The term used to denote when a woman is having more than one husband at one time?

Appeared in: UPPSC-2021

Explanation

Polyandry is the correct term as it specifically refers to the practice of a woman being married to more than one man at the same time.
This term is derived from Greek roots: 'poly-' meaning 'many' and '-andry' meaning 'man' or 'husband'.
It is a specific form of the broader category of polygamy.
Examples from India include fraternal polyandry (where brothers share a wife) among the Todas, and non-fraternal polyandry found in the Nayar tribe.

Option A: Monogamy refers to a marriage between only two people, which is the opposite of the scenario described in the question.
Option B: Polygamy is a general, umbrella term for having multiple spouses. While polyandry is a type of polygamy, the question asks for the specific term for a woman with multiple husbands, making Polyandry the more precise answer.
Option D: Group marriage involves multiple men being married to multiple women simultaneously, which is a different structure from one woman with multiple husbands.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Sociological Terms for Marriage Types as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding different family structures, including polyandry, is essential for providing culturally competent nursing care.
A nurse's awareness of a patient's family structure can impact communication, decision-making processes, and identifying the patient's primary support system.
What if? If a patient from a polyandrous family is hospitalized, the nurse must be prepared to interact with multiple husbands as legal next-of-kin or primary caregivers, ensuring all are included in care discussions as per the patient's wishes and cultural norms.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key concepts in the question stem: 'woman' and 'more than one husband'.
This is a factual recall question that requires knowledge of sociological terminology.
Evaluate each option based on its definition.
Monogamy means one partner, so it's incorrect.
Polygamy is a broad term for multiple partners. It could be correct, but look for a more specific term.
Polyandry specifically means one woman with multiple husbands. This directly matches the question.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Sociological Terms for Marriage Types
Stem keywords: term, woman, more than one husband
Lead-in keywords: denote
Negative lead-in flag: NOT changes the reasoning strategy; look for the exception or incorrect statement rather than the true statement.

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E6 Applied Sociology for Nurses TK Indrani pp. 160-162, 161-163

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