article

Symbolic interaction in rituals of gender and procreation among the Garifuna (Black Caribs) of Honduras

Ethos • 19 (1) • Published In 1991 • Pages: 52-67

By: Chernela, Janet Marion.

Abstract
In this article Chernela examines the practice of couvade among the Garifuna. The author argues that couvade is not about equivalence but a “dramatization of maleness.” The key relationships expressed in couvade are not between husband and wife but between father and son and brother-in-laws, i.e., the mother's brother and father/husband. According to Chernela, the father is identifying with the child, because they both share the same substance. In Garifuna matrilateral society, the mother's brother is provider and nurturer, and the father/husband/child are at the receiving end of such benevolence.
Subjects
Family relationships
Parents-in-law and children-in-law
Animism
Ethnoanatomy
Postnatal care
Infant care
culture
Garifuna
HRAF PubDate
2005
Region
Middle America and the Caribbean
Sub Region
Central America
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnographer
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard ; 2003
Field Date
1970-1974
Coverage Date
1970-1974
Coverage Place
Sambo Crique, Corozal, Armenia, and Punta Gorda, Honduras
Notes
Janet M. Chernela
Includes bibliographical references (p. 66-67)
LCCN
73643517
LCSH
Garifuna (Caribbean people)