Identity Construction in Polygamous Households: Psychological and Social Consequences for Women in Central Punjab
This qualitative research work focuses on social, psychological and physical experiences of polygamous first wives in Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. The semi-structured interviews, informed by Feminist Theory and Intersectionality, were carried out with 11 first wives and their interviews analyzed through the use of the thematic analysis. Eight themes were identified as being associated and connected: emotional neglect, social marginalization, psychological distress, physical health degradation, religious justification and gendered silence, economic dependency, coping mechanisms and identity reconstruction. The subjects indicated the loss of emotional support, social respect, anxiety, sleeping difficulties. The results indicate that polygamy is a socially constructed institution, which supports gendered inequalities in rural Pakistan. The increased enforcement of family laws, the increase of community-based counseling and mental-health services, the enhancement of gender- sensitive religious education, and women economic empowerment are necessary to increase well-being in polygamous families.
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(1) Shahzad Khaver Mushtaq
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Criminology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan.
(2) Muhammad Intizar Raza
Civil Teacher, Garrison Human Resources Development Centre (HRDC), Cantt Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan.
(3) Asma Yunus
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Criminology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan.
Cite this article
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APA : Mushtaq, S. K., Raza, M. I., & Yunus, A. (2025). Identity Construction in Polygamous Households: Psychological and Social Consequences for Women in Central Punjab. Global Social Sciences Review, X(IV), 198-208. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2025(X-IV).16
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CHICAGO : Mushtaq, Shahzad Khaver, Muhammad Intizar Raza, and Asma Yunus. 2025. "Identity Construction in Polygamous Households: Psychological and Social Consequences for Women in Central Punjab." Global Social Sciences Review, X (IV): 198-208 doi: 10.31703/gssr.2025(X-IV).16
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HARVARD : MUSHTAQ, S. K., RAZA, M. I. & YUNUS, A. 2025. Identity Construction in Polygamous Households: Psychological and Social Consequences for Women in Central Punjab. Global Social Sciences Review, X, 198-208.
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MHRA : Mushtaq, Shahzad Khaver, Muhammad Intizar Raza, and Asma Yunus. 2025. "Identity Construction in Polygamous Households: Psychological and Social Consequences for Women in Central Punjab." Global Social Sciences Review, X: 198-208
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MLA : Mushtaq, Shahzad Khaver, Muhammad Intizar Raza, and Asma Yunus. "Identity Construction in Polygamous Households: Psychological and Social Consequences for Women in Central Punjab." Global Social Sciences Review, X.IV (2025): 198-208 Print.
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OXFORD : Mushtaq, Shahzad Khaver, Raza, Muhammad Intizar, and Yunus, Asma (2025), "Identity Construction in Polygamous Households: Psychological and Social Consequences for Women in Central Punjab", Global Social Sciences Review, X (IV), 198-208
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TURABIAN : Mushtaq, Shahzad Khaver, Muhammad Intizar Raza, and Asma Yunus. "Identity Construction in Polygamous Households: Psychological and Social Consequences for Women in Central Punjab." Global Social Sciences Review X, no. IV (2025): 198-208. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2025(X-IV).16
