The mother-in-law taboo

Ethnology • Vol/Iss. 37 • Published In • Pages: 71-97 •
By Pans, A.E.M.J.

Abstract

This article examines mother-in-law avoidance, theorizing it is "a device for distinguishing the son-in-law/mother-in-law relationship from the husband-wife relationship in societies where these relationships tend to be similar as far as their economic aspect is concerned” (71). The conditions that may give rise to economic interaction between son-in-law and mother-in-law, such as matrilocal residence, are also discussed.
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: Kate Cummings  Amelia Piazza