Postpartum Taboo

Associated Documents (9)

Main AuthorPublished YearTitle
Ember, MelvinWarfare, sex ratio and polygyny
Young, Frank W.Initiation ceremonies: a cross-cultural study of status dramatization
Paige, Jeffery M.The politics of reproductive ritual
Murdock, George PeterPost-partum sex taboos
Stewart, Robert A. C.Cultural dimensions: a factor analysis of textor's a cross-cultural summary
Nerlove, SaraSibling terminology and cross-sex behavior
Stephens, William N.The oedipus complex: cross-cultural evidence
Whiting, John W.M.Effects of climate on certain cultural practices
Young, Frank W.The function of male initiation ceremonies: a cross-cultural test of an alternative hypothesis

Associated Hypotheses (16)

Main AuthorHypothesis
Ember, Melvin"There is no significant association between a long postpartum taboo and polygyny in either the high or low male mortality situation . . . when we control for male mortality in warfare" (202)
Young, Frank W."The postpartum taboo on a mother's sex relations is associated with corporate family organization" (121)
Paige, Jeffery M.Patrilocality, polygyny, postpartum taboo, and exclusive mother-child sleeping arrangements are positively associated with sex segregation practices (243).
Murdock, George Peter"The first hypothesis tested is that societies which practice animal husbandry and consume the milk of their domestic animals will tend to observe, on the average, a shorter post-partum sex taboo than those which do not" (144)
Murdock, George Peter"Specifically, the institution of polygyny, by providing alternative sexual outlets for married men with lactating wives, might well make a prolonged post-partum taboo more tolerable to adult males than in societies lacking such an alternative . . ." (145)
Stewart, Robert A. C.Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 11, "postpartum sex taboo", loaded highly and positively on postpartum sex taboo lasts more than one year; grandparents and granchild are friendly equals; male initiation ceremonies at puberty; fear of human beings; observation of food taboos. Factor 11 loaded negatively on cousin marriage preferred or prescribed (63)
Nerlove, Sara"A long postpartum sex taboo will be associated with a primary cross-parallel component in sibling terminology" (185)
Nerlove, SaraThere will be a relationship "between a long postpartum sex taboo and brother-sister avoidance" (185)
Stephens, William N."Duration of post partum sex taboo is correlated with intensity of sex anxiety" (81)
Stephens, William N."[There is a] strong correlation between the long post partum sex taboo and change of residence [for adolescent boys]" (78)
Stephens, William N."In a few primitive societies . . . women's breasts are not even considered sexual stimuli. These tend to be the long post partum ex taboo societies" (81)
Stephens, William N."There is some tendency for the long post partum sex taboo societies to be high on severity of sex training" (77)
Stephens, William N."Duration of the long post partum sex taboo [has almost zero correlation with] intensity of fear of others" (171)
Whiting, John W.M."Societies characterized by a prolonged postpartum sex taboo also tend to have a high frequency of polygynous marriage" (517)
Whiting, John W.M."Low protein leads to [the disease] kwashiorkor and kwashiorkor to a prolonged postpartum sex taboo to protect the nursing infant from this disease" (520-521)
Young, Frank W."The two aspects of what may not be labeled 'absent-father family organization' have no empirical relation to initiation ceremonies when male solidarity is controlled" (386)

Associated OCMs

  1. general sex restrictions
  2. postnatal care
  3. infant care