The Relationship Between Children and Their Maternal Uncles: A Unique Parenting Mode in Mosuo Culture
The relationship between children and their maternal uncles in contemporary Mosuo culture reveals a unique parenting mode in a matrilineal society. This study compared the responses of Mosuo and Han participants from questionnaires on the parent–child and maternal uncle–child relationship. More spec...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.873137/full |
| _version_ | 1829115609104777216 |
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| author | Erping Xiao Jing Jin Ze Hong Ze Hong Jijia Zhang |
| author_facet | Erping Xiao Jing Jin Ze Hong Ze Hong Jijia Zhang |
| author_sort | Erping Xiao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The relationship between children and their maternal uncles in contemporary Mosuo culture reveals a unique parenting mode in a matrilineal society. This study compared the responses of Mosuo and Han participants from questionnaires on the parent–child and maternal uncle–child relationship. More specifically, Study 1 used Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) to assess the reactions of the two groups to the relationship between children and their mothers, fathers, and maternal uncles. The results show that while Han people display a higher level of attachment toward their fathers than their maternal uncles, Mosuo people do not exhibit a significant difference in this aspect. Study 2 used a scenario-based method to compare how adults and teenagers perceive the rights and responsibilities of fathers/maternal uncles toward their children/nephews or nieces. The results show that Han adults attribute more rights and responsibilities to their own children than nephews/nieces, while their Mosuo counterparts have the reverse pattern and assign stronger responsibilities to their nephews/nieces than their own children. Both groups perceive the fathers to be the bearer of rights and responsibilities, although this perception was weaker among Mosuo. This paper concludes that in the Mosuo society, fathers have a relatively weak social role as a result of their unique matrilineal social structure. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T16:18:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c30518bca56842f39e763db3e63f3a63 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T16:18:34Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-c30518bca56842f39e763db3e63f3a632022-12-22T00:19:02ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-05-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.873137873137The Relationship Between Children and Their Maternal Uncles: A Unique Parenting Mode in Mosuo CultureErping Xiao0Jing Jin1Ze Hong2Ze Hong3Jijia Zhang4Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, ChinaForeign Languages Teaching Center, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United StatesDepartment of Sociology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaFaculty of Education, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, ChinaThe relationship between children and their maternal uncles in contemporary Mosuo culture reveals a unique parenting mode in a matrilineal society. This study compared the responses of Mosuo and Han participants from questionnaires on the parent–child and maternal uncle–child relationship. More specifically, Study 1 used Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) to assess the reactions of the two groups to the relationship between children and their mothers, fathers, and maternal uncles. The results show that while Han people display a higher level of attachment toward their fathers than their maternal uncles, Mosuo people do not exhibit a significant difference in this aspect. Study 2 used a scenario-based method to compare how adults and teenagers perceive the rights and responsibilities of fathers/maternal uncles toward their children/nephews or nieces. The results show that Han adults attribute more rights and responsibilities to their own children than nephews/nieces, while their Mosuo counterparts have the reverse pattern and assign stronger responsibilities to their nephews/nieces than their own children. Both groups perceive the fathers to be the bearer of rights and responsibilities, although this perception was weaker among Mosuo. This paper concludes that in the Mosuo society, fathers have a relatively weak social role as a result of their unique matrilineal social structure.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.873137/fullattachmentparent–child relationmaternal uncle–child relationthe Mosuothe Han |
| spellingShingle | Erping Xiao Jing Jin Ze Hong Ze Hong Jijia Zhang The Relationship Between Children and Their Maternal Uncles: A Unique Parenting Mode in Mosuo Culture Frontiers in Psychology attachment parent–child relation maternal uncle–child relation the Mosuo the Han |
| title | The Relationship Between Children and Their Maternal Uncles: A Unique Parenting Mode in Mosuo Culture |
| title_full | The Relationship Between Children and Their Maternal Uncles: A Unique Parenting Mode in Mosuo Culture |
| title_fullStr | The Relationship Between Children and Their Maternal Uncles: A Unique Parenting Mode in Mosuo Culture |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Relationship Between Children and Their Maternal Uncles: A Unique Parenting Mode in Mosuo Culture |
| title_short | The Relationship Between Children and Their Maternal Uncles: A Unique Parenting Mode in Mosuo Culture |
| title_sort | relationship between children and their maternal uncles a unique parenting mode in mosuo culture |
| topic | attachment parent–child relation maternal uncle–child relation the Mosuo the Han |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.873137/full |
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