Definition:
Avoidance is a kinship usage that implies “formality” such as restriction on intimacy and spontaneous expression of emotion, demonstrates moderate reserve or marked restraint.
Relatives involved in avoidance:
- Avoidance occurs between men and women and vice versa.
- Avoidance relationships are mostly three: Brothers avoids Sister; a Man avoids Mo-in-law; and a Man avoids his Da-in-law.
- If a society has one avoidance relationship, it usually has the other two types of avoidance relationship.
Customs of avoidance:
The customs of avoidance are numerous. For example among the Baganda of Africa, a man, and his Mo-in-law observe several rules of avoidance. For example:
- They can’t touch each other
- They can’t look eye-to-eye
- They can’t eat together
- They can’t convers alone
- They can’t eat each other’s leaving
Origins of avoidance:
1.Tylor , E.B.:
- According to Tylor, avoidance exists because it originated in the rule of matrilocal residence in the early period of human history.
- In early stages of human history when sons-in-law went to live with their wives, they were obliged to be on restricted relatives with their mothers-in-law, who represented the matriarchal family in which they found themselves as complete strangers and in Subservient position.
- Thus, Tylor related son-in-law and mother-in-law avoidance casually to matrilocal residence.