Monogamous Unions Research Articles

Multiple high-risk fertility behaviours and children under five mortality survivors among ever-married women of reproductive age in Nigeria

BackgroundMultiple high-risk fertility behaviours (MHRFBs), including maternal age < 18 or > 34 years old, a birth order 4+, and birth spacing < 24 months, can directly or indirectly affect survival outcomes among under-five children. There is a dearth of available information and data about these two phenomena in Nigeria. Thus, this study evaluates the prevalence of MHRFBs and examines the association between MHRFBs and under-five mortality survival (U5M) outcomes among ever-married women of reproductive age in Nigeria.MethodsThis study used the recent secondary datasets from the Nigerian Demographic Health Surveys conducted in 2018, with a total sample size of 10,304 women of reproductive age. The outcome variable was MHRFBs. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the association between U5M and MHRFBs. Odds ratios with a p-value of less than 0.05 were considered significant.ResultsIt was found that among women who had MHRFBs, U5M was prevalent, particularly in young maternal age (< 18 years) and within short birth intervals (< 24 months). The adjusted odds ratio of the association between MHRFBs and U5M shows the experience of MHRFBs, in addition to other factors such as household wealth index, type of marriage, and sex of child, to be significant predictors for U5M. The odds were higher for U5M to occur among women who had experienced MHRFBs compared to those who have not had an experience of MHRFBs [aOR = 1.48; 95%CI: 1.02–2.17 ]. Similarly, the odds of U5M occurrence among women in polygamous marriages are higher compared to those in monogamous unions [aOR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.10–1.65]. While under-five children born in the richest households (wealth quintiles) are less likely to die compared to those born in the poorest households [aOR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.41–1.01].ConclusionThis study concludes that women in Nigeria who engaged in MHRFBs, particularly maternal ages < 18 years and short birth intervals (< 24 months), were more likely to experience U5M. Furthermore, children born to women who received post-natal care after delivery were more likely to survive U5M, as were children born to women with educated partners. We recommend strengthening educational opportunities and creating adaptive reproductive health education programs for ever-married women of reproductive age in Nigeria.

Maternal Socio-Demographic Factors and Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in the North Region of Cameroon.

Socio-demographic factors are important risk factors for HIV infection. Maternal socio-demographic factors associated with HIV transmission from mother to child are not well elucidated to our knowledge. This study aimed to assess the maternal socio-demographic factors associated with HIV vertical transmission. A matched case-control study was conducted among children under 15 years of age born to HIV-infected mothers; using a structured questionnaire. The study was conducted in four health facilities in the North Region of Cameroon from July 2015 to October 2016. HIV- infected children were the cases, and HIV-uninfected children were the controls. One case was matched to nearly 4 controls according to age and sex. A total of 113 HIV-infected mothers of children under 15 years of age were purposively enrolled in the study. A questionnaire was administered to mothers and socio-demographic characteristics were collected. Blood samples were collected from the mother and her child for the determination or confirmation of HIV status. Univariate and multiple logistic regressions were used to assess associations between socio-demographic variables and HIV transmission from mother to child. A total of 113 HIV-infected mothers and 113 children under 15 years of age were enrolled in this study. The majority of the mothers were between the age ranges of 25 years to 34 years. Of the 113 HIV-infected mothers, 69 (61%) were Muslims, 33 (32.1%) were not educated, 88 (77.8%) were unemployed, 80 (70.9%) were married, out of which 49 (61.6%) were engaged in a monogamous union. Of the 113 children (49.6%) were female, 25 (22.1%) were HIV-infected and 88 (77.9%) were HIV-exposed uninfected. At the univariate level, mothers who achieved a primary level of education were less likely to transmit HIV to infants compared to uneducated mothers [OR=0.28; CI (0.08-0.95); p=0.04]; and widows had a higher likelihood of HIV transmission to infants compared to married mothers [OR=4.65; CI (1.26-17.20); p=0.02]. Using multiple logistic regression, the maternal primary education level [aOR=0.32; CI (0.08-0.90); p=0.03] and widowerhood [aOR=7.05; CI (1.49-33.24); p=0.01] remained highly associated with the likelihood of HIV transmission to infants. Uneducated mothers and widows had a higher likelihood of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Our findings should prompt reinforcement of prevention strategies targeting uneducated women and widows.

