Joking relationship refers to, an exchange of abuse and banter, an obscene and vulgar reference to sex, between two people. Various explanations have been given to explain the joking relationship.
The joking relationship may be indicative of equality and mutual reciprocity. They may also be indicative of a potentially sexual relationship. Thus, explained the joking relationship between a man and his wife’s younger sister and between a woman and her husband’s younger brother. A joking relationship with one’s maternal uncle’s wife may be indicative of the practice of inheriting all the property of one’s maternal uncle, including wife.
Among many primitive folks, joking relationships have been found to prevail, between grandparents and grandchildren. Thus among the Oraon and the Baiga tribe, such a joking relationship, when not mutual, assumes the role of social control. It becomes the indicator of correction through ridicule.
The anthropologist Radcliff Brown regards the joking relationship as a kind of friendliness expressed by a show of hostility. Exchange of abuse and even beating each other is at best sham hostility.
Chapple and Coon, the anthropologist, regard this usage as a way to stimulate a higher interaction rate between various people, which it may not be possible to do otherwise.
