Group Marriage: Meaning, Issues, Types, Challenges & More | UPSC Notes

Group marriage is also known as conjoint marriage. It is a marital structure in which three or more adults form sexual, affective, romantic, or other intimate partnerships, either short- or long-term. In this arrangement, participants may share finances, residences, as well as responsibilities related to care or kin work.

While traditional academic discourse has primarily defined group marriage within the context of marital arrangements, contemporary usage has broadened the concept to encompass non-conjugal unions. In everyday language, group marriage is sometimes linked with polyamory and families practicing polyamorous relationships.

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What is Group Marriage?

Group marriage broadly refers to marital unions between more than two people. The configurations, intimacy practices, and cultural meanings vary greatly between the types of group marriage found worldwide historically and today. Group marriage falls under the broader category of polygamy.

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Types Of Group Marriage

Group marriage is any form of marriage in which a group of people are all considered married. Several different configurations of group marriage have existed in various cultures throughout history. These are the following types of group marriage:

Polygyny Group Marriage

Polygyny is the most common and accepted form of group marriage. Polygyny involves one man married to multiple women at the same time. This type of group marriage is accepted in many parts of the world, including parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. In a polygynous marriage, the man is married to each woman individually. The women do not have marital relationships with each other.

Polyandry Group Marriage

Polyandry is less common than polygyny. Polyandry involves one wife married to multiple husbands at the same time. This has been practiced in Tibet, Nepal, and parts of India. In a polyandrous marriage, the wife is married to each man individually. The husbands do not have marital relationships with each other.

Polygynandry Group Marriage

The most egalitarian and uncommon type of group marriage is polygynandry. Polygynandry involves multiple husbands married to multiple wives in one marriage. This creates a complex web of marital relationships amongst all marriage members. Polygynandrous marriages have been documented in small pockets of cultures in the Himalayan mountains as well as indigenous tribes in parts of Nigeria and Angola.

It is to be noted that Group marriages may be fraternal, where the members are related by blood, or conjugal, where the members are not related. Group marriages also vary in terms of whether new spouses can be added to the marriage over time. Some group marriages allow for fluid membership, while others have a fixed membership from the start.

In the Oneida community, a utopian group in New York in the mid-1800s, all members were considered married to each other. This created a free love community with complex marriage relationships. Members could have relations with any other member of the community.The Keraki people of New Guinea practiced a ritualized form of polygynandry. A group of brothers would marry a group of sisters. The children born from these complex unions were considered the children of the entire group with communal parenting roles.

In some Aboriginal cultures in Australia, group marriage was the norm. A group of men were married to a group of women, and all the members shared parenting responsibilities for all children. This type of group marriage is known as a pirra uru.

The Tiwanaku culture in Bolivia between 500-1000 AD also practiced a conjugal type of polygynandry. A group of men lived, slept, ate, and worked together with their shared group of wives. The women served as communal spouses to all the men.

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Advantages Of Group Marriage

There are some advantages of group marriage compared to traditional marriages between two people:

• Time-Sharing: In a group marriage, partners can take turns spending time with each other while giving space to other couples in the group. This sharing of responsibilities allows each couple some privacy and alone time. Partners have more flexibility and freedom.
• Less Jealousy: Jealousy often arises due to a lack of communication and understanding between partners. Group marriage proponents argue that group dynamics reduce jealousy between partners. Everyone knows what each person in the group is doing and with whom. This transparency leads to less jealousy and suspicion.
• Childcare Support: In a traditional couple, both parents have to balance parenting and professional duties. But in a group marriage, multiple parents can share childcare responsibilities. Kids have more parental figures who love and care for them. This support system eases the burden on each parent and helps the kids get more attention.
• Emotional Support: Group marriage provides more emotional support compared to a couple. When one person is sad or unhappy, multiple partners are present to comfort and uplift them. Group partners can empathize, counsel, and motivate each other better due to their close bonds. This gives each person a strong support system to cope with life's challenges.
• Financial Resources: Group marriages involve more income compared to a couple. This means more financial resources and stability for the family as a whole. Expenses related to kids, home, and other needs can be distributed among group members. No single person has to bear the entire financial burden alone.
• Companionship: Loneliness and lack of companionship is a major issue for many couples. But in group marriages, partners always have company. They can share hobbies, interests, and daily living activities. They enjoy each other's company while pursuing their individual goals. This constant companionship enriches their emotional and social well-being.
• Fewer Arguments: Group marriages face fewer conflicts compared to couples. This is because partners make collective decisions that everyone agrees on. There is no "us versus them" dynamic that often leads to arguments between two people. As group members openly discuss issues, come to a consensus, and compromise, disagreements become less frequent.
• Fewer Infidelities: Group marriage proponents argue this is less likely as members' various needs are met within the group. Transparency and communication further reduce the desire to seek intimacy outside the group. This gives group marriages greater sexual exclusivity compared to couples.
• Practical Benefits: Group marriages provide practical benefits like shared expenses, childcare duties, household chores, and so on. With more adults under one roof, daily tasks get accomplished faster. Group members also have more combined assets and income and support each other during difficult times. Overall, a group marriage allows partners to lead more comfortable lives.

