A preliminary study of cross-sexual joking relationships in primitive society

Behavior Science Notes • Vol/Iss. 7 • Published In • Pages: 313-328 •
By Brant, Charles S.

Hypothesis

"The joking relationship tends to obtain between relatives standing in a potential sexual relationship . . . [in] the sororate, i.e., between a man and his wife's sister" (319)

Test

Test NameSupportSignificanceCoefficientTail
Tetrachoric correlationSupportedp<.01.65UNKNOWN

Variables

Variable NameVariable Type OCM Term(s)
Joking RelationshipsUNKNOWNKin Relationships
SororateUNKNOWNKinship Terminology

Related Hypotheses

Main AuthorHypothesis
Brant, Charles S."The joking relationship tends to obtain between relatives standing in a potential sexual relationship . . . [in] the levirate, i.e., between a man and his brother's wife" (319)
Brant, Charles S."The joking relationship tends to obtain between relatives standing in a potential sexual relationship . . . [in] maternal cross-cousin marriage, i.e., between a man and his mother's brother's daughter" (319)
Brant, Charles S."The joking relationship tends to obtain between relatives standing in a potential sexual relationship . . . [in] paternal cross-cousing marriage, i.e., between a man and his mother's brother's daughter . . ." (319)
Goody, Jack"In cross-cousin relationship . . . joking is the most frequent mode of behavior. . . . Avoidance and respect are almost exclusively associated with prohibition on marriage and license is associated only with permitted marriage. . . . Joking behavior is found with both forms" (199, 201)
Rosenblatt, Paul C."There is a stronger relationship between the percentages of remarriage by levirate or sororate and the practice of tie-breaking customs than between the percentages of remarriage not by levirate or sororate and the practice of tie-breaking customs" (71)