Growing Up Sexually

 


 

Rājpūts(India)

More: Abor, Lingayats, Bengali, Punjabi; Brahmans, Nagas, Chamars, Nayar, Todas, Hill Maria Gond, Hill Saoras, Sinhalese, Purum, Veda, Santals, Garos, Muria Gonds, Baiga, Nimar Bahalis, Telugu, Lepcha, Lodha, Uttar Pradesh, Andamanese, Nicorbarese


 

 

As observed by Minturn and Hitchcock (1963)[1] young boys wear a black cord around their waist, according to some mothers to “to make the vein in the penis grow straight” lest a contrary condition caused impotence (p312-3). “Although the infants and small children wore nothing but shirts, we saw no evidence of masturbation. Whether or not the babies masturbate while hidden under their covering of quilts we were not, of course, able to observe. Since infants are usually carried when they are not sleeping, they do not have much opportunity to masturbate”. Aunts may “playfully pull the child’s penis while joking with him” (p316). No comments are made on childhood.

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Janssen, D. F., Growing Up Sexually. VolumeI. World Reference Atlas. 0.2 ed. 2004. Berlin: Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology, Berlin

Last revised: Sept 2004

 



[1] Minturn, L. & Hitchcock, J. T. (1963) The Rājpūts of Khalapur, in Whiting, B. B. (Ed.) Six Cultures: Studies of Child Rearing. New York: Wiley, p207-361