Monogamy is a relatively recent development in human evolution. It is fascinating to consider how many people in our society take it as a given.
Some cultures never adopted monogamy, and those that did seem to have done so only in the last thousand years or so. Today, monogamy is being questioned more frequently. Some argue that it is a perpetuation of patriarchal structures. It was not a feature of the matriarchal, goddess-worshipping traditions of earlier times.
There is ongoing debate around the origins of monogamy. It appears to have emerged around the same time matriarchal lineage traditions were largely replaced by patriarchal systems. With this shift, the paternity of offspring became more important, as names, land, and inheritance began to pass from father to son rather than from mother to child.
Monogamy likely developed as a way to ensure paternity for children who would inherit property and names through the paternal line.
With the industrial revolution, women began to gain more empowerment within patriarchal societies. Women were granted the right to vote, work, and own property. Today, women in many parts of the world can choose to keep their own names when they marry or choose not to marry at all and still lead fruitful, financially viable lives.
Despite this progress, it is clear that we still live in a patriarchal society. Examples of this include traditional wedding vows that historically transferred ownership of a woman to a man, or the convention of children automatically taking their father’s surname.
Another example is the way our society operates on a 24-hour cycle, which mirrors the biological rhythm of a man, rather than the typical 28-day cycle of a woman.
There are also biological theories about why monogamy was adopted, many of which seem primitive and rooted in fear. One such theory suggests that monogamy helped prevent men from killing other men’s children to gain access to women. This notion highlights a fear-based underpinning of monogamy’s historical purpose.
Perhaps monogamy is being reconsidered in today’s world as part of a broader movement to honor the feminine and question historical structures and traditions. This shift invites a re-examination of societal norms and opens the door to more inclusive and balanced ways of relating.
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