"Monogamy" as "Natural"

[purplerabbit]

Recently a discussion in the poly list on livejournal had me pulling from my archive of work in anthropology. I thought I would share here as well. This is basically a handout I made for the classes I taught in Human Evolution. It is the list of markers of a naturally monogamous species and how humans fit (or in this case don't) that definition. This is a biology definition, not a cultural one:

Monogamy - to mate exclusive with one opposite sex mate (usually until mate dies).

Characteristics of Monogamous Mammals

Territory - defended and exclusive
Sexual activity - infrequent
Same-sex adults - intolerant
Offspring - leave parental group
Social network - absent

Humans

Territory - Access through symbols, shared
Sexual activity - extremely variable
Same-sex adults - form groups including initiation rituals and task-oriented groups
Offspring - variable residence patterns, patrilocal, matrilocal, usually maintain contact with parents
Social network - elaborate, kin and non-kin social networks.

Most human groups do not practice monogamy. Most human sexual behavior includes more than one sexual partner for at least one sex. Many human cultures either sanction or tolerate sexual activity with more than one sexual partner. Even in cultures where monogamy or serial monogamy is the ideal, it may not be practiced.

If monogamy were “instinctual” rather than “learned,” it would not require elaborate social sanctions to enforce.