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Jankowiak W. Is the pair bond a human universal? An analytical essay. Int Rev Psychiatry 2023; 35:16-24. [PMID: 37101369 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2023.2176743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
I argue the impulse to form a dyadic love bond and not the desire for sexual release accounts for the formation of a universality of the pair bond. This impulse is not recent but has been a pervasive force throughout human history. Recently, a reversionist position has argued we are more of a hybrid species that easily and readily shifts between a pair bond and a plural partner family arrangement. Although most humans live out their lives in a sexually monogamous union, it is not something that comes easily or naturally. Sexual monogamy requires adopting an ethical stance and personal dedication to maintain it. This raises the question: if humans need to be vigilant in their moral commitment to remain sexually faithful, does this vigilance extend also to the domain of love? Is it possible to find greater contentment and life-satisfaction in forming simultaneously sexual and emotional unions with a variety of individuals. This is the central question that lies at the core of the pair bond deniers who insist humans are not a pair bond species and can find fulfilment in a pluralistic love bond. I probe (below) the social and emotional nuances associated with what it means to be in an enduring love bond through exploring the social and psychological complexities often associated with being in love. I will then discuss efforts by groups and individuals who have sought to establish social bonds not organised around an exclusive pair bond, and what their efforts reveal about underlying human psychology. My analysis concludes with rendering an assessment of the relative success of the social and personal experiments in the search to find a more fulfilling arena for love.
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2
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Reynolds TA. Response to Commentaries: Variation in Women's Intrasexual Sociality by Life History Strategy, Patrilocal Legacy, and Polygyny. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3299-3310. [PMID: 35854162 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02378-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tania A Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Logan Hall, MSC03-2220, Albuquerque, NM, 87131-0001, USA.
- The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.
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Reynolds TA. Our Grandmothers' Legacy: Challenges Faced by Female Ancestors Leave Traces in Modern Women's Same-Sex Relationships. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3225-3256. [PMID: 33398709 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-020-01768-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Investigations of women's same-sex relationships present a paradoxical pattern, with women generally disliking competition, yet also exhibiting signs of intrasexual rivalry. The current article leverages the historical challenges faced by female ancestors to understand modern women's same-sex relationships. Across history, women were largely denied independent access to resources, often depending on male partners' provisioning to support themselves and their children. Same-sex peers thus became women's primary romantic rivals in competing to attract and retain relationships with the limited partners able and willing to invest. Modern women show signs of this competition, disliking and aggressing against those who threaten their romantic prospects, targeting especially physically attractive and sexually uninhibited peers. However, women also rely on one another for aid, information, and support. As most social groups were patrilocal across history, upon marriage, women left their families to reside with their husbands. Female ancestors likely used reciprocal altruism or mutualism to facilitate cooperative relationships with nearby unrelated women. To sustain these mutually beneficial cooperative exchange relationships, women may avoid competitive and status-striving peers, instead preferring kind, humble, and loyal allies. Ancestral women who managed to simultaneously compete for romantic partners while forming cooperative female friendships would have been especially successful. Women may therefore have developed strategies to achieve both competitive and cooperative goals, such as guising their intrasexual competition as prosociality or vulnerability. These historical challenges make sense of the seemingly paradoxical pattern of female aversion to competition, relational aggression, and valuation of loyal friends, offering insight into possible opportunities for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania A Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Logan Hall, MSC03-2220, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131-0001, USA.
- The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA.
