Cyclical processing of maternal lineage and parent–child dynamics
The dual family relationship system in the matrilineal Mosuo society
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21628557 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jue Wang (0000-0002-6305-4298, The University of Tokyo, corresponding author), Toshihiko Endo (The University of Tokyo) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 1793-1804 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Current Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1046-1310 • E-ISSN: 1936-4733 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12144-025-07294-0 |
| OpenAlex | W4406251670 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 35 |
The matrilineal Mosuo, an ethnic community of 40,000 individuals in Southwest China, uphold a unique family structure characterized by a maternal kin-based household and a dual-residence “Sese” marriage system. Within this system, children belong to their mother’s household, and men assume the responsibility of caring for their sisters’ children, rather than their own biological offspring. Despite its uniqueness, the relationship dynamics within this family system have not been thoroughly examined. This study sought to investigate these multi-generational family dynamics using a psychological projective test. Participants in the caregiver–child pair ( $$\:N=36$$ , First Generation: $$\:N=17$$ , $$\:{M}_{age}=40.59,\:SD=6.46$$ ; Second Generation: $$\:N=19,\:{M}_{age}=15.74,\:SD=5.59$$ ) completed the Family Image Test, providing a visual representation of their perceived relationship structures with various family members. The results revealed a distinct family hierarchy within the matrilineal Mosuo family that emphasizes elders’ authority. Interestingly, younger family members demonstrated a tendency to form closer bonds with their parents than the first generation, without compromising their intimacy with maternal relatives. This suggests the existence of a dual family relationship system that encompasses both the maternal kinship cycle and the nuclear family cycle. The dual relationship system of the matrilineal Mosuo reflects the deep influence of matrilineal lineage, cultural norms, and socialization, interwoven with the impacts of integration with the patrilineal Han Chinese and the transformative effects of contemporary socio-economic conditions
Biology · China · Developmental psychology · Ethnic group · Extended family · Geography · Kinship · Nuclear family · Offspring · Socialization · Sociology · Anthropology · Cognitive Abilities and Testing · Demography · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Face Recognition and Perception · Gender Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology · Genetics
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Influence of language and culture on retrieval-induced forgetting under the self-referential condition
Elucidating evolutionary principles with the traditional Mosuo
Re-thinking ‘Matriarchy’ in Modern Matriarchal Studies using two examples
Family structures and women’s status in rural areas of Xining, China
Ethnic Tourism and Minority Identity
Khasi Women and Matriliny
Development at the Edge of Difference
Communal breeding by women is associated with lower investment from husbands
Market integration, income inequality, and kinship system among the Mosuo of China
Cultural Interaction under State Expansion in the Sino-Tibetan Borderlands
From Nü Guo to Nü’er Guo
Family, gender and identity
A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Climacteric Symptoms, Health-Seeking Behavior, and Attitudes towards Menopause Among Mosuo Women and Han Chinese Women in Yunnan, China
Matrilineal Family Ties and Marital Dissolution in Ghana
Paternal Investment and the Positive Effects of Fathers among the Matrilineal Mosuo of Southwest China
Economic Impacts of Tourism and Erosion of the Visiting System Among the Mosuo of Lugu Lake
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |