Kinship usages or behaviour: Kinship behaviour or usages refer to definite and comparatively stable patterns of behaviour of different members of a kin group. These behaviour patterns may be verbal and/or non-verbal. Some the kinship usages are the following:

1. Avoidance: It is a type of usage through which some restrictions are imposed on close interaction of certain kinsmen. Among the Hindus, as a result of such restrictions, certain relatives avoid talking to each other directly, avoid physical contact and maintain minimum social interaction with each other and so on. Some of the kinds covered by such restrictions among the Hindus are parent-in-law and daughter-in-law, mother-in-law and son-in-law, husband's elder brother and younger brother's wife etc.

2. Joking relationship: It is just the opposite of avoidance. The relatives are free to crack jokes at each other's expense, tease each other and make fun of each other under this form of behaviour. The relatives under this category are expected not to take offence or to mind each other's conduct.

Joking relations are generally found between a man and his wife's younger sister or between a woman and her husband's younger brother. 

3. Teknonymy: When the two kinsmen do not contact each other directly rather through a third person or a symbol, the usage is known as teknonymy.

The practice is very common in rural India, where women generally do not utter the names of their husbands or elderly in-laws. Women refer to their husbands as the father of her child.

4. Avunculate: It is the kind of behaviour or usage which gives the maternal uncle an important status so far as his sister's children are concerned. The maternal uncle's is considered more important than even the father. The maternal uncle transfers his property to his nephew (i.e. the sister's son). The nephew works for him rather than his own father. Sometimes the sister's children are brought up in their maternal uncle's family. Avunculate is common in matrilineal societies.

5. Amitate: The kinship behaviour which assigns a special role to one's father's sister is called amitate. Her role is similar to that of the maternal uncle under avunculate. The children show special respect to their father's sister. Sometimes, the children are brought up in her house and inherit her property. She is called female-father in societies practising amitate. It is usually found in patrilineal societies.

6. Couade: It is kinship behaviour in which a husband imitates the behaviour of his wife during pregnancy and child birth. The husband also leads the life of an invalid along with his wife whenever she gives birth to a child. He refrains from active life, goes on a sick diet and observes certain taboos. This practice is common among Khasi tribe of Assam and Toda tribe of Nilgiri Hills.