Polygamy Re-Imagined and Re-Negotiated: A Postcolonial Reflection on Gender, Sexuality, and Narrative Theology in Africa Christianity

Abstract The impact of the Christian message on the family’s existential foundation underpins this article. The quest/ion of polygamy has been in public discourse as extramarital affairs where husbands in monogamous unions increasingly “cheat” on wives with mistresses, referred to in modern parlance as “side chicks.” Historically, polygamy assumed a new turn when Western culture became Christian virtue, thus a civilizing “norm.” The demonization of polygamy stirred converted-husbands to divorce all wives except one. This article uses multidisciplinary approaches to theologize and interrogate the impact of Christian encounters on the culture of Benin City, Nigeria. I argue that the family disruption pointedly impacted mothers and created a “new social order” with the commodification of sex and a surge in sex work, workers, traffickers, and trafficking in Benin, and thus it is a form of religious violence. I conclude that the value of African polygamy reasonably exceeds the alternative establishment and proliferation of divorce or serial relationships situated within the “civilizing” Western culture.

Is the pair bond a human universal? An analytical essay

I argue the impulse to form a dyadic love bond and not the desire for sexual release accounts for the formation of a universality of the pair bond. This impulse is not recent but has been a pervasive force throughout human history. Recently, a reversionist position has argued we are more of a hybrid species that easily and readily shifts between a pair bond and a plural partner family arrangement. Although most humans live out their lives in a sexually monogamous union, it is not something that comes easily or naturally. Sexual monogamy requires adopting an ethical stance and personal dedication to maintain it. This raises the question: if humans need to be vigilant in their moral commitment to remain sexually faithful, does this vigilance extend also to the domain of love? Is it possible to find greater contentment and life-satisfaction in forming simultaneously sexual and emotional unions with a variety of individuals. This is the central question that lies at the core of the pair bond deniers who insist humans are not a pair bond species and can find fulfilment in a pluralistic love bond. I probe (below) the social and emotional nuances associated with what it means to be in an enduring love bond through exploring the social and psychological complexities often associated with being in love. I will then discuss efforts by groups and individuals who have sought to establish social bonds not organised around an exclusive pair bond, and what their efforts reveal about underlying human psychology. My analysis concludes with rendering an assessment of the relative success of the social and personal experiments in the search to find a more fulfilling arena for love.

Polygyny and spousal violence in India: Findings from the 2019 – 2021 national family health survey

Polygyny results in a variety of physical, sexual, and psychological consequences for women which has an impact on gender relations such as the subordination of women, unequal treatment of spouses, neglect of children, rivaling step-children, and inheritance issues among children/spouses. This study aims to explore the association between polygyny and spousal violence in India using the data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey-5 of India in 2019 – 2021, which provides information on both polygyny and spousal violence. To understand the effect of polygyny on spousal violence, multivariate logistic regressions were used to obtain unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios by controlling a number of explanatory factors. The results reveal that women in polygynous unions experience more spousal violence compared with those in monogamous unions. The results indicate that, since the law does not permit men to be married to more than one wife simultaneously, this form of marriage should be discouraged by strictly enforcing it to protect women from marital violence in polygynous unions. The analysis contributes to the body of the literature on the association between polygynous marriage and spousal violence in the Indian context.

Socioeconomic determinants of use and choice of modern contraceptive methods in Ghana

BackgroundThe slow pace of fertility decline in Africa relative to other parts of the world has important implications for the region’s economic development. Modern contraceptive use is seen as important population control and family planning strategy by governments worldwide. This paper examines the socioeconomic determinants of modern contraceptive use and choice among Ghanaian men and women.MethodsWe use the most recent and nationally representative Ghana Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2014. The analysis is observational, with no causal implications. Bivariate and multivariate methods are used to analyse the data. We first use logistic regression to explore the correlates of modern contraceptive use among Ghanaian men and women. Second, we explore the socioeconomic factors influencing the choice of modern contraceptive methods among contraceptive users using multinomial logistic regression. We classify the modern methods of contraception into three groups: long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC), short-acting contraceptives (SAC), and permanent contraceptives.ResultsMarital status proves to be the most significant predictor for both men and women, with women in monogamous unions having a greater propensity to use modern methods of contraception (OR = 1.4, p < 0.00). We also find that different factors affect the use and choice of modern methods of contraception among men and women in Ghana. Muslim men had a higher likelihood than Catholics to choose the permanent (sterilisation) method (OR = 11.9, p < 0.05), while their female counterparts were 0.25 times less likely to choose sterilisation over SAC (p < 0.05). Moreover, women who ever tested for HIV had higher use of LAC than the SAC ((RRR = 1.6, p < 0.01). The modern contraceptive users (women) with at most basic education were more likely than those with tertiary education to choose LAC over SAC. Finally, rural women with health insurance were 0.75 times (p < 0.01) less likely to use modern methods of contraception.ConclusionsThe paper reiterates the need to intensify and sustain public health education on the health benefits of using modern methods of contraception among the adult population. The paper suggests that including family planning services on Ghana’s national health insurance benefits package is commendable. It can promote modern contraceptive use and curtail unwarranted population growth.

