Theological parenthood, demographic restraints, and the making of the good polygamous teenager

Abstract

In this chapter, I explore how the relationship between religious and secular values influence the socialization practices found in Angel Park, a Mormon fundamentalist polygamous community situated in the intermountain western USA, in order to probe how parents attempt to, in their words, “raise up the good child” into becoming a “respected and esteem adult.” My focus is the teenage years - the time when youth are more prone to doubt, if not reject, parental instruction and to question, if not defy, community ideals. Exploring which ideals and cultural practices are more readily challenged provides insight into the cultural contradictions and structural restraints individuals face in their journey into adulthood. The critical issues that polygamous parents must deal with range from: (1) lack of nurturing or bonding between half-siblings, (2) anxiety over possible co-wives’ aggression directed toward their own children, and (3) the doubts about their offspring’s ability to form a polygamous family.