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Disadvantages Of Group Marriage

Group marriage comes with many disadvantages that individuals should consider are as follows:

• Complex relationships: Managing relationships with one spouse can be complicated. With group marriage, one needs to balance relationships with multiple spouses which is far more complex. There is a higher chance of conflict and miscommunication among group members.
• Jealousy and insecurities: Most people experience jealousy in a regular marriage due to human instincts. This feeling will likely intensify in a group marriage as spouses inevitably form closer relationships with some partners over others. This can breed resentment, insecurities, and trust issues within the group.
• Unequal division of resources: Difficulties arise in allocating scarce resources like time, attention, finances, and household responsibilities equally among all members. Those who get relatively lesser shares may feel neglected and resentful.
• Less privacy: Since spouses share their lives closely in a group marriage, individuals have less personal space and privacy. Constant togetherness with multiple people can make some feel suffocated and yearn for solitude.
• Legal challenges: Most countries do not legally recognize group marriages. This poses challenges in drafting legal contracts, sharing assets, inheritance, child custody, and other matters. The group may have difficulty accessing benefits available to legally married couples.
• Children's upbringing: Children born into a group marriage face complex family dynamics. They require individual parental attention that may not be adequately met within a large family setup. This can negatively impact their psychological development and well-being.
• Alliances within the group: Subgroups and alliances tend to inevitably develop within a large marriage group as partners bond over shared interests. This can cause tensions and fractures within the larger group.
• Gender disparity: Gender disparity may exist in group marriages if the numbers of male and female partners are unequal. The minority gender often receives lesser consideration and fairness in relationships.
• Challenges to exit: Exiting a group marriage can be trickier compared to a conventional one. Breaking away from multiple spouses has more emotional, social, and legal implications. Group members may try to prevent individuals from leaving.
• Difficulty forming relationships outside: Partners in a group marriage tend to have limited opportunities and desire to form emotional connections outside of the marriage. This can isolate them from establishing individual bonds and broader social support networks.

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Group Marriage in India

Group marriage, where a group of men marry a group of women, has existed in some parts of India. However, it is not very common or mainstream. Some tribal communities and remote villages practiced forms of group marriage.

• One type of group marriage found in tribal communities in India is fraternal polyandry. In fraternal polyandry, a group of brothers share a wife. The wife is married to all the brothers at the same time. This type of marriage is meant to keep land and property unified within the family over generations.
• Fraternal polyandry was practiced among the Toda and Khasi people in parts of Northeast India. All the brothers in a family would marry the same woman. The wife would then bear children by each of the husbands. The children would be considered children of the whole family.
• The tribal Rabari community in Gujarat also practiced fraternal polyandry. The eldest brother of the family would marry a woman first. Then the younger brothers would also marry the same woman over time. All the property and land would be jointly owned by the brothers and collectively passed on to the next generation.
• Some remote villages in Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh as well as Uttarakhand, practiced a form of group marriage called polyandrous union. In this setup, the wife would be shared between brothers from one family, and the husband would be shared amongst sisters of another family.
• The fraternal polyandry and polyandrous unions were arranged by families to ensure collective ownership over land, prevent division of property, and retain wealth within the family. The practice strengthened familial ties and ensured that no one was left without family support.
• However, in these polyandrous unions and marriages, the wife was not intimate with all the husbands at the same time. Oftentimes, the eldest brother would have a primary spousal relationship with the wife, while the younger brothers had a ceremonial relationship with occasional intimacy.
• Some matrilineal communities and tribes in Meghalaya and Kerala also practiced variations of group marriage called visiting marriage or walking marriage. In visiting marriage, the husbands live with their mothers and visit the wives' homes for intimacy. The children belong to the mother's family.
• In a walking marriage, the wives change partners frequently among an associated group of men. The children still are considered descended from the mother and her brother. This was meant to diffuse paternity so that communal harmony in the community was maintained.
• However, with modernization, education, socio economic development, and urbanization, these traditional practices of group marriage have declined significantly. They exist only in some very remote villages that have limited interaction with mainstream Indian society.

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Legal Aspects of Group Marriage

In numerous countries, it is generally not against the law for three or more individuals to engage in and share a sexual relationship, although this may be subject to regulations concerning homosexuality. However, such relationship structures may potentially conflict with state or local ordinances prohibiting unmarried cohabitation. Statutory marriage between more than two people is not permitted in any Western country, and there is no provision for robust and equal legal protection, especially regarding rights related to children, for non-married partners. The legal framework does not offer a comparable status to individuals involved in polyamorous relationships compared to those living together or dating in different circumstances.

Conclusion

Group marriage is not legally recognized under the Hindu Marriage Act. Most Indians today practice monogamous marriage between two individuals only. However, some small pockets like the Todas and Rabaris still continue fraternal polyandry. Overall, group marriage remains very fringe, localized, and extremely rare in modern India.

Key Takeaways for UPSC Aspirant Cultural and historical context: Group marriages are rare but have appeared in different customs, cultures and historical periods. This includes some religious or communal settings. Legality of Group Marriages: Group marriage is not legally recognized in many countries. Legal systems recognize marriage between two people. As a result, participants under this practice may not be able to access basic legal benefits such as inheritance rights, health insurance and care, or tax advantages for all members of the group. Communication: Group marriages require high levels of trust, communication and negotiation. Multiple relationships simultaneously can be complex and thus goal setting and setting limits biomes necessary. Challenges in Group Marriages: Group marriages face many challenges such as social stigma, legal issues, and logistical complexities in managing multiple partners equally. Equality: Unlike polygamy in which one person has multiple spouses, all members in a group marriage are equally involved in the relationship without a hierarchical structure.

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