In this thesis, I will proceed as follows: my first chapter will be a general overview of epideictic rhetoric, focusing on the limitations of how it has traditionally been viewed and understood by theorists. At the end of that chapter I will establish a working definition of epideictic which extends traditional views about how epideictic can function in certain types of writings, focusing on the important role of the speaker in epideictic rhetoric and how it can work in enabling a community to create a collective identity. In the remainder of the thesis, I will analyze two texts in which epideictic functions in that specific way. The first is a public speech given by Artimesia Snow which was later published for a larger audience as a newspaper editorial. This speech was given in a setting which was very traditional for epideictic, and it contains many examples of epideictic elements working in recognizable ways. In my analysis, I will look at how an authoritative speaker establishes herself as a representative figure for the community which she is addressing. The second text I will analyze is an autobiography written by Martha Cox, a woman who was a devoted polygamist before the Manifesto of 1890, and who remained faithful in the church after the practice was discontinued. This autobiography is less clearly a genre in which epideictic is a useful form of rhetoric, yet throughout the text, she clearly includes epideictic elements in her rhetorical appeals. In that chapter I will examine her text, specifically looking at how epideictic works differently in nontraditional settings, and how she uses different rhetorical tools in order to invite the formation of a collective identity. Finally, I will conclude with a brief summary of my findings and a discussion of how they can help us broaden the definition of epideictic rhetoric and better understand the social and cultural function of the writings of these Mormon polygamous women.

The purpose of this thesis: 1. To indicate the variants between 160 descendant returned missionaries and two other groups consisting of eighty non-descendant, and 193 mixed returned missionaries and 2. To denote the implications and importance of the most significant variants introduced.

Cette thèse aborde la relation entre le mormonisme et la société américaine, à travers une étude détaillée de matériaux médiatiques. Plus précisément, les stratégies de légitimation des groupes mormons et les stratégies de délégitimation utilisées par les détracteurs de ces groupes religieux marginaux sont analysées. Depuis la naissance du mormonisme, en terre américaine, ce courant a entretenu des relations tendues avec la culture mainstream. La thèse décrit tout d’abord l'évolution des rapports entre les mormons et la société américaine dominante, du 19e siècle à aujourd'hui, puis s’attarde à une analyse des productions médiatiques récentes mettant en scène des mormons monogames et polygames, avec une insistance particulière sur la série télévisée de fiction Big Love (HBO 2006-2011). Mais plus qu'une étude de cas à propos des tensions entre mormons et société américaine, la thèse nous informe sur les notions de déviance et de normalité et sur leur évolution temporelle, et offre une relecture de l’histoire du mormonisme à partir de son articulation avec la sphère médiatique. L'analyse permet de faire ressortir la manière dont le discours public influence la position des groupes minoritaires. La thèse met également en lumière les effets positifs de l'utilisation des médias de masse par les petits groupes sociaux ou religieux. En montrant comment un groupe religieux d’une période à l'autre de son existence se retrouve tour à tour stigmatisé, toléré et même parfois célébré, la thèse ouvre des perspectives pour l’analyse d’autres groupes minoritaires. Un modèle théorique, qui expose les stratégies de légitimation et de délégitimation publiques des différents groupes mormons, est central à la thèse. Il est issu d'un processus de théorisation ancrée. / This thesis addresses the relationship between Mormonism and American society, through a detailed analysis of media materials. Specifically, legitimation strategies, put forward by Mormons communities, and delegitimation strategies, used by opponents of these marginal religious groups, are considered. Since the inception of Mormonism, in the United States, this religious movement has maintained tense relationships with mainstream culture. First, this thesis describes the evolution of relationships between Mormons and mainstream society, from the 19th century to the present era, and then includes an analysis of recent media productions presenting Mormons, with an emphasis on the fiction TV series Big Love (HBO 2006-2011). More than a case study about tensions between Mormons and mainstream society, this thesis informs us about the notions of deviance and normality and their temporal evolution, and offers a reinterpretation of the history of Mormonism through its articulation with the media. The analysis sheds light on the way public discourse influences the position of minority groups, and on the positive effects of mass media use by small religious or social groups. By explaining how a religious group can, from one period of its existence to another, be stigmatised, tolerated and even sometimes celebrated, this thesis opens perspectives for the analysis of other minority groups. A theoretical model, exposing the legitimation and delegitimation strategies of Mormon groups, is central to the thesis. This model was derived from a grounded theory analysis.