Commercial motorcycle operators pose high risk for community transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in South-South Nigeria

COVID-19 has become a threat to the existence of man as no method of effective treatment has been found. Although the WHO has given guidelines that include physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it is not feasible in practice with commercial motorcycle operation, which is a major source of income and means of transportation in Nigeria. We examined the COVID-19 knowledge, awareness, and preventive practices among commercial motorcycle operators (CMOs) and the potentials for community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the South-South region of Nigeria. Data used was collected from a cross-sectional survey of 777 CMOs operating in the South-South region of Nigeria. The instrument captured information on their biodata, knowledge, awareness, and preventive practices of COVID-19. The data obtained were subjected to both descriptive and inferential analyses using SAS JMP Statistical Discovery™ software version 14.3 (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina, USA). The majority of the CMOs were of age category 26–35 years (36.4%), married (82.1%), under a monogamous union (83.8%), had 3–4 children (43.4%) and resided in rural areas (60.8%). The mean years of experience of the CMOs was 4.9 ± 2.45 years with most depending on daily income of N1,000–2,000 (87.6%). All the CMOs were aware of the existence of COVID-19, but 93.3% of them did not believe it existed in their state. Only 37.8% of them put on facemasks while on duty, although they were aware that they could be infected or infect others in the community. Prevention practices among CMOs were significantly predicted by age category, type of family, number of dependents, and place of residence. We conclude that CMOs have high potentials for transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the communities because the business does not permit physical distancing. It is recommended that guidelines requiring mandatory screening of operators and riders be implemented.

The Effects of Marital Status, Fertility, and Bereavement on Adult Mortality in Polygamous and Monogamous Households: Evidence From the Utah Population Database

Although the associations among marital status, fertility, bereavement, and adult mortality have been widely studied, much less is known about these associations in polygamous households, which remain prevalent across much of the world. We use data from the Utah Population Database on 110,890 women and 106,979 men born up to 1900, with mortality follow-up into the twentieth century. We examine how the number of wife deaths affects male mortality in polygamous marriages, how sister wife deaths affect female mortality in polygamous marriages relative to the death of a husband, and how marriage order affects the mortality of women in polygamous marriages. We also examine how the number of children ever born and child deaths affect the mortality of men and women as well as variation across monogamous and polygamous unions. Our analyses of women show that the death of a husband and the death of a sister wife have similar effects on mortality. Marriage order does not play a role in the mortality of women in polygamous marriages. For men, the death of one wife in a polygamous marriage increases mortality to a lesser extent than it does for men in monogamous marriages. For polygamous men, losing additional wives has a dose-response effect. Both child deaths and lower fertility are associated with higher mortality. We consistently find that the presence of other kin in the household—whether a second wife, a sister wife, or children—mitigates the negative effects of bereavement.

