If we’re talking about civilization as a whole, with all of its societal expectations and norms, I think we should discuss a world of heterosexual heteronormativity and how monogamy functions under that pretense.
Society employs monogamy as a way to channel sexual energies toward legalized family creation and its attendant benefits…aka raising children. Those benefits of monogamy include greatly reduced violent male competition for sexual partners, increased male participation in parenting children, and a more economically secure environment for females during pregnancy.
The original social contract between the sexes was one where females “traded” their virginity----and gave a promise of lifetime monogamy----for the benefits of financial security and a safer environment to raise their prodigy. Since monogamy restricts the quantity of sexual partners, it functions to direct energy towards pursuits likely to give people superior choice options. In other words, people work hard in society in the hopes of attracting best sexual partner. In a monogamous world, you only have the chance to be with one person, and you therefore desire the best. How do you get the best? Make the most money and be the most successful. Your partner, therefore, will think you can support his or her children and support through life. The desire by both sexes to consummate with the one monogamous partner they deem most preferable has had magnanimous these results for civilization.
My last thought is a little out there…so bear with me. Monogamy essentially serves to lessen homosexual behavior, because procreation takes a superior position to recreation due to it being restrictive. In a monogamous society, people choose one sexual partner. This means that they choose the partner that will give them children. The genders are thus categorically delineated because homosexuality, bisexuality, or any other queer sexuality is recreational sex…there’s no children out of these relationships. So monogamy serves to strengthen heterosexuality.
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ReplyDeleteYou bring up a really good point about how heterosexual, monogamous relationships are employed in order to (ostensibly) create a functional community capable of producing healthy, happy future generations. I completely agree with that assessment, and I think that idea is still present today; people argue against "queer" relationships all the time because for whatever reason, they are convinced that if heterosexual monogamy isn't the norm, then somehow, anarchy/violence/crazy-sex-fiend-ness will ensue.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, having said that, it seems like your post glosses over the benefits of heteronormativity for men. It makes sense that (from a purely biological/evolutionary standpoint) women would be happy to enter into a monogamous relationship so that the typically stronger male could provide for and protect her. But why would a man want a financially dependent woman? Yeah, she would have his kids... But I think there's more to it than that.
Just something to think about! :)