Paper abstract:

This article is devoted to a comparative analysis of polygamy patterns among transnational migrants and the stationary population of contemporary Tajikistan. Based on the results of three sociological studies, two of which were conducted in Tajikistan and one in Russia, as well as interviews with migrants (2005 - 2016), I studied the standards of socio-normative behavior in the matrimonial and sexual sphere for women and men in Tajikistan, marriage and sexual ethics in second marriages of migrants and non-migrants in Tajikistan. Based on a comparative analysis of different patterns of second marriages of migrants and non-migrants, I argue that polygamy of Tajik migrants with citizens of the host country is a variation of the "khonadomod" (“son-in-law at wife's house”) marriage. This ancient tradition is one of the ways Tajik migrants integrate into the host society. At the same time, the range of sexual and marriage practices is noticeably expanding in migration. Migrants' ideas about sexuality, about what is allowed and what is forbidden, about family and marriage roles are changing. The notions of "wife," "partner," "girlfriend", "mistress", "concubine" get different contents and imply different volume of rights and obligations of the parties depending on the country in which migrants and their relatives live. As for the non-mobile population of Tajikistan, second marriages have also undergone notable changes due to market reforms, post-Soviet social stratification and the breakdown of traditions under the pressure of globalization. In general, the phenomenon of "second wives" reflects the transformation of family and marriage behavior among the population of Tajikistan, as second marriages often become a cover for various variants of modern partnerships. Society is redefining and selecting permissible and condemned sexual and marriage practices. Within its framework, a new codification of models of family and marriage and sexual behavior is taking place. A comparative analysis of the various options for expanding the scope and meaning of normative behavior provides an opportunity to fill the gaps in the study of the process of collision of value and normative systems regulating demographic behavior in different cultural contexts.

Keywords: second wife, migrants, sexual behavior, marriage, socio-cultural norms, Tajikistan