Correlates of intimate partner violence among urban women in sub-Saharan Africa

IntroductionThe dynamics of intimate partner violence (IPV)—one of the world’s leading public health problems—in urban Africa remain poorly understood. Yet, urban areas are key to the future of women’s health in Africa.Study objectivesWe explored survivor-, partner-, and household-level correlates of prevalence rates for types of IPV in urban SSA women.MethodThe study uses DHS data from 42,143 urban women aged 15–49 in 27 SSA countries. Associations at the bivariate level were examined using the Pearson Chi-square test. The modified Poisson regression test estimated the relative prevalence of IPV subtypes in the study population at the multivariate level.ResultsApproximately 36% of women in urban SSA experienced at least one form of IPV; 12.8% experienced two types; and 4.6% experienced all three types. SSA urban women who had only primary-level education, had 3 or more living children, were informally employed, were in polygynous unions, or who approved of wife-beating similarly displayed higher adjusted prevalence rates for all three forms of IPV compared respectively to their counterparts without formal education, without a living child, were unemployed, in monogamous unions, or who do not approve of wife-beating. On the other hand, the region’s urban women who began cohabiting between ages 25 and 35 years or who lived in higher wealth households showed consistently lower adjusted prevalence rates for all three forms of IPV relative to their counterparts who began cohabiting before 18 years or who lived in lower wealth households. Compared to their counterparts without formal education, without a living child, or whose partners did not have formal education, women with secondary and higher education, with 1–2 living children, or whose partners had only primary level schooling displayed higher adjusted prevalence rates for both IPEV and IPPV, but not for IPSV. However, relative to their counterparts whose partners were aged 25 years or below, living with a partner aged 40 years and above was associated with statistically significant reduced prevalence rates for IPPV and IPSV, but not for IPEV. Only for IPPV did women with partners educated at secondary and above levels display statistically significant higher adjusted prevalence rates relative to their counterparts with uneducated partners. Also, solely for IPPV did women who began cohabiting between ages 18 and 24 years or whose partners were employed (whether formally or informally) show decreased adjusted prevalence rates relative to their counterparts who started cohabiting before 18 years or whose partners were unemployed. In addition, only for IPSV did women aged 40 years and above or living in middle wealth households show statistically significant reduced adjusted prevalence rates relative to their counterparts aged less than 25 years or living in lower wealth households.Discussion and conclusionBy 2030, the majority of SSA women will be urban dwellers. Complexities surround IPV in urban SSA, highlighting the unique dynamics of the problem in this setting. While affirming the link between IPV and marital power inequities and dynamics, findings suggest that the specific correlates of prevalence rates for different IPV sub-types in urban SSA women can, at once, be both similar and unique. The contextual drivers of the differences and similarities in the correlates of the prevalence rates of IPV sub-types among the region’s urban women need further interrogation.

Polygyny and Intimate Partner Violence in Mozambique.

Polygyny has shown a positive association with intimate partner violence (IPV), yet the nature and mechanisms of this association are not well understood. This study uses data from rural Mozambique to distinguish women in polygynous unions by rank and co-residence. Findings show that senior wives report higher rates of violence than their junior-wife and monogamously married counterparts. At the same time, no difference is detected between junior wives and women in monogamous marriages. Additionally, the analysis finds that polygynously married women living away from their co-wives report higher rates of violence than both women co-residing with co-wives and women in monogamous unions, while the difference between the latter two categories is not statistically significant. However, the results also indicate that senior wives living away from their co-wives face particularly high risks of violence. These findings illustrate the social complexity of polygynous marriages and resulting differential vulnerabilities of women in them.

Child Sex Composition, Parental Sex Preferences, and Marital Outcomes: Evidence From a Matrilineal Context.

The authors study matrilineal settings in rural Malawi, a southeast African country, to assess if women experience better marital outcomes in the presence of daughters and if so whether daughter preference plays a role. A provocative finding in family sociology is that couples with sons experience better marital outcomes relative to those with daughters. Sociologists contend that these marital benefits are attributable to the gender system fostering greater closeness between fathers and sons, a preference for sons, or economic, cultural, and social incentives for fathers to invest more in unions that have produced sons. Extrapolating these arguments beyond son-inspired marital benefits in patriarchal settings suggests that the reverse process-daughter-inspired marital benefits-could prevail in matrilineal contexts. The authors analyze three rounds of the nationally representative Malawi Demographic and Health Survey. They estimate three series of parity-specific, multivariable logistic regression models to assess the associations between child sex composition and marital outcomes (two forms of relationship abuse and polygyny) and model each outcome among the full sample of women with one to four children and control for number of children, thus conveying the average effect of sex composition across parities. Women with daughters-particularly women with only daughters-in predominately matrilineal, rural communities in the central and southern regions of Malawi are more likely to be in monogamous versus polygynous unions and are less likely to have experienced emotionally abusive and controlling behaviors. We find little evidence that women and men explicitly prefer or pursue daughters. The study shows that a matrilineal gender system can influence marital dynamics in the presence of daughters even without fostering an overwhelming preference for them.

El amor libre y las relaciones sentimentales en el anarquismo español (1930-1939)

RESUMEN.— Este artículo pretende analizar la percepción y la representación del amor libre en el anarquismo español de los años treinta, contraponiendo el discurso teórico defendido por sus propagandistas con las experiencias que tales prácticas generaron en una sociedad muy apegada a la moral tradicional. Su defensa se inserta dentro del cambio ético propugnado por la ideología anarquista para una transformación integral de la persona, en un periodo en que la nueva legislación republicana iba a generar la situación adecuada para implementar dichas ideas. El amor libre anarquista tomaría la forma de uniones libres monógamas, pluralismo amoroso o, incluso, el matrimonio civil como opciones posibles de unos militantes, a los que únicamente se les pedía que se comportaran activamente conforme a su ideario.

