LeVine (1962) described another type of avoidance phenomenon-between co-wives in three polygamous African societies, the,Gusii, the Kipsigis, and the Luo. These cultures had different living arrangements among the co-wives, from close proximity to considerable separation. Among the Luo, wives’ homes were quite close and the women shared a common yard. Gusii wives lived in adjacent dwellings, but they often had fences separating their huts and had their own gardens and cattle pens. Kipsigis women lived at a distance from one another and had little day to day contact. LeVine noted that the often jealous and hostile relationship between co-wives was reflected in mutual accusations
of witchcraft and sorcery. He confirmed the hypothesis that the closer co-wives lived to one another, the greater the attributions they made about each other’s sorcery and witchcraft powers-an avoidance process that resulted in less contact between those living close to one another. Once again, the greater the forced contact between in-laws or those in analogous relationships, the more prevalent the mechanisms by which avoidance was achieved. (Naturally, it is recognized that co-wife competition may derive from sexual or inheritance competition and not exclusively from privacy regulation.)