please explain.
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Integration of the races was not seen as a cultural "norm" until it was. It took the passage of new laws and the striking down of some old ones to make that happen.
Anyway, what I meant by cultural "norm" was a little more specific - there have been and no doubt still are cultures where polygamy was/is practiced and is not considered beyond the pale by the society in which it happens. Even if it is not what everybody does (or has the power or financial means to do), it is not considered abnormal when someone else does it.
Within the small fringe religious groups that still practice it here in the US, it is indeed considered the cultural norm by those people.
It would have been clearer to have said that, in cultures where it is permissible and not considered abnormal, or among subcultures where it is considered the normal thing to do and accept, you will almost without fail find that is tied to practices that involve the abuse, exploitation, and oppression of females.
And yes, absolutely, in any culture that allows men the right to marry multiple spouses but prohibits women from doing the same, it is by definition a discriminatory practice and a tool of sexual oppression.