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.

Comments

Health Care for Women International, Vol. 38, No. 8 (August 2017): 872-891. DOI.

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