Social contact versus bodily contact: a qualitative difference between father and mother for the son's masculine identity

Behavior Science Research • Vol/Iss. 13 • Published In • Pages: 273-285 •
By Kitahara, Michio

Hypothesis

Societies in which mother and son sleep in the same bed and the father sleeps in another hut/village will be more likely to have male circumcision than societies in which the father sleeps in the same hut (280).

Test

Test NameSupportSignificanceCoefficientTail
Fisher’s exact testSupportedp<.005UNKNOWNOne-tailed

Variables

Variable NameVariable Type OCM Term(s)
CircumcisionDependentBody Alterations
Parent-child Sleeping ArrangementsIndependentSleeping, Infant Care

Related Hypotheses

Main AuthorHypothesis
Kitahara, MichioSocieties in which the mother and son sleep in the same bed and the father sleeps separately in the same hut will be more likely to have male circumcision; societies in which the mother and son sleep separately but in the same hut with the father will be less likely to have male circumsion (279).
Kitahara, MichioWhen the father sleeps in a separate hut, mother-baby sleeping arrangements (in same or separate beds) will only be weakly associated with circumcision (279).
Kitahara, MichioFor societies in which the mother and son do not sleep in the same bed, father-son sleeping distance will be more weakly associated with circumcision than in societies where the mother and son sleep in the same bed (281).
Kitahara, MichioMale circumcision becomes more likely when mothers and babies share beds and when fathers sleep in separate huts/villages. Societies with both traits, one trait, and neither trait will be most, less, and least likely to have circumcision, respectively (281-2).
Munroe, Robert L.Societies with close mother-infant contact and patrilineage will practice male circumcision ceremonies. In societies with close mother-infant contact and without patrilineages, the couvade will be present (627).