| In modern Canadian society, monogamy is often associated with romantic love, 'traditional' family values, and, by extension, a stable social order. This study examines how the monogamous marital union has been imposed and scrupulously maintained in the common law system through ecclesiastical courts, their displacement by parliamentary control, and the later efforts of Victorian reformers to expand legal regulation. Some may argue that because monogamy has enjoyed such a long history of legal enforcement and is still favoured by our courts today, one could view monogamy as being more 'natural' than bigamy or polygamy. However, this assumes that the law is representative of the interests of the whole society. As the historical examples surveyed here demonstrate, despite the development of laws to enforce monogamy and prohibit bigamy and polygamy, popular attitudes towards monogamy and marriage have varied over time and between different cultures and classes. |
