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toward a complex model of parenthood: two African tales
Author(s) -
HOUSEMAN MICHAEL
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
american ethnologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.875
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1548-1425
pISSN - 0094-0496
DOI - 10.1525/ae.1988.15.4.02a00040
Subject(s) - opposition (politics) , limiting , sociology , representation (politics) , gender studies , political science , law , mechanical engineering , politics , engineering
The analysis of two African folktales suggests a novel cross‐cultural model of parenthood. It is argued that the representation of jural mother‐ and fatherhood are universally constrained by the limiting conditions of their relationship. These conditions are defined by alternative hierarchical schemes in which fatherhood in one case, and motherhood in the other, are defined recursively: the fulfillment of fatherhood relies upon an identification with prior fatherhood, that of motherhood upon an opposition to prior motherhood.