In 1852, the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made the pivotal decision to publicize the doctrine and practice of plural marriage—something they had worked to keep out of the public eye for years. This decision came in response to federal and social pressures. They quickly moved to announce and defend plural marriage among Church members as well as broader society, including those in the federal government. Orson Pratt was chosen by Brigham Young to be the face and the voice of the Church concerning plural marriage, both in Salt Lake City among members and in Washington D.C., where he preached sermons and published a periodical on the subject. This thesis a) demonstrates why Orson Pratt was the ideal candidate for such an undertaking; b) assesses the motivation for and context of the public unveiling and defense of plural marriage; c) analyzes Pratt’s rhetoric of the first public treatise on the subject given to a Latter-day Saint congregation at a special conference on 29 August 1852; and d) compares the rhetoric and reasoning between Pratt’s sermon to the Saints and his persuasive periodical written to the nation from Washington D.C. titled The Seer. Pratt’s rhetoric is incisive and carefully tailored to his audience. Important nuances in argumentation arise as he publishes the Seer and strives to convince his fellow citizens that plural marriage is right before God, improves society, and that the Saints should be allowed to practice polygamy as an expression of religious freedom. Orson Pratt ultimately fails to make a difference in the national opinion of plural marriage, but is successful in establishing a foundation of principles and reason that would be employed by the Saints to defend the practice of plural marriage for decades.

“Queering Polyamory: Configurations, Public Policy, and Lived Experiences” explores polyamory, a relationship “lovestyle” that involves more then one loving partner, while taking a close look at the social construction of modern day queer polyamory including marriage and sex law. The author states that queer polyamory is socially constructed due to its inclusion of self-identifying gay men, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, gender-variant, omnisexual, pansexual, and queer individuals. This thesis includes a study of participants involved in queer polyamorous relationships. The study concludes that a population that engages in queer polyamorous relationships is diverse in regards to demographics; this is to say state of residence, age, gender, ethnicity, religious/spiritual affiliation, sexual identity and/or orientation, and relationship identity and/or orientation and ways individuals come to be part of queer polyamorous relationships. The study looks at how “out” the participants are and how public policy is affecting the lives of those who engage in queer polyamorous relationships. In conclusion, this study suggests future research options and ways society and public policy can begin to alleviate some of the stressors those in queer polyamorous relationships feel due to public policy and morality law. / M.S.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Many questions have been asked as to why sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly South Africa, has such a high incidence of HIV/AIDS. While social and economic power imbalances between the sexes, coupled by the biological vulnerability of women, play an important role in the rapid spread of South Africa’s HIV/AIDS epidemic, what truly seems to set South Africa apart from the rest of the world is the high incidence of multiple or concurrent sexual relationships. Multiple or concurrent sexual relationships are defined as sexual partnerships that overlap in time, when one partnership starts before another terminates. These types of relationships have the potential to create complex sexual networks – commonly referred to as a “sexual superhighway” – for the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, most notably HIV/AIDS. While the practice of multiple or concurrent sexual relationships is to a large extent under-reported by the South African media, a great deal of media attention is given to President Jacob Zuma’s practice of polygamy as a Zulu cultural tradition. The researcher proposes that Zuma’s intimate partnerships stray from the well-defined parameters of cultural polygamy and that he does, in fact, has multiple or concurrent sexual relationships that fall outside the boundaries of polygamy. The researcher further proposes that the example set by the President in his personal life has an effect on the general morality of the South African people and especially on women’s status in society. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Baie vrae is al gevra oor hoekom sub-Sahara Afrika, en spesifiek Suid-Afrika, so ʼn hoë voorkoms van MIV/Vigs het. ʼn Sosiale en ekonomiese magswanbalans tussen mans en vroue, tesame met die verhoogde biologiese kwesbaarheid van vroue vir seksueel-oordraagbare siektes, speel ʼn rol in die vinnige verspreiding van die MIV/Vigs epidemie in Suid-Afrika maar wat ons blykbaar onderskei van die res van die wêreld is die hoë voorkoms van veelvuldige of samelopende seksuele verhoudings. Veelvuldige of samelopende seksuele verhoudings word gedefinieer as verhoudings wat oorvleuel of waar een verhouding begin voordat ʼn vorige verhouding beëindig is. Hierdie tipe verhoudings het die potensiaal om komplekse seksuele netwerke te vorm – algemeen beskryf as “seksuele super-snelweë” – waarbinne seksueel-oordraagbare siektes, insluitende MIV/Vigs, vinnig kan versprei. Terwyl veelvuldige of samelopende seksuele verhoudings min aandag geniet in die Suid-Afrikaanse media, is daar wel ʼn fokus op President Jacob Zuma se uitlewing van sy Zulu-tradisie van poligamie. Die navorser stel egter voor dat Zuma se intieme verhoudings afwyk van die goedge-definieerde riglyne van kulturele poligamie en dat hy in werklikheid eerder veelvuldige of samelopende seksuele verhoudings het wat buite die reëls van poligamie val. Die navorser stel verder voor dat die voorbeeld wat die President in sy persoonlike lewe stel ʼn uitwerking het op die moraliteit van Suid-Afrikaners en veral op die status van vroue in die samelewing.

Aim of the study: The main aim of the study is to examine and pursue research regarding the history and role of law in the disintegration of the institutions of traditional leadership in South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho in order to make recommendations regarding the challenges and opportunities facing traditional authorities in these countries. The traditional systems, roles and functions of these institutions are traced from the pre-colonial era up to the period of democratic regimes in these countries. This study is based on the premises that the jurisprudence of the institution of traditional leadership is as old as mankind and that this institution is rooted in the rural soil of African communities. Research Methodology: This study is based on legal comparative research with reference to South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho. A literature survey of the most important sources dealing with history, legislation and policy documents was undertaken. Conclusion and Recommendations: The institution of traditional leadership is one of the oldest traditional institutions of governance in South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho. During the pre-colonial era traditional authorities constituted an important component in the traditional system of the administration of the traditional community. Traditions placed a great amount of responsibility on traditional leaders to look after the best interests of their communities. When the colonial government took over the reigns of these three countries, they changed the pre-colonial form and nature of traditional authorities. These colonial governments exercised control over traditional leaders and allowed minimum independence in their traditional rule. The post-colonial governments of South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho retained the institution of traditional leadership. The Constitutions of these countries provide the legal framework for the recognition and functioning of the office of traditional leaders. However, it has been noted in this study that the relationship between the traditional leaders and the governments of these countries has been a mixture of conflict and cordiality. One of the reasons for this uneasy relationship between the traditional leaders and the central governments of these countries is that the status, authority, power and functions of traditional leaders have been reduced considerably when new institutions such as Local Governments, Land Boards, District Councils and Village District Councils were given powers and functions previously exercised by traditional leaders. The post-colonial transformation of traditional leadership in these three countries has led to a steep decline in the authority of traditional leaders. In order to encourage active participation of the traditional leaders in the new democratic structures and bodies, the institution of traditional leadership must be adapted to the changing political, social and economic environments. Rural local government bodies and the national governments of these countries should not view the institutions of traditional leadership as competitors for political power. The post-colonial governments of South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho should introduce traditional leaders as equal partners in the development and advancement of rural communities. In order to achieve this goal the governments of these countries should empower and capacitate traditional leaders so that they do not become misfits in the