Polygynous Unions and Intimate Partner Violence in Nigeria: An Examination of the Role of Selection

AbstractObjective: This article explores the association between polygyny and intimate partner violence (IPV) in Nigeria, with attention to selection into polygyny.Background: Although IPV occurs within the social context of a family, the linkages between polygyny and IPV are rarely interrogated, and there is little attempt to differentiate between “polygyny effects” and “selection effects.”Method: This article uses a sample of 19,189 couples from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey to conduct (a) a multivariate analysis of the characteristics that predict selection into polygyny, (b) a propensity score matching analysis of the association between polygyny and IPV, and (c) a Rosenbaum bounds analysis to assess hidden bias that might affect both selection into polygyny and IPV.Results: People who entered polygynous unions were different on observed characteristics—including relative status of husbands and wives coming into the union, education, religion, and ethnicity—than those who entered monogamous unions. Polygyny was associated with higher probabilities of women's reports of recent physical and emotional IPV, net of observed differences; however, a Rosenbaum bounds analysis indicated that it was highly plausible unobserved selectivity into polygyny helped account for these associations.Conclusion: It is important to move beyond viewing polygyny as a “risk factor” for IPV and toward understanding how selection into marriage is an important social process with implications for IPV, health, and well‐being.

Family ties: the multilevel effects of households and kinship on the networks of individuals.

Among social mammals, humans uniquely organize themselves into communities of households that are centred around enduring, predominantly monogamous unions of men and women. As a consequence of this social organization, individuals maintain social relationships both within and across households, and potentially there is conflict among household members about which social ties to prioritize or de-emphasize. Extending the logic of structural balance theory, I predict that there will be considerable overlap in the social networks of individual household members, resulting in a pattern of group-level reciprocity. To test this prediction, I advance the Group-Structured Social Relations Model, a generalized linear mixed model that tests for group-level effects in the inter-household social networks of individuals. The empirical data stem from social support interviews conducted in a community of indigenous Nicaraguan horticulturalists, and model results show high group-level reciprocity among households. Although support networks are organized around kinship, covariates that test predictions of kin selection models do not receive strong support, potentially because most kin-directed altruism occurs within households, not between households. In addition, the models show that households with high genetic relatedness in part from children born to adulterous relationships are less likely to assist each other.

Examining the Role of Couples' Characteristics in Contraceptive use in Nigeria and Zambia.

Relationship-related characteristics influence diverse health and demographic outcomes. This study examined the role of couples' characteristics in contraceptive use. Data were obtained from 2013 Nigeria and 2013-14 Zambia Demographic and Health Surveys. The study population consisted of couples in monogamous union (married or living together) who had at least one live birth and the wife was not pregnant at the time of the survey. Prevalence of contraceptive use among couples in Nigeria was 27% and 63% in Zambia. Couples' educational attainment, religious affiliation, the frequency of listening to the radio, reported number of children, fertility preference, region of residence and household wealth index were significant predictors of contraceptive use among couples in Nigeria and Zambia. Given the significant role of couples' characteristics in the uptake of contraceptives, there is the need to encourage interventions that target couples, particularly those of poor socioeconomic status.

Homogamy and heterogamy in sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for couples’ fertility behaviour

ABSTRACTThis study examines patterns of homogamy and heterogamy and their implications for couple’s fertility behaviour. Data were obtained from demographic and health surveys conducted in Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia between 2001 and 2014. The study population were couples in a monogamous union where wives were aged 35 years and over: 1785 in Ghana, 3185 in Nigeria and 3175 in Zambia. Results of the descriptive analysis show that educational, religious and ethnic homogamy and occupational heterogamy were predominant among the couples and mean children ever born varied according to couples’ characteristics. The significant predictors of fertility as revealed in the multivariate analysis included educational homogamy and heterogamy, occupational homogamy, age difference and religious and ethnic homogamy. To expedite fertility transition in the three countries and other sub-Saharan African countries, programmes and policies aimed at reducing fertility in the region should incorporate strategies that focus on the characteristics of couples in union.

