What are the advantages and disadvantages of a polygamous social structure?

Answer 1

It is easy to state the disadvantages of polygamy. First of all it is illegal in most countries. Secondly, it is a culture of selfishness. Since nature provides us with a roughly equal number of men and women, for every man who has two or more wives, someone else must do without (or commit adultery), unless the wives are also encouraged to have several husbands. The one social advantage of polygamy occurs when a nation's male population has been ravaged by war. In this circumstance, in backward societies, former female dependants can find themselves without any means of support. This is the position that applied in the early years of Islam, and polygamy provided a means of support for otherwise destitute women.