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Bountiful’s plural marriages

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2010

Angela Campbell
Angela Campbell*
Affiliation:
Institute of Comparative Law, McGill University Faculty of Law and McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism
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Abstract

Bountiful, British Columbia is Canada’s only openly polygamous community. Public discussions about Bountiful suggest that the only form of marriage practised there is polygamous, and that this is usually harmful to women and children. This article suggests that this monolithic representation of marriage in Bountiful misses the conjugal pluralism that exists in this community. Part I sets out the typical portrayal of marriage in Bountiful offered by Canadian public and political discussions. Part II contrasts this portrayal with five stories about marriage in Bountiful that the author observed or was told about while conducting field research. These stories indicate that conjugal heterogeneity is both existent and accepted in Bountiful. They also suggest that, in becoming and being a wife in Bountiful, women can experience varying degrees of choice and agency. All of this is relevant to exploring how a fuller recognition of the conjugal diversity and choices that may exist in a place like Bountiful might affect formal juridical approaches to polygamy.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Law in Context , Volume 6 , Issue 4 , December 2010 , pp. 343 - 361
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press2010

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References

References

Al-krenawi, Alean (2001) ‘Women from Polygamous and Monogamous Marriages in an Out-Patient Psychiatric Clinic’, Transcultural Psychiatry 38: 187–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Al-krenawi, Alean and Graham, John R. (1999) ‘The Story of Bedouin-Arab Women in a Polygamous Marriage’, Women’s Studies International Forum 22: 497–509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Altman, Irwin and Ginat, Joseph (1996) Polygamous Families in Contemporary Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, Angela (2009) ‘Bountiful Voices’, Osgoode Hall Law Journal 47: 183–234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, Angela (2008) ‘Wives’ Tales: Reflecting on Research in Bountiful’, Canadian Journal of Law and Society 23: 121–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, Sarah (2008) The Importance of Being Monogamous: Marriage and Nation Building in Western Canada to 1915. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Denike, Margaret (forthcoming 2010) ‘What’s Queer about Polygamy?’ in Robert, Leckey and Kim, Brooks (eds) Queer Theory: Law, Culture, Empire. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Ertman, Martha (forthcoming 2010) ‘Race Treason: The Untold Story of America's Ban on Polygamy’, Columbia Journal of Gender and Law 18.Google Scholar
Forbes, Stephanie (2002–2003) ‘“Why Just have One?”: An Evaluation of the Anti-Polygamy Laws Under the Establishment Clause’, Houston Law Review 39: 1517–47.Google Scholar
Grimes, Ronald L. (2000) Deeply into the Bone: Re-Inventing Rites of Passage. Berkeley: University of California Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heaton, Tim B., Goodmand, Kristen L. and Holman, Thomas B. (2001) ‘In Search of a Peculiar People: Are Mormon Families Really Different?’ in Cornwall, Marie, Heaton, Tim B. and Young, Lawrence B. (eds) Contemporary Mormonism: Social Science Perspectives. Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 87–117.Google Scholar
Malik, Maleiha (2006) ‘“The Branch on Which We Sit”: Multiculturalism, Minority Women and Family Law’ in Alison, Diduck and Katherine, O’Donovan (eds) Feminist Perspectives on Family Law. New York: Routledge, 211–34.Google Scholar
Newman, Dwight G. (2007) ‘Exit, Voice, and “Exile”: Rights to Exit and Rights to Reject’, University of Toronto Law Journal 57: 43–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Palmer, Debbie and Perrin, Dave (2004) Keep Sweet: Children of Polygamy. Lister, BC: Dave’s Press.Google Scholar
Peters, Marla (1994) ‘Pearls Before Swine’, unpublished MA thesis, University of Alberta, Edmonton.Google Scholar
Shachar, Ayelet (1999) ‘The Paradox of Multicultural Vulnerability: Individual Rights, Identity Groups, and the State’ in Christian, Joppke and Steven, Lukes (eds) Multicultural Questions. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 87–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Starr, Sonja and Brilmayer, Lea (2003) ‘Family Separation as a Violation of International Law’, Berkeley Journal of International Law 21: 213–87.Google Scholar
