Wives and "Jadiya" Lovers: Parallel Unions in Post-polygynous Kenya.

Polygyny has declined throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa, while the cultural belief that men desire sex with more than one woman has persisted. These developments have occurred alongside an emphasis on romance and companionate marriage. The existence of these concurrent convictions has implications for the formation and context of unions in post-polygynous societies. We use mixed methods to explore the prevalence, characteristics, and meanings of men's multiple partnerships in urban Kenya, focusing on the widespread formation of Luo men's partnerships with jadiya, or "lovers." Instead of finding a transformation of traditional marital unions to incorporate love and romance, we find the formation of parallel unions for married men. Men continue to take a wife because of traditional benefits and obligations, while many initiate and sustain jadiya relationships for love. The prevalence and emotional significance of these relationships suggest that they have become an important social institution in contemporary Kenya. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]