Polygamy in the United States: How Marginalized Religious Communities Cope with Stigmatizing Discourses Surrounding Plural Marriage

Abstract

This study explores the narratives of 20 members of “The Work,” a polygamist community in Centennial Park, Arizona, to better understand the ways in which religious minorities cope with the stigmatizing discourses of the larger United States culture. This paper examines (a) how participants understand and interpret public discourse surrounding plural marriage, and (b) participants’ communicative strategies for coping with this stigma. Grounded theory analysis revealed that the discursive cultural de-legitimation of plural marriage motivates co-cultural members to engage in network management. Four network management strategies were reported by participants: (1) withdrawing from mainstream society, (2) establishing ingroup solidarity, (3) concealing cultural identification, and (4) educating cultural outsiders.

Keywords:

• Plural Marriage
• Identity
• Discourse
• Stigma
• Religion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael K. Ault

Michael K. Ault is a PhD student in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma and M.A. granted at Southern Utah University, 2012.

Bobbi Van Gilder

Bobbi Van Gilder is a PhD student in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma and M.A. granted at California State University, Long Beach, 2012.