Behavioral Ecology of the Family: Harnessing Theory to Better Understand Variation in Human Families
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Family Research in HBE
2.1. Mating, Marriage, and Divorce
2.2. Reproductive Outcomes: Timing of Births, Family Size, and Parental Investment in Children
2.3. Alloparenting
3. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
1 | More accurately described as ‘long-term pair bonding’ since marriage is cross-culturally variable. |
2 | Intimate relationships with people other than their marriage partner. |
3 | Western Educated Industrialized Rich and Democratic (Henrich et al. 2010) |
4 | Cultural evolutionists emphasize the role of group social norms, culturally transmitted traits (in contrast to genetically transmitted traits), and social influences at multiple interacting levels such as social networks, families, and social class to understand the evolution of human behavior. There are many similarities between the fields of HBE and cultural evolution with many researchers integrating these fields. |
5 | Fitness maximizing is not a conscious aim. Many decisions around mating, reproducing, and parenting are responses and reactions, and not necessarily done consciously. |
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Sheppard, P.; Snopkowski, K. Behavioral Ecology of the Family: Harnessing Theory to Better Understand Variation in Human Families. Soc. Sci. 2021, 10, 275. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10070275
Sheppard P, Snopkowski K. Behavioral Ecology of the Family: Harnessing Theory to Better Understand Variation in Human Families. Social Sciences. 2021; 10(7):275. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10070275
Chicago/Turabian StyleSheppard, Paula, and Kristin Snopkowski. 2021. "Behavioral Ecology of the Family: Harnessing Theory to Better Understand Variation in Human Families" Social Sciences 10, no. 7: 275. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10070275