Sunder, Madhavi (2003) ‘Piercing the Veil’, Yale Law Journal 112: 1399–472.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ward, Cassiah M. (2004) ‘I Now Pronounce You Husband and Wives: Lawrence v. Texas and the Practice of Polygamy in Modern America’, William and Mary Journal of Women and the Law 11: 131–51.Google Scholar
BC Ministry of Women’s Equality Committee on Polygamous Issues (1993), Life in Bountiful – A Report on the Lifestyle of a Polygamous Community (unpublished, on file with the author).Google Scholar
Campbell, Angela (2005) ‘How Have Policy Approaches to Polygamy Responded to Women’s Experiences and Rights? An International, Comparative Analysis’, in Status of Women Canada (ed.) Polygamy in Canada: Legal and Society Implications for Women and Children: A Collection of Policy Reports. Ottawa: Status of Women Canada.Google Scholar
Peck, Richard C. C., QC (2007) Report of the Special Prosecutor for Allegations of Misconduct Associated with Bountiful, BC: Summary of Conclusions, viewed 12 April 2010, www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/extras/bountiful.pdf.Google Scholar
Austen, Ian (2009) ‘Canada: 2 Polygamy Arrests’, New York Times, 8 January, p. ;13.Google Scholar
Bramham, Daphne (2009) ‘Some Bountiful Brides Only 15, Affidavit States; Nine of Accused Fundamentalist's 25 Wives Under 18, Document Says’, Ottawa Citizen, 1 July, p. C10.Google Scholar
Bramham, Daphne (2007) ‘Bountiful Case has Wide Ramifications for Canadian Law’, Vancouver Sun, 13 July, p. B1.Google Scholar
Canwest mediaworks publications (2007) ‘B.C. Government has a Duty to Protect Bountiful's Children while Challenging Polygamy’, Vancouver Sun, 3 August, p. A8.Google Scholar
Coyne, Andrew (2009) ‘Why We Don’t Need to Make Polygamy a Crime: A Man Can Have Sex With As Many Women As He Likes. But He Can’t Marry More Than One’, Macleans, 23 February, p. 12.Google Scholar
Ctv news (2005) ‘B.C. Polygamists Want Age of Consent Raised’, CTV News, 19 February, viewed 12 April 2010, www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1108760102803_29/?hub=CTVNewsAt11.Google Scholar
D’amour, Mike (2004) ‘Sect Wives Defend Lives: Women Say Polygamy Choice is Theirs’, Calgary Sun, 29 July, p. 4.Google Scholar
Drummond, Susan (2009) ‘A Marriage of Fear and Xenophobia’, Globe and Mail, 6 April, p. A13.Google Scholar
Ferretti, Lucia (2009) ‘La polygamie pour tous ou pour personne’, Le Devoir, 4 March, p. A9.Google Scholar
Javed, Noor (2008a) ‘GTA’s Secret World of Polygamy; As Toronto Mother Describes Her Ordeal, Imam Admits He Has “Blessed” Over 30 Unions’, Toronto Star, 24 May, viewed 12 April 2010, www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/429490.Google Scholar
Javed, Noor (2008b) ‘I Do, I Do, I Do. The Last Taboo; Multiple Spouses are Fine, Just Not In The West’, Toronto Star, 24 May, viewed 12 April 2010, www.thestar.com/News/Ideas/article/429048.Google Scholar
Mayeda, Andrew (2009) ‘Tories Prepared To Stand Ground On Polygamy: Documents’, National Post, 24 March, viewed 12 April 2010, www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1423616.Google Scholar
o’malley, Kady (2007) ‘No Big Love Lost. Is British Columbia Finally Ready To Take On The Polygamists of Bountiful?’, Macleans, 25 June, viewed 12 April 2010, www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070625_124219_1740&source=srch.Google Scholar
Al-krenawi, Alean (2001) ‘Women from Polygamous and Monogamous Marriages in an Out-Patient Psychiatric Clinic’, Transcultural Psychiatry 38: 187–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Al-krenawi, Alean and Graham, John R. (1999) ‘The Story of Bedouin-Arab Women in a Polygamous Marriage’, Women’s Studies International Forum 22: 497–509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Altman, Irwin and Ginat, Joseph (1996) Polygamous Families in Contemporary Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, Angela (2009) ‘Bountiful Voices’, Osgoode Hall Law Journal 47: 183–234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, Angela (2008) ‘Wives’ Tales: Reflecting on Research in Bountiful’, Canadian Journal of Law and Society 23: 121–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, Sarah (2008) The Importance of Being Monogamous: Marriage and Nation Building in Western Canada to 1915. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Denike, Margaret (forthcoming 2010) ‘What’s Queer about Polygamy?’ in Robert, Leckey and Kim, Brooks (eds) Queer Theory: Law, Culture, Empire. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Ertman, Martha (forthcoming 2010) ‘Race Treason: The Untold Story of America's Ban on Polygamy’, Columbia Journal of Gender and Law 18.Google Scholar
Forbes, Stephanie (2002–2003) ‘“Why Just have One?”: An Evaluation of the Anti-Polygamy Laws Under the Establishment Clause’, Houston Law Review 39: 1517–47.Google Scholar
