Question

Answer the following question briefly:
What are the terms ‘amitate’, ‘avoidance’, and ‘couvade ’ known as?

Answer 1

Amitate: When there is a special role for the father’s sister then it is known as amitate. Fathers’ sister is given more’ respect than the mother.

Avoidance: It is a kinship term in which some kins are required to maintain distance from each other, with the view of prohibiting the creation of any form of incestuous relationship or creation of conflict due to clash of roles.
Eg: Brothers and sisters or parents-in-law and the daughter-in-law.

Couvade: It is a queer kinship found among the primitive tribes such as the Toda and the Khasi. Under this, the husband has to lead a life of an invalid along with his wife and has to take diets meant for the sick, when his wife is pregnant. He has to observe the same taboos as are observed by his wife.