new constitutional and democratic settlements. / Thesis (LL.D. (Indigenous Law))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Written in Swedish with an English abstract. Polygamy has recently received more and more attention in Sweden due to, among other things, the streams of refugees and globalization. The Swedish norm of marriage is monogamy thus family constellations that go against this sometimes have difficulties to adapt to the Swedish family law. Polygamy is a collective name for marriages where a person is married to several people at the same time. The sex basically does not play a role in the concept of polygamy, but the most common marriage constellation, and the constellation that this essay has delimited itself to, is the one where one man is married to several women. Today, polygamy is mainly practiced in the Muslim countries of Asia and Africa where the Qur'an is an important part of the construction of the countries' legal systems. In order for polygamy to be allowed in Sweden, it is required that the marriage can be recognized according to the law on certain international legal relationships concerning marriage and guardianship (lag om vissa internationella rättsförhållanden rörande äktenskap och förmynderskap). According to the Swedish Tax Agency's (Skatteverket) investigation, there are currently 679 persons registered with one or more spouses in the population register in Sweden; on the other hand, the figure is not considered to reflect reality. When a person dies, there are many things to be organized. Most of these issues in Sweden are regulated in the Inheritance Code (ärvdabalken). But since most of the family law in Sweden is based on the Swedish norm of marriage of monogamy, there are several application problems when the Inheritance Code is to be applied to polygamous marriages. But although the law is mainly designed for monogamy, it is possible to apply the law to polygamous family constellations. Even though it is not designed for this purpose, the law should be considered flexible enough that it can be applied. However, the application of the law creates problems among other things when it comes to the women in the relationship. It is clear that women in polygamous marriages have more uncertainties than women in monogamous marriages when it comes to the right to inherit and survivor`s protection. It is also difficult to presume that the proposal for legislative amendment that are on the table will contribute to strengthening the protection of the women. However, there are many indications that it in general looks good for the children in the marriages. There is really not much that suggests that children whose parents are in polygamous relationships are treated a lot differently when it comes to the right to inherit then children with parents in monogamous marriages. / Polygami har på senare tid uppmärksammats mer och mer i Sverige med anledning av bland annat flyktingströmmar och globalisering. Den svenska äktenskapsnormen är tvåsamhet, monogami vilket således har lett till att familjekonstellationer som går emot denna norm ibland har svårt att anpassas till den svenska familjerätten. Polygami är ett samlingsnamn för äktenskap där en person är gift med flera personer samtidigt.  I grunden spelar könet inte någon betydelse för begreppet polygami men den vanligaste äktenskapskonstellationen, och den konstellation som uppsatsen har avgränsat sig till, är den där en man är gift med flera kvinnor. Idag är polygami främst praktiserat i de muslimska länderna i Asien och Afrika där Koranen är en viktig del av uppbyggnaden av ländernas rättsordningar. För att polygami ska bli tillåtet i Sverige krävs det att äktenskapen kan erkännas enligt lagen om vissa internationella rättsförhållanden rörande äktenskap och förmynderskap. Enligt Skatteverkets utredning finns det idag 679 personer registrerade med en eller flera makar i folkbokföringsdatabasen i Sverige, däremot anses siffran inte spegla verkligheten. När en människa dör är det mycket saker som ska anordnas. De flesta av dessa angelägenheterna i Sverige regleras i ärvdabalken. Men eftersom den till största delen av familjerätten i Sverige utgår från den svenska äktenskapsnormen om tvåsamhet, föreligger det ett flertal tillämpningsproblem när ärvdabalken ska tillämpas på polygama äktenskap. Men trots att lagen i huvudsak är utformad för monogami finns det möjlighet att tillämpa lagen vid polygama familjekonstellationer. Trots att lagen i sig inte är konstruerad för polygama familjer torde den dock vara så flexibel att den går att tillämpa. Tillämpningen av lagen är dock behäftade med problem för bland annat kvinnorna i relationen. Det är tydligt att kvinnor i polygama äktenskap har det mer osäkert än kvinnor i monogama äktenskap när det kommer till arv och efterlevnadsskydd. Att de förslag till lagändring som ligger på bordet kommer bidra till en stärkelse av kvinnornas skydd är även det svårt att förmoda. Mycket tyder dock på att det överlag ser bra ut för barnen i äktenskapen. Det finns egentligen inte mycket som tyder på att barnen i hög utsträckning blir särbehandlade jämte barn i monogama äktenskap.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T19:59:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Irineia Lina Cesario.pdf: 465968 bytes, checksum: 3057c536aca0d24472f2b84821fc6361 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-05-07 / Fundação Ford / The main issue investigated and documented by the reading of Niketche a story of polygamy (2004) written by Paulina Chiziane alludes to the analogies in the plural dialogue in the space of the perceptive and cultural experience that generate libertarian images of the female conscience in the Mozambican polygamous context. In the course of the intradiegetic narration in the first person, we describe polygamy in a state of dramatic language sustained by concepts of literary theory and recent studies carried out by researchers of African Literature such as Coelho (1993), Leite (1988, 2004), Chaves (2005), Soares (2006), Lobo (2007), Noa (1997), Rosario (1989) and Santilli (2003). Chapter I, The Mirror A Reflection of Dialogue between Feminine and Masculine Love, centralizes the orality and vocality in discourse from Zumthor (1993,2000) under the aspects of Mozambican tongue and language represented in the polydiscourse of the Niketche dance, supported by Baudrillard (1992), Bettelheim (1980), Bachelard (2002), Genette (1995), Eco (1989), Segolin (1999), Urbano (2000), Bonicci (2000), Todorov (1968), Derrida (2005), Barthes (2006), among others. In Chapter II, Discursive Confluences between Feminine Faces/Voices, we demonstrate the discursive convergencies of female and male characters under the polyphonic theory of Bakthin (2002) which allowed us to establish an image of women oriented by caricatural and ludicrous behavior in group performance, founded on the matriarchal system, yet guaranteed by Casimiro (2004) and Tsemo (1992). In Chapter III, In the Legends of Western Orality Africanness, warranted by Perrone-Moises (1978, 2000) and by researchers of the said African Literature, we speak of the I-narrators as esthetical results of a ritualized and up-dated plot of the symbolic past. Lastly, Niketche, a dance of recreation, expresses the transition of the written language and the language of orality giving them a transforming character through body language, the place of the performance of the new writing of the memory, of Western tradition, and the testimonial and biographic change of female voices in a renewed textual universe / A principal questão investigada e comprovada pela leitura de Niketche: uma história de poligamia (2004), da escritora Paulina Chiziane, remete-se às analogias no diálogo plural, no espaço da experiência perceptiva e cultural geradora de imagens libertárias da consciência feminina no contexto poligâmico moçambicano. Na direção da narração intradiegética em primeira pessoa, descreveu-se, neste estudo, a poligamia em estado de linguagem dramática, tendo como suporte conceitos da teoria literária e estudos recentes de pesquisadores da literatura africana, como Coelho (1993), Leite (1988, 2004), Chaves (2005), Soares (2006), Lobo (2007), Noa (1997), Rosário (1989), Santilli (2003). O capítulo I, intitulado O Espelho: reflexo do diálogo entre o amor feminino e masculino centraliza a oralidade e a vocalidade no discurso, a partir de Zumthor (1993, 2000), sob os aspectos da língua e da linguagem moçambicanas, representado no polidiscurso da dança Niketche, apoiada, por Baudrillard (1992), Bettelheim (1980), Bachelard (2002), Genette (1995), Eco (1989), Segolin (1999), Urbano (2000), Bonicci (2000), Todorov (1968), Derrida (2005), Barthes (2006), dentre outros. No capítulo II, Confluências discursivas entre faces/vozes femininas , foram demonstradas as convergências discursivas de personagens femininas e masculinas sob a teoria polifônica de Bakthin (2002), que permitiu prescrever uma imagem da mulher orientada pelo comportamento caricatural e lúdico em performance grupal, fundamentado no matriarcalismo, todavia, afiançada por Casimiro (2004) e Tsemo (1992). No capítulo III, Nas lendas da oralidade ocidental a africanidade , avalizada por Perrone-Moisés (1978, 2000) e por pesquisadores da literatura africana em citação, aborda-se os eus-narradores como resultantes estéticos de uma trama ritualizada e atualizada do passado simbólico. Nas considerações finais, Niketche, dança recriadora, enuncia a transição da língua escrita e da linguagem da oralidade, conferindo-lhes um caráter transformador pela linguagem do corpo, lugar da performance da nova escritura da memória, da tradição ocidental e da mudança testemunhal e biográfica das vozes femininas, em renovado universo textual

La famille du XXIème siècle, héritière d’un idéal défini d’abord par l’Église puis par le Code civil, est née des bouleversements sans précédent qu’a connu la société dans son ensemble. Pendant des siècles, le rôle essentiel de la famille était lié à la transmission patrimoniale et culturelle entre générations. Aujourd’hui, la famille doit favoriser le développement individuel et la réalisation personnelle de chacun de ses membres. La famille est de moins en moins une institution normée, aux formes et aux codes prédéfinis, d’autant qu’elle doit composer avec le droit individuel à « une vie familiale normale » que consacre l’article 8 de la Convention européenne des droits de l’homme. L’influence des droits fondamentaux qui sont par nature des droits individuels dans la vie familiale confirme bien que la famille est davantage le lieu d’épanouissement individuel qu’une entité tournée vers un intérêt commun. Tout ou presque est devenu possible en termes de combinaisons familiales. On peut désormais choisir son sexe (transsexualisme), décider de créer une famille ou de vivre seul sans que la société ne s’en émeuve particulièrement.Les liens et les rôles de chacun dans la famille ne sont plus ni pérennes ni clairement définis. Les progrès scientifiques (qui ont surtout permis une contraception efficace) et la révolution sexuelle ont complètement transformé la sexualité, la vie de couple et la procréation. Il n’y a plus un seul modèle de couple fondé exclusivement sur le mariage d’un homme et d’une femme. Le couple est maintenant homosexuel ou hétérosexuel, libre de vivre ou non ensemble, d’être fidèle, de se marier, de se séparer, de conclure un pacs, de vivre en concubinage. La conjugalité est donc désormais plurielle et repose sur l’égalité entre ceux qui composent le couple et entre les différents modèles de couples possibles. Les relations entre les parents et les enfants ont également été bouleversées. La parentalité s’impose peu à peu à côté de la parenté. La filiation va devoir composer avec les nouvelles cuisines procréatives. La procréation médicalement assistée, la gestation pour autrui ou l’utérus artificiel doivent modifier l’établissement du lien de filiation qui ne peut se déduire du seul lien biologique. Le droit devra répondre, parfois contraint sous l’influence ou la pression internationale, aux nouvelles aspirations sociales et sociologiques et tenter de trouver un équilibre entre la liberté individuelle et la dimension institutionnelle de la famille. / While it was initially born out of the ideals set out first by the Church and then by the Civil Code, family in the 21st century is really the offspring of the unprecedented upheavals that have shaken society as a whole. For centuries, the essential role of family was linked with cross-generational patrimonial and cultural transmission. Nowadays, family must instead facilitate the individual development and self-realization of every single one of its members. The family is an institution that is decreasingly bounded by predetermined norms, forms, and codes, not least because it must align itself to the individual right to a “normal family-life”, to which Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights is dedicated. More or less everything is now possible in terms of family make-up. One can now choose one’s legal sex/gender (transgenderism), decide to establish a family, or live alone, without society being particularly affected by any of it. The ties and roles of each individual in the family are no longer perennial, no clearly defined. Scientific progress (through which efficient contraception became available) and the sexual revolution have completely transformed sexuality, romantic relationships, and procreation. There is no longer a single model for the romantic relationship, based on the marriage of a man to a woman. The couple is now homosexual or heterosexual, and individuals may choose whether they want to live together or be faithful. They can also choose if and when to get married, to separate, to be joined in a civil union (pacs), or to simply live under the same rooftop. In other words, conjugality is now pluralistic and rests on the equality both of the individuals constituting the couple, and between different models of romantic relationships. Relationships between parents and children have also been completely changed. Parenting is gradually gaining on kinship. Filiation will soon be forced to reckon with the different procreational recipes. Various assisted reproductive technologies, including artificial insemination, surrogacy, and the artificial uterus must change the ways in which kinship is established since it can no longer simply be deduced from biological ties. The law will have to respond to new social and sociological aspirations, and will sometimes even have to do so under international influence or pressure. It will, in fact, have to find a new equilibrium between individual freedoms, and the institutional dimensions of the family.