Małżeństwo a związki partnerskie w świetle wybranych regulacji polskiego prawa podatkowego

Artykuł poświęcony jest problematyce pozycji małżeństwa na gruncie wybranych regulacji polskiego prawa podatkowego w stosunku do tzw. związków partnerskich. Autor wykazał, że w świetle art. 18 Konstytucji Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej małżeństwo to związek kobiety i mężczyzny (związek monogamiczny osób o odmiennej płci), znajdujący się pod ochroną i opieką Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej i stanowiący, tzw. samoistną wartość konstytucyjną. Wywieść z tego należy, że także w obszarze polskiego prawa podatkowego brak jest podstaw prawnych do zrównania związków partnerskich (hetero- lub homoseksualnych) z małżeństwem. Dlatego tylko i wyłącznie małżeństwo korzysta z preferencji podatkowych, ponieważ ustawodawca preferuje je jako podstawę stosunków rodzinnych w przeciwieństwie do związków partnerskich, stanowiących wyłącznie kategorię stanów faktycznych a nie instytucję prawną. Ponadto zdaniem Autora małżeństwo potrzebuje pilnego i kompleksowego wsparcia systemowego, w tym również podatkowego, ponieważ z małżeństwem powinno być jak z przyzwoitością – może się nie opłaca w sensie ekonomicznym, ale warto je wspierać i wspomagać, np. „mechanizmami podatkowoprawnymi”.

Sourire intentionnel du bébé et facteurs maternels associés

IntroductionThe appearance of the intentional psycho-smile requires the stability of the mother and an interactive social environment. The aim of this study is to analyze the age of onset and maternal factors associated with the intentional smile. MethodThe study was cross-sectional and descriptive with a home monitoring for 4 months of 165 babies identified in maternity hospitals of the city of Parakou and its surrounding area. ResultsThe mean age of onset of smiles was 58 days, with extremes of 16 and 93 days; the sex ratio was 0.89. Among the infants, 51.5% smiled at 1–2 months, 40% did so later (2–3 months). The baby who had an early intentional smile is one whose mother is in an age group between 30–34 years, engaged in a monogamous union, who received her baby on her abdomen at birth, took it in her arms within 5hours, cared for it for at least 13 weeks prior to any resumption of activities while living in a family situation. DiscussionThe age of onset of intentional smile was almost identical to that of most studies. Living in a family home environment favors early occurrence of intentional smile of the baby (P=0.016). Indeed, the current mode of residence in Benin is one erected in a house where life is interwoven cohabitants. The child remains exclusively with its mother when in the womb. Once born, the baby is invested and becomes the object of care and protection of all members of various families, including people living in neighboring apartments, without blood relationship. Living in a house with several people around the baby, is an asset to the occurrence of intentional smile. It seems pejorative, born from parents who do not have any bond of union. The most conducive parental marital status found by our study is monogamous. The rank of the baby amongst the children of the mother has no influence on the age of onset of intentional smile. Stimulation and maternal interactions are essential. ConclusionMaternal age over 30–34 years, the reception of the baby on the abdomen of the mother at birth, being held in the mother's arms and a long maternity leave, facilitate the emergence of intentional smile. A better understanding of maternal factors constitutes a track of preventive measures in child psychiatry.

Monstrosities: Religion, Identity and Belief

In the summer of 1816, a young woman of nineteen eloped with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley to Geneva, Switzerland.[...]

The Dilemmas of Monogamy: Pleasure, Discipline and the Pentecostal Moral Self in the Republic of Benin

Based on ethnographic research in the Republic of Benin, this article explores how Pentecostal teachings on marriage and the management of sexual pleasure contribute to shaping converts’ moral selves. For Pentecostals, fidelity towards God, when single and fidelity between partners, once married, is presented as the ideal model of partnership to which every “Born-Again” should aspire. In the context where polygamous unions are socially accepted, Pentecostal pastors teach that a satisfactory sexual life restricted to marriage is the means of building successful monogamous unions. However, sexual satisfaction might not always guarantee marital success, especially when people face problems of infertility. The author suggests that the disciplinary regimes that these teachings promote contribute to shaping new modes of intimacy, which are compatible with societal changes but often contradict the extant social norms and ideals of reproduction. Moral dilemmas arising from this tension are the key to understanding how Pentecostal Christianity shapes the moral self. The article addresses how Pentecostals in Benin navigate and negotiate cultural continuities and discontinuities in relation to church authority and family life.