Women’s Narratives of Living in Polygamous Marriages: Rural Malawian Experience Distilled and Preserved in Poetic Constructions
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2017
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Source Publication
Health Care for Women International
Source ISSN
0739-9332
Original Item ID
DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2017.1326494
Abstract
Polygamy in sub-Saharan Africa has been linked to poverty, infant mortality, and HIV; however, it is unknown how interpersonal dynamics within polygamous households may influence population health outcomes. Findings from this postcolonial feminist study derive from interview data in a larger mixed-methods study in rural Malawi. We used thematic narrative analysis to probe 25 women's stories and applied an arts-based research technique, poetic construction, to present the results. Participants' evocative expressions, distilled and preserved in poetic form, illustrate themes of perseverance, grief, agency, and reflection. We discuss how gender relations, childrearing, tradition, economics, and health intersect in polygamous households.
Recommended Citation
Yerges, April; Stevens, Patricia E.; Mkandawire-Valhmu, Lucy; Bauer, Wendy S.; Mwenyekonde, Thokozani; Weinhardt, Lance; and Galvao, Loren W., "Women’s Narratives of Living in Polygamous Marriages: Rural Malawian Experience Distilled and Preserved in Poetic Constructions" (2017). College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications. 1019.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/nursing_fac/1019
Comments
Health Care for Women International, Vol. 38, No. 8 (August 2017): 872-891. DOI.