father absence and cross‐sex identity: the puberty rites controversy revisited

Abstract

This paper re‐examines the puberty rites controversy associated with the work of John Whiting. Whiting explains the cross‐cultural association between severe male puberty rites and low salience of father in the early socialization process by means of the intervening variable of ambivalence in sex (gender) identity in the growing male. The authors of this paper investigated this intervening variable directly in a polygynous community in the United States. Their findings did not support the Whiting hypothesis. Furthermore, a review of the recent literature on the subject also did not support this hypothesis. Finally, a discussion of cognitive theory as it applies to the problem of male identity suggests alternative ways of viewing this issue.