KINSHIPUSAGES

Introduction:
Akinshiprelationshipischaracterisedbyroleexpectationswhichexhibitregularity,amoreor
less permanent behaviour with an element of universality. Such behaviours, verbal and non
verbalconcerningcertaincategoriesofkinforkeepingorderanddecoruminsocietyarecalled
kinship behaviour or usage. Some of the kinship usages related to certain types of coactive
behaviour patterns are avoidance, joking relationship, teknonymy, avunculate, amitate and
couvade.
Avoidance:
Avoidanceistheprescribedminimisationofcontactbetweentworelativeswhousuallybelong
tooppositesexes.Inmostsocieties,fatherinlawanddaughterinlawavoidance,inwhichthe
twokinstendtoavoideachother,isfound.Forinstance,tobeinnocuousinavoidanceaMeitei
daughterinlawputsherwrappingclothinaphionherheadwhenshemeetsherfatherinlaw
and husbands elder brother. Likewise, though less universally and rigorously, a soninlaws
relations with his motherinlaw are found to be avoided by certain restrictions. Similarly,
brothersisteravoidanceprevails.
OneoftheearliestexplanationsofthispracticewasgivenbyE.B.
Tylorandopinedthatintheearlystagesofhumanhistory,when
soninlaw used to live with his wife in a matriarchal society, he
wasobligedtocertainrestrictedrelationwithhismotherinlaw;
because he was a complete stranger and in subservient position. Thus, Tylor suggested
matrilocal residence as the cause of this avoidance. After Tylor, James Frazer and Sigmund
Freudgavetheirexplanationsofsuchkinshipusage.Frazerexplainedbrothersisteravoidance
basedonevidencesdrawnfromtheVedda,aCylonesetribeandtheTrobriandIslandersthatit
is a precautionary measure against the sexual intimacy as would amount to incest. Should a
Trobriandbrotherhappentoseehissisterbeingwooedbyaman,orshemakinglovetohim,all

thethreewillhavetocommitsuicide.AmongtheVeddas,brotherandsistermayneitherlive
underthesameroofnortakefoodtogether;nokindofintimacyorfamiliaritycaneverdevelop
between them. Freuds psychoanalytical explanation also took great interest for interpreting
avoidance. The Freudan argument regards sexual attraction and the need to prevent sexual
intimacy between various kinds of relatives. However, RadcliffeBrown explained it as an
arrangementtopresentanypossibilityofconflictbetweenthekins.Inaddition,Majumdarand
Madan wanted to point out the attitudes towards tabooed relatives as behaviour of respect
ratherthanthatofhostileandambivalentnature.
Jokingrelationship:
It is the reverse of the avoidance relationship and it sanctions familiarity and
intimacy between certain kins. Such joking may amount to exchange of abuse
and banter, obscene and vulgar references to sex, damage of each others
property,ridiculeandsoon.AmongtheoriginalinhabitantsofFijiIsland,ason
inlaw may be very friendly with his fatherinlaw and can cut joke upto the
momentum of spoiling some articles for fun. Various anthropological explanations have been
giventoexplainthisqueerusageoffamiliarity.
Joking relationship may indicate equality and mutual reciprocity as well as potential sexual
relationship.Theremaybejokingrelationshipbetweenamanandhiswifesyoungersister,or
betweenawomanandherhusbandsyoungerbrother.Ineachcasethetwomaybepotential
matesinsocietiesinwhichsororateandlevirateareprevailing.AmongtheCrowIndiansthere
prevailsthejokingrelationshipbetweenamanandhiswifessistersandtheyareveryfriendly
totalkfreelyaboutsexmatters.Ajokingrelationshipwithonesmaternaluncleswifemaybe
indicative of the practice of inheriting all the property of ones maternal uncle, including his
wife. It may be indicative of a joking relationship with the maternal uncle himself, expressed
through sexual intimacy with his wife. Such usages have been reported from matrilineal
societiesoftheHopiandtheTrobriandIslanders.Modernfunctionalanthropologistsexplained
thisusageasasafetyvalvereleasemechanismforthetensionsgeneratedduetotheimposition
ofrestrictions.

Teknonymy:
Itisthepracticeofaddressingapersonastheparentofhisnamedchild
nameratherthanhisindividualname.Amongsometribalgroupssuchas
theKhasiandinmanyruralsocietiesofIndia,thisusageisquitecommon
whetherasapartoforthodoxyorsomeconvention.Itisalsosharedby
theMeitei.Amarriedpersondoesnotaddressthespousebyitsindividualnameandshe/he
callshim/herteknonymously,forinstance,ibungopa(Ibungosfather),chaobimama(Chaobis
mother), etc. Commonly someone is designated teknonymously after having his child. But a
marriedwomandoesnotcallherhusbandbynameandso,sheaddresseshimteknonymously
likemoitamo(theirbrother),moikaka(theiruncle),etc.Tylorregardedthisusageasarelicof
someoldstageinculturehistorywhenwomenwhowereinsupremepositiondidnotaccept
soninlaw as one of them in their houses and recognised with him through the children he
helpedtobringtolife.Likewise,amothermayalsobereferredteknonymously.
Avunculate:
It is a special relationship that persists in some societies between a man and his mothers
brother. If the maternal uncle enjoys a preeminent place in the life of his nephew and has
special obligation towards him which exceed those of his father, then the kinship usage is
designatedasavunculatefromtheLatinwordavunculus(mothersbrother)andthematernal
unclesauthorityasavuncupotestality.Ifnephewsandniecesarebroughtupintheirmaternal
unclesfamily,theconditionisreferredasavunculocalresidence.Thisusageiscommonlyfound
in a matrilineal system in which prominence is given to the maternal uncle in the life of his
nephewsandnieces.Butitmayalsobefoundamongpatrilinealsocietiesasaconsequenceof
culturaldiffusionorasasurvivalofapreviousmodeofmatrilinealsocialstructure.

Amitate:
Itistheusageofspecialrelationshiptofatherssisterandamangivesmore
importanceto her than his mother. Her role is similar to that of maternal
uncleunderavunculateandsheisgivenrespectbyhernephewandniece.
Sometimestheyarebroughtupinherhouseandsheiscalledfemalefather.Sheactsvirtually
astheheadofthehouseholdandexercisesauthorityoverherbrotherschildren.Theusageis
more prevalent among the Kongs of Poynesia, Todas of South India and Crow Indians. The
Todasgivenametochildrennotthroughtheirparentsbutthroughthefatherssister.Whereas
amitate is easily explicable in patrilineal organisation, its occurrence among the matrilineal
TrobriandIslandersasreportedbyMalinowski,isacuriousinstance.Thisusagecommonlyin
patrilinealsocietyseemstobetheoutcomeofanobviousemphasisononeparticulargroupof
relativesasthesocialmechanismforpreventingcertainkinshipbondfromfallingintoneglect.
Couvades:
Couvadeisthekinshipusagewhichinvolveshusbandandwifeonly.The
queer practice has been reported among many people like the Khasi
and Toda of India, and the Karib of South Africa. In couvade, the
husbandofawifewhohasgivenbirthtoachildpresumeshimselftobe
sharinghiswifesagonyandmakeshimselfleadthelifeofaninvalidalongwithhiswife.Heis
notsupposedtoengageinhardworkbutgoestosickdietandobservescertaintaboos.AKhasi
husband,likehiswife,cannotcrossastreamorwashclothesuntilthespiritsconnectedwith
childbirth are propitiated. The sharing of such kinship usage has been explained by various
writers. Some authorities explained it as a survival of the transitional stage of the maternal
paternal complex. In the paternalmaternal stage, where residence may be matrilocal, but
inheritancepatrilineal,orconversely,someconventionalmethodsofascertainingpaternityare
neededandmadethefatherconfininginaroomorperformingbowandarrowceremonyofthe
Toda.AccordingtoMalinowski,thekinshipusageofcouvadecontributesascementingbondof
marriedlifebetweenthehusbandandwife.Somehavegivenpsychoanalyticalexplanationas
the husbands desire to lighten the wifes discomforts by a process of participation through

identification.Lately,someotherexplanationshavebeenputforward.Itissaidthatawoman
whohasdeliveredachildundergoescertainchemicalprocesseswithinherbodyandaffectsthe
atmosphere around her, particularly if she is in an illventilated cell or room. It makes other
personspronetoillness.Thisexplanationisnotbasedonsuperstitionbutonfact,howeveritis
notyetfullycorroboratedbyethnographicevidences.
Conclusion:
Thekinshipusagesarethemoreorlesspermanentrulesofaparticularkintobehavetowards
another particular kin. It creates groups and special groupings of kin and is significant for
understanding system. The usages provide guidelines and also, regulate the proper and
acceptableroleofrelationshipamongthekinsasapartofmaintainingorderandpeaceinthe
larger social complex. For instance, anthropologists and other social scientists explain
avoidance relationship as a precaution of committing incest. On the other hand, the kinship
usage of joking relationship establishes familiarity to extreme intimacy in certain kin groups
leadingtopotentialmarriedlifeforthesekins.