Male sex role resolutions

Handbook of Cross-Cultural Human Development • Garlant STPM Press • New York • Published In • Pages: 611-632 •
By Munroe, Robert L., Munroe, Ruth H., Whiting, John W.M.

Hypothesis

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).

Test

Test NameSupportSignificanceCoefficientTail
Chi squareSupportedUNKNOWNUNKNOWNUNKNOWN

Variables

Variable NameVariable Type OCM Term(s)
DescentIndependentRules Of Descent
Male Circumcision CeremoniesDependentBody Alterations
Mother-infant ContactCombinedInfant Care
The CouvadeDependentPregnancy

Related Hypotheses

Main AuthorHypothesis
Munroe, Robert L."Societies in which mothers are highly salient to their infants as a consequence of being carried in close contact should also perform male circumcision rites or practice the couvade or both as a method of resolving or expressing sex-identity conflict" (626).
Munroe, Robert L.Patrilocal residence will predict circumcision ceremonies and matrilocal residence will predict the couvade (626).
Munroe, Robert L."The prediction . . . was that the couvade would be found in association with mother-infant sleeping arrangements, and/or matri-residence. . . . Relatively low male salience, as experienced by male children in societies characterized by a form of matri-residence [or] . . . in the presence of exclusive mother-infant sleeping arrangements . . . might lead to cross-sex identity and to a particular projective system outcome--the couvade" (40, 39)
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).
Gray, J. PatrickClose father-infant degree of contact is associated with curve line dominant art (39).