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4
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Hayes BE, van Baak C. Intimate Partner Violence and Age at Marriage in Mali: The Moderating Influence of Polygynous Unions. Violence Against Women 2022; 29:1319-1342. [PMID: 35971564 DOI: 10.1177/10778012221108418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Polygyny and early marriage - both prevalent in Mali - are risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV). Relying on data from the 2018 Malian Demographic and Health Surveys, the study examines the effects of polygyny and age at marriage, while controlling for known risk factors of IPV, on the likelihood of experiencing IPV. Findings reveal that polygyny is associated with IPV. However, polygyny has a moderating influence on the association between age at marriage and the experience of physical abuse and controlling behavior. The complex nature of women's experiences and the need for culturally specific programming are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany E Hayes
- School of Criminal Justice, 2514University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Carlijn van Baak
- Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), The Netherlands.,Department of Sociology, 1234University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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5
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Human Females as a Dispersal-Egalitarian Species: A Hypothesis about Women and Status. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-022-00191-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Peacey S, Campbell OLK, Mace R. Same-sex competition and sexual conflict expressed through witchcraft accusations. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6655. [PMID: 35459279 PMCID: PMC9033826 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10315-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
There is significant cross-cultural variation in the sex of individuals most likely to be accused of practising witchcraft. Allegations of witchcraft might be a mechanism for nullifying competitors so resources they would have used become available to others. In this case, who is targeted may result from patterns of competition and conflict (same-sex or male-female) within specific relationships, which are determined by broader socio-ecological factors. Here we examine patterns of sex-specific accusations in historic cases from sub-Saharan Africa (N = 423 accusations). Male 'witches' formed the greater part of our sample, and were mostly accused by male blood-relatives and nonrelatives, often in connection to disputes over wealth and status. Accusations of women were mainly from kin by marriage, and particularly from husbands and co-wives. The most common outcomes were that the accused was forced to move, or suffered reputational damage. Our results suggest that competition underlies accusations and relationship patterns may determine who is liable to be accused.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Peacey
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton St, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Olympia L K Campbell
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton St, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ruth Mace
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton St, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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Abstract
Many male traits are well explained by sexual selection theory as adaptations to mating competition and mate choice, whereas no unifying theory explains traits expressed more in females. Anne Campbell's "staying alive" theory proposed that human females produce stronger self-protective reactions than males to aggressive threats because self-protection tends to have higher fitness value for females than males. We examined whether Campbell's theory has more general applicability by considering whether human females respond with greater self-protectiveness than males to other threats beyond aggression. We searched the literature for physiological, behavioral, and emotional responses to major physical and social threats, and found consistent support for females' responding with greater self-protectiveness than males. Females mount stronger immune responses to many pathogens; experience a lower threshold to detect, and lesser tolerance of, pain; awaken more frequently at night; express greater concern about physically dangerous stimuli; exert more effort to avoid social conflicts; exhibit a personality style more focused on life's dangers; react to threats with greater fear, disgust and sadness; and develop more threat-based clinical conditions than males. Our findings suggest that in relation to threat human females have relatively heightened protective reactions compared to males. The pervasiveness of this result across multiple domains suggests that general mechanisms might exist underlying females' unique adaptations. An understanding of such processes would enhance knowledge of female health and well-being.
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Owoo NS, Agadjanian V, Chama-Chiliba CM. Revisiting the polygyny and intimate partner violence connection: The role of religion and wife's rank in Nigeria. JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 2021; 83:1310-1331. [PMID: 38322647 PMCID: PMC10846687 DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Objective The study examines the association between polygyny and intimate partner violence (IPV) by focusing on the Muslim-vs.-Christian context of polygyny and on co-wives' rank. Background Although prior research points to a higher incidence of IPV in polygynous unions, the association between polygyny and IPV are not well understood. In particular, the role of broader cultural and religious context of marriage and its connection with intra-marital dynamics have not been examined. Method The study uses pooled data on over 42,000 women from the 2008, 2013 and 2018 rounds of the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey to examine the association of polygynous versus monogamous status of marriage, of Muslim versus Christian religious affiliation, and of co-wife rank within polygynous unions in both religions with women's reported experience of physical, emotional, and sexual IPV. Multivariate logit and propensity score models (PSM) are fitted, and the Rosenbaum bounds test is used to gauge the robustness of PSM results. Results Results show a clear disadvantage of polygynously married women, compared to monogamously married ones; IPV experience is more common among Christians than Muslims. Among women in polygynous marriages, senior wives are more likely to experience IPV than junior wives, but this difference is more pronounced among Christians. Results of a Rosenbaum bounds analysis indicate that unobserved selectivity does not present a challenge to causality between polygyny/wife rank and IPV, particularly when analyses are disaggregated by religion. Conclusion Findings reflect multi-dimensional gender inequalities embedded in the institution of polygynous marriage and their harmful consequences for women's health and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nkechi S. Owoo
- Department of Economics, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Victor Agadjanian
- Department of Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles
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9
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Geary DC. Evolution and Sex Differences in Political Engagement. PSYCHOLOGICAL INQUIRY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/1047840x.2021.1930766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David C. Geary
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
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10
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Geary DC. Now you see them, and now you don't: An evolutionarily informed model of environmental influences on human sex differences. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:26-32. [PMID: 33609571 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The contributions of evolutionary processes to human sex differences are vigorously debated. One counterargument is that the magnitude of many sex differences fluctuates from one context to the next, implying an environment origin. Sexual selection provides a framework for integrating evolutionary processes and environmental influences on the origin and magnitude of sex differences. The dynamics of sexual selection involve competition for mates and discriminative mate choices. The associated traits are typically exaggerated and condition-dependent, that is, their development and expression are very sensitive to social and ecological conditions. The magnitude of sex differences in sexually selected traits should then be largest under optimal social and ecological conditions and shrink as conditions deteriorate. The basics of this framework are described, and its utility is illustrated with discussion of fluctuations in the magnitude of human physical, behavioral, and cognitive sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Geary
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211-2500, United States.