Grimes, Ronald L. (2000) Deeply into the Bone: Re-Inventing Rites of Passage. Berkeley: University of California Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heaton, Tim B., Goodmand, Kristen L. and Holman, Thomas B. (2001) ‘In Search of a Peculiar People: Are Mormon Families Really Different?’ in Cornwall, Marie, Heaton, Tim B. and Young, Lawrence B. (eds) Contemporary Mormonism: Social Science Perspectives. Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 87–117.Google Scholar
Malik, Maleiha (2006) ‘“The Branch on Which We Sit”: Multiculturalism, Minority Women and Family Law’ in Alison, Diduck and Katherine, O’Donovan (eds) Feminist Perspectives on Family Law. New York: Routledge, 211–34.Google Scholar
Newman, Dwight G. (2007) ‘Exit, Voice, and “Exile”: Rights to Exit and Rights to Reject’, University of Toronto Law Journal 57: 43–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Palmer, Debbie and Perrin, Dave (2004) Keep Sweet: Children of Polygamy. Lister, BC: Dave’s Press.Google Scholar
Peters, Marla (1994) ‘Pearls Before Swine’, unpublished MA thesis, University of Alberta, Edmonton.Google Scholar
Shachar, Ayelet (1999) ‘The Paradox of Multicultural Vulnerability: Individual Rights, Identity Groups, and the State’ in Christian, Joppke and Steven, Lukes (eds) Multicultural Questions. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 87–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Starr, Sonja and Brilmayer, Lea (2003) ‘Family Separation as a Violation of International Law’, Berkeley Journal of International Law 21: 213–87.Google Scholar
Sunder, Madhavi (2003) ‘Piercing the Veil’, Yale Law Journal 112: 1399–472.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ward, Cassiah M. (2004) ‘I Now Pronounce You Husband and Wives: Lawrence v. Texas and the Practice of Polygamy in Modern America’, William and Mary Journal of Women and the Law 11: 131–51.Google Scholar
BC Ministry of Women’s Equality Committee on Polygamous Issues (1993), Life in Bountiful – A Report on the Lifestyle of a Polygamous Community (unpublished, on file with the author).Google Scholar
Campbell, Angela (2005) ‘How Have Policy Approaches to Polygamy Responded to Women’s Experiences and Rights? An International, Comparative Analysis’, in Status of Women Canada (ed.) Polygamy in Canada: Legal and Society Implications for Women and Children: A Collection of Policy Reports. Ottawa: Status of Women Canada.Google Scholar
Peck, Richard C. C., QC (2007) Report of the Special Prosecutor for Allegations of Misconduct Associated with Bountiful, BC: Summary of Conclusions, viewed 12 April 2010, www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/extras/bountiful.pdf.Google Scholar
Austen, Ian (2009) ‘Canada: 2 Polygamy Arrests’, New York Times, 8 January, p. ;13.Google Scholar
Bramham, Daphne (2009) ‘Some Bountiful Brides Only 15, Affidavit States; Nine of Accused Fundamentalist's 25 Wives Under 18, Document Says’, Ottawa Citizen, 1 July, p. C10.Google Scholar
Bramham, Daphne (2007) ‘Bountiful Case has Wide Ramifications for Canadian Law’, Vancouver Sun, 13 July, p. B1.Google Scholar
Canwest mediaworks publications (2007) ‘B.C. Government has a Duty to Protect Bountiful's Children while Challenging Polygamy’, Vancouver Sun, 3 August, p. A8.Google Scholar
Coyne, Andrew (2009) ‘Why We Don’t Need to Make Polygamy a Crime: A Man Can Have Sex With As Many Women As He Likes. But He Can’t Marry More Than One’, Macleans, 23 February, p. 12.Google Scholar
Ctv news (2005) ‘B.C. Polygamists Want Age of Consent Raised’, CTV News, 19 February, viewed 12 April 2010, www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1108760102803_29/?hub=CTVNewsAt11.Google Scholar
D’amour, Mike (2004) ‘Sect Wives Defend Lives: Women Say Polygamy Choice is Theirs’, Calgary Sun, 29 July, p. 4.Google Scholar
Drummond, Susan (2009) ‘A Marriage of Fear and Xenophobia’, Globe and Mail, 6 April, p. A13.Google Scholar
Ferretti, Lucia (2009) ‘La polygamie pour tous ou pour personne’, Le Devoir, 4 March, p. A9.Google Scholar
Javed, Noor (2008a) ‘GTA’s Secret World of Polygamy; As Toronto Mother Describes Her Ordeal, Imam Admits He Has “Blessed” Over 30 Unions’, Toronto Star, 24 May, viewed 12 April 2010, www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/429490.Google Scholar
Javed, Noor (2008b) ‘I Do, I Do, I Do. The Last Taboo; Multiple Spouses are Fine, Just Not In The West’, Toronto Star, 24 May, viewed 12 April 2010, www.thestar.com/News/Ideas/article/429048.Google Scholar
Mayeda, Andrew (2009) ‘Tories Prepared To Stand Ground On Polygamy: Documents’, National Post, 24 March, viewed 12 April 2010, www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1423616.Google Scholar
o’malley, Kady (2007) ‘No Big Love Lost. Is British Columbia Finally Ready To Take On The Polygamists of Bountiful?’, Macleans, 25 June, viewed 12 April 2010, www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070625_124219_1740&source=srch.Google Scholar