AFRICAN POLYGYNY: FAMILY VALUES AND CONTEMPORARY CHANGES 213 outside children. Here we have a situation, similar to although he has not involved himself because of his that described for man sharing in the African Ameri wifes opposition to polygyny. He nevertheless con- can community, developing in the East African setting fesses that at present he has numerous girlfriends and where, ironically, polygamy was, until recently, the would like to know whether ideal. Very much present in Kenya at this time is a con- him to be polygynous with a small number of wives e sciousness of the importance of having fathers for chil- monogamous with the large number of mistresses that dren. For example, the July 18, 1993, issue of the he now has. Moreover, each of his mistresses is un Sunday Nation, a prominent Kenyan newspaper, pub aware of the other women in his life and are them lished a cartoon that accompanied a story entitled elves in search of a permanent relationship. Some of Choice: The New Trend. The cartoon shows a his girlfriends do not even know that he is married woman dressed in fashionable clothing and a young boy, presumably her son, leaning against their car with a man standing beside them looking at them. The PLURAL MARRIAGE woman says, "I have everything I want, a good job, a AS A REINVENTED OPTION good house, and a good child. Why should I need a man?"The child, however, is shown to be thinking: Is it worth considering plural marriage as a morally "But a daddy, we don't have. The story itself reported viable option for American men and women, particu that in nearly all their interviews, women stated that larly in light of our national family crisis and in- they would find it acceptable having children without creased calls for cultural pluralism? A myriad of legal ge if they were financially secure. One woman considerations, including property ownership, inher- who is a company executive replied that she had itance, child disciplinary obligations, and health reached the age where she was ready for a child, but insurance, to name but a few, will require special not a husband, since she wanted to advance in her study and legal adjustment. In the United States, career and found that men were usually intolerant of onogamous companionate marriage, though ambitious women, Many of the single women inter- viewed as an ideal, is not in the majority. In fact, given our high divorce rate, it can be argued that the married. While encouraging his mistress to have his United States now has a high rate of informal,unrec hild,he may promise that he is going to divorce his nized polygyny at least as we would infer from wife,which ten years later she finally realizes will Remi Clignet's comment that"Africans argue that never happen. At this point, the woman may feel that remarriage subsequent to a divorce is merely another it is too late for her, given her increasing age, to meet form of polygyny, one less desirable because it anyone else. The article does not offer any analysis of imposes on Westerners succession and discontinuity this situation in terms of whether or not, on balance, n married life"(1970: 3) Blended families are known quasi-polygyny is more or less desirable than divorce, to be particularly stressful for children, given the especially when children are involved mbiguous status of this rapidly emerging famil The interview material with Kenyan men in Kil structure. Once marriage is consistently considered om frustration and difficulties associated with the current ple will come to see that seemingly radical forms of ituation. One man in his late 40s, for example, now improper plurality are actually"smart oppor- responded to the AIDS crisis by curtailing his outside tunities for children to have multiple parents and girlfriends so that he had a long-standing relationship often access to a better life through foster parents or with a single woman from an ethnic group other than blended parents who are added to their biological his own. He required secrecy from this woman so that famil his wife and family would not be offended. The child that resulted from this relationship, who is now a young girl, is presently being raised entirely by her REFERENCE mother, since my informant no longer gives her any support. In spite of this, he seemed to feel that every Clignet,R. 1970. Many Wives, Many Powers: Authority thing would be fine for his daughter. Another infe Power in Polygynous Families. Evanston, IL: Northw mant who spoke openly about polygyny is a wealthy Kenyan who is Roman Catholic and states that Fisher, H. E. 1992. Anatomy of Love: The Natural History of although he does not himself favor polygyny, he is not Monogamy, Adultery, and Divorce. New York: W. W. Nor opposed to others practicing it. He believes that it is,in fact, a fairly common practice. He himself has been Ford, C, and F Beach. 1951. Patterns of Sexual Behavior. New "offered"a wife when he has gone into rural areas, York: Harper row