Paper claims “men’s height gains were 2.76 times larger than women’s in the first half of the twentieth century” in UK but for their results to be right UK would have had to have ranked roughly 197th out of 200 countries in female height gained during first half of the 20th c. by NCD-RisC estimates
This nonsense claim from this paper is making rounds on Twitter, claiming fertility & gender (in)equality correlated at .81. But the Gender Inequality Index includes adolescent fertility as part of the measure! When you rebuild the index without circular reproductive outcomes correlation cut in half
Another interesting pattern: leatherworking is commonly done by women in hunting and fishing societies, but in agricultural societies where it is a specialized craft it is nearly always done by men.
Will@evolvingmoloch.bsky.social · 2mo agoThe sexual division of labour regarding house construction shows a very consistent pattern cross-culturally: women usually construct the shelters in nomadic societies, while in sedentary societies men do it.
While I've seen both men and women building Hadza huts, much more often it is women (pictured). The sexual division of labour lit has zeroed in on hunting-vs-gathering; but much less is said about women's differential contributions to water-fetching, food-preparation, cooking, and house-building.
Will@evolvingmoloch.bsky.social · 2mo agoThe sexual division of labour regarding house construction shows a very consistent pattern cross-culturally: women usually construct the shelters in nomadic societies, while in sedentary societies men do it.
The sexual division of labour regarding house construction shows a very consistent pattern cross-culturally: women usually construct the shelters in nomadic societies, while in sedentary societies men do it.
Sexual Permissiveness in Polynesia: Was Margaret Mead Right? traditionsofconflict.substack.com/p/sexual-per...
Sexual Permissiveness in Polynesia: Was Margaret Mead Right?
Cross-cultural data and phylogenetic methods can shed light on old debates
traditionsofconflict.substack.com
Higher rates of polygyny are associated with stricter arranged marriages and larger age gaps at first marriage across the hunter-gatherer societies in the Binford and Apostolou datasets. From my talk at HBES
Had a good time presenting some of my work on black magic at the cultural evolution society conference
“The idea that humans evolved to be protective & sensitive to harm directed towards women appears increasingly popular in evolutionary psych [but] ethnographic evidence conflict with this perspective, [which seems] rooted in contemporary WEIRD values rather than an evolved psychological mechanism”
Did humans evolve to 'protect' women?
Ethnography complicates a convenient narrative
open.substack.com
Evolutionary psychologists have claimed that "humans evolved heightened sensitivity to harm directed at women." This excellent (albeit at times gruesome) post makes the point that the ethnographic evidence does not really support this narrative.
Did humans evolve to 'protect' women?
Ethnography complicates a convenient narrative
traditionsofconflict.substack.com
Uses of musical instruments in hunter-gatherer societies traditionsofconflict.substack.com/p/some-uses-...
Some Uses of Musical Instruments in Hunter-Gatherer Societies
Research over the last few years has demonstrated some important patterns of music use across societies.
traditionsofconflict.substack.com
Ritualized treatment of the umbilical cord after birth is common across hunter-gatherer societies traditionsofconflict.substack.com/p/cutting-th...
In many societies, after a child is born, the father is under a variety of restrictions, such as food and work taboos, under the belief that if he undertakes certain kinds of labor or consumes certain foods it would harm the child via sympathetic magic traditionsofconflict.substack.com/p/couvade
Couvade
After a child is born among the Kalinago of the West Indies, the mother is quick to get back to regular household work.
traditionsofconflict.substack.com
Independent hunter-gatherer societies from all over the world have used diss songs in the midst of their conflicts. traditionsofconflict.substack.com/p/diss-songs
"Considering its common use across nomadic hunter-gatherer societies, and what it represents—as a tool to enable the carrying of more tools—the belt may be a bit of an unsung hero of human history." traditionsofconflict.substack.com/p/handy-man
Handy man
In praise of the humble tool belt!
traditionsofconflict.substack.com
While most primates do not build sleeping nests, all the great apes do traditionsofconflict.substack.com/p/millions-o...
Millions of years of a good night's sleep
An ancient tradition that unites all hominids
traditionsofconflict.substack.com
“when a man is publicly accused of being a sorcerer he normally denies that he is. Nevertheless, some men have confided to me that they have successfully performed sorcery and they have told me whom they killed, how they did it, and why…They have even offered to teach me how to perform sorcery…”
Abortion procedures in hunter-gatherer societies traditionsofconflict.substack.com/p/abortion-p...
Abortion procedures in hunter-gatherer societies
In an article I wrote for Quillette a few years back, I discussed the high rates of infant and child mortality across societies throughout human history, before industrialization and the rise of more ...
traditionsofconflict.substack.com
Importantly though, he adds, “we must not forget that Baruya women have their own secrets, protecting them from men and constantly reminding them that women have powers too.” - @Evolving_Moloch traditionsofconflict.substack.com/p/womens-secre…
Women's secrets
Male cult secrecy offers something of a paradox, as it lays the foundation for performances that are often consciously ostentatious and attention-grabbing.
traditionsofconflict.substack.com
Toy, ritual tool, religious symbol, sound maker for hunting and herding? Quite an interesting survey by @Evolving_Moloch on the ethnographic and historic function and use of #bullroarers: https://traditionsofconflict.com/blog/2019/12/3/the-bullroarer
The Bullroarer — Traditions of Conflict
This insignificant toy is perhaps the most ancient, widel...
traditionsofconflict.com
"Such elaborate designs often take as long as five hours to execute, but are considered necessary to disguise the close relatives of a deceased Tiwi from his ghost as they approach the grave to carry out the final rituals" traditionsofconflict.substack.com/p/appeasing-...