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11
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Barclay KJ, Thorén RD, Hanson HA, Smith KR. The Effects of Marital Status, Fertility, and Bereavement on Adult Mortality in Polygamous and Monogamous Households: Evidence From the Utah Population Database. Demography 2020; 57:2169-2198. [PMID: 32935302 PMCID: PMC7732802 DOI: 10.1007/s13524-020-00918-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Although the associations among marital status, fertility, bereavement, and adult mortality have been widely studied, much less is known about these associations in polygamous households, which remain prevalent across much of the world. We use data from the Utah Population Database on 110,890 women and 106,979 men born up to 1900, with mortality follow-up into the twentieth century. We examine how the number of wife deaths affects male mortality in polygamous marriages, how sister wife deaths affect female mortality in polygamous marriages relative to the death of a husband, and how marriage order affects the mortality of women in polygamous marriages. We also examine how the number of children ever born and child deaths affect the mortality of men and women as well as variation across monogamous and polygamous unions. Our analyses of women show that the death of a husband and the death of a sister wife have similar effects on mortality. Marriage order does not play a role in the mortality of women in polygamous marriages. For men, the death of one wife in a polygamous marriage increases mortality to a lesser extent than it does for men in monogamous marriages. For polygamous men, losing additional wives has a dose-response effect. Both child deaths and lower fertility are associated with higher mortality. We consistently find that the presence of other kin in the household—whether a second wife, a sister wife, or children—mitigates the negative effects of bereavement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kieron J Barclay
- Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany. .,Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | - Heidi A Hanson
- Population Science, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Ken R Smith
- Population Science, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Scaffidi BK, Tung TA. Endemic violence in a pre-Hispanic Andean community: A bioarchaeological study of cranial trauma from the Majes Valley, Peru. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 172:246-269. [PMID: 31943137 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study examines violence-related cranial trauma frequencies and wound characteristics in the pre-Hispanic cemetery of Uraca in the lower Majes Valley, Arequipa, Peru, dating to the pre- and early-Wari periods (200-750 CE). Cranial wounds are compared between status and sex-based subgroups to understand how violence shaped, and was shaped by, these aspects of identity, and to reconstruct the social contexts of violence carried out by and against Uracans. MATERIALS AND METHODS Presence, location, and characteristics (lethality, penetration, and post-traumatic sequelae) of antemortem and perimortem cranial fractures are documented for 145 crania and compared between subgroups. Cranial wounds are mapped in ArcGIS and the locational distribution of injuries is compared between male and female crania. RESULTS Middle adult males were disproportionately interred at Uraca, particularly in the elite Sector I. The Uraca mortuary population presents the highest rate of cranial trauma reported for pre-Hispanic Peru: 67% of adults present trauma, and among those, 61.1% present more than one cranial injury. Males exhibit significantly more cranial trauma than females and present a higher mean number of injuries per person. Elite males show the highest mean number of injuries per person, more antemortem injuries, and are the only ones with perimortem cranial trauma, bladed injuries, penetrating injuries, and post-traumatic sequelae. Both sexes were most frequently injured on the anterior of the cranium, while the proportion of posterior injuries was higher for females. DISCUSSION The rate, intensity, and locational patterns of cranial trauma suggests the community was engaged in raids and/or war with enemy groups, some of which may have increased physical violence between community members. Engaging in violence was likely a prerequisite for burial in the elite sector and was bound up with the generation and maintenance of social status differences linked to male social life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth K Scaffidi
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Tiffiny A Tung
- Department of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
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13
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Gender, sexual orientation and type of relationship influence individual differences in jealousy: A large Brazilian sample. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.109805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Jansen NA, Agadjanian V. Polygyny and Intimate Partner Violence in Mozambique. JOURNAL OF FAMILY ISSUES 2020; 41:338-358. [PMID: 33518874 PMCID: PMC7845931 DOI: 10.1177/0192513x19876075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Polygyny has shown a positive association with intimate partner violence (IPV), yet the nature and mechanisms of this association are not well understood. This study uses data from rural Mozambique to distinguish women in polygynous unions by rank and co-residence. Findings show that senior wives report higher rates of violence than their junior-wife and monogamously married counterparts. At the same time, no difference is detected between junior wives and women in monogamous marriages. Additionally, the analysis finds that polