how laws change from culture to culture

• there are many examples of how laws change dependent on culture, time, place ext...
• Polygamy:

  • the practise of having more than one wife or husband at one time
• Polygyny - when a man has multiple wives
• Polyandry - when a women has multiple husbands
• Polygyny is legal in 58 countries where as Polyandry is confined to a few societies, in many cases in countries with a large Muslim population the law permits polygamous marriage but for Muslims only
• Polygamy is against the law in most countries, in the UK anyone who goes through the marriage ceremony whilst still married is bigamy which is punishable by up to 7 years imprisonment, a fine or both
• The laws on Polygamy vary from culture to culture mainly depending on religion, the Qur'an permits Muslim men to take up t 4 wives
• Polygamy may also be tradition for many places which is why it is considered legal
• many Muslim societies criminalise adultery, however several Christian societies in Africa also make it a criminal offence - Punishment varies from death to fines
• However in many countries including the UK adultery is legal however is seen as deviant
• The main reason for adultery being illegal in most countries is the religious aspect. In countries that are mainly governed by religion adultery is illegal
• Laws against adultery are often found in societies where women occupy a very subordinate position
• homosexuality is treated as a crime in a number of countries
• Male homosexuality is illegal in 72 countries and in 45 so are lesbian relationships
• in 6 countries homosexuality can result in the death penalty
• In Russia homosexuality is not illegal however the promotion is
• Many countries which do not criminalise homosexuality still do not allow same-sex couples to marry or adopt
• Many religions had traditionally condemned homosexuality - so countries with a strong religious influence have laws against homosexuality
• Polls by Pew Research Centre show higher levels of support for bans on homosexuality in some countries
• the fact that male homosexuality is a crime in more countries than lesbianism is, may be due to sexist assumptions by male lawmakers that women were incapable of same-sex attraction
• Laws on cannabis vary between different societies - in general the possession of cannabis for personal use is treated more leniently then growing, importing or supplying
• In the UK possession of cannabis can be punished by up to 5 years imprisonment and supply with up to 14 years
• Some places have legalised cannabis for personal or medical use, others have legalised the sale of cannabis
• a lot of places, like Portugal, have lower the sentence for cannabis use down to a misdemeanour or a minor offence
• Differences in laws on cannabis to some extent reflect difference in norms and values in different societies
• Lawmakers in some society's take the view that the best way to prevent drugs causing harm is by taking a tough stance to deter their use
• Lawmakers in other societies see legalisation or decriminalisation as a way to take cannabis out of the hands of criminal suppliers and to reduce the harm by enabling users to get help for their problems