The ethological point of view interpreted the ritual in terms of the conventional emotions associated with normative male and female behaviour, which Bateson called ethos. In Iatmul culture, observed by Bateson, men and women lived different emotional lives. For example, women were rather submissive and took delight in the achievements of others; men were fiercely competitive and flamboyant. During the ritual, however, men celebrated the achievements of their nieces and nephews while women were given a ritual license to act raucously. In effect, naven allowed men and women to experience momentarily the emotional lives of each other, thereby to achieve a level of psychological integration.
The ethological point of view interpreted the ritual in terms of the conventional emotions associated with normative male and female behaviour which Bateson called ethos In Iatmul culture observed by Bateson men and women lived different emotional lives For example women were rather submissive and took delight in the achievements of others; men were fiercely competitive and flamboyant During the ritual however men celebrated the achievements of their nieces and nephews while women were given a ritual license to act raucously In effect naven allowed men and women to experience momentarily the emotional lives of each other thereby to achieve a level of psychological integration