‘Seeking Brother Husband’ vs. ‘Sister Wives’: What’s the Difference Between Polygamy and Polyandry
TLC has cornered the market on exploring diverse and unique family arrangements. First, the network covered supersized families like the Duggars and the Gosselins. It moved in a different direction in recent years. Instead of large families, the network has carved out a niche for unique family setups, specifically polygamist families. With Sister Wives and Seeking Sister Wife drawing interest, the network is again trying its luck with Seeking Brother Husband, a show focused on families living and exploring polyandry. How are polyandry and polygamy different?
‘Seeking Brother Husbands’ focuses on families looking for additional husbands
You’ve probably seen Seeking Sister Wife, and you’ve almost definitely seen Sister Wives, but have you seen Seeking Brother Husband yet? Premiering on TLC on Mar. 26, the show explores several families who have all decided, for various reasons, to seek out a second or third husband to join their family.
The series highlights the journey of four different family units as they navigate the complexities of polyandry. One family, led by wife Chara, is grappling with who will serve as the biological father of her future child. Another family, headed by Kim, is struggling to agree on whether a third husband is a good idea. Meanwhile, Elise and Mike spend time hashing out a way to make polyandry work for them. Elise is into it, and Mike is reluctant. Kenya and her husband, Carl, and Tiger are spending season 1 hashing out the rules around adding a fourth member to their family, too.
What is Polyandry?
Seeking Brother Husband focuses on the practice of polyandry, but what exactly is it? Polyandry is the practice of one woman simultaneously taking on more than one husband. While far from common, the practice does happen in select groups and has been observed in isolated cultures over the years. According to a study in Human Nature, a biosocial journal, polyandry was observed in multiple cultures, including the Inuit culture, for centuries.
In modern society, polyandry is practiced for various reasons, including general desire and practicality. In Seeking Brother Husband, the couples featured practice polyandry to fulfill physical, emotional, and philosophical desires.
How does polyandry differ from polygamy?
While polyandry and polygamy are very similar, they differ in one key way, the gender breakdown of the family involved. Polyandry, as stated above, is the practice of a woman taking more than one husband. While uncommon, it has been practiced by select cultures and communities for centuries.
Polygamy, conversely, is the practice of a man taking on more than one wife simultaneously. Polygamy is much more common than polyandry, likely because of its deep ties to religion. As seen in Seeking Sister Wife and Sister Wives, polygamy is often tied to one’s religious beliefs, but it does not have to be. The Brown family, famous for Sister Wives, embarked on their plural life for religious purposes. They have since fallen away from religion and are no longer polygamists. The Clarks, highlighted in the most recent season of Seeking Sister Wife, have embraced plural marriage for non-religious reasons.
Polyandry and polygamy are extremely similar and share similar benefits and pitfalls, according to the families TLC has featured on their most recent string of reality TV shows. The glaring differences are simply the gender makeup of the families and the relative popularity of the practices. Jealousy, the time the couples spend together, and people feeling left out seem to crop up despite the family’s reasoning for exploring an alternative family structure and their gender makeup.
