| Abstract [eng] |
Polygamy in Islamic contexts has historically developed as a social and legal practice shaped by specific demographic, economic, and family-related circumstances. In contemporary academic scholarship, it is most often analysed as a legal or social system, with emphasis on its structural constraints and gender inequality. However, such approaches do not always make it possible to understand how this practice is experienced by women themselves or how they act within religious and social normative frameworks. This dissertation examines the forms of women’s agency in polygamous marriages, focusing on Muslim women’s lived experiences and decision-making processes within religious and social contexts. The study is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Amman, Jordan, as well as virtual ethnography drawing on discussions among Muslim women in a closed online forum. This approach allows for the analysis of both individual and collective experiences without limiting the study to a single geographical or social setting. The analysis builds on theoretical approaches to agency that emphasise that women’s actions do not necessarily take the form of open resistance to existing norms or attempts to transform them. The findings show that women’s agency in polygamous marriages is most commonly expressed through reflection, everyday decision-making, the interpretation of religious norms, and practical adaptation to social circumstances. In this way, polygamy emerges not only as a constraining structure but also as a space in which women develop meaningful ways of acting while maintaining dignity and inner stability. |
