The significance of the son's insufficient contact with his father during
infancy in regard to circumcision and segregation at puberty was examined.
It was found that among polygynous societies in which each co-wife lives
in a separate quarter with her children, where they have limited contact
with their father, males are significantly more likely to be circumcised or
segregated. The arrangement of separate quarters for co-wives appears to
be a key factor in explaining a long postpartum sexual taboo, circumcision,
and segregation. It is not the long postpartum sexual taboo but the separa
tion of each co-wife that is instrumental in bringing about circumcision
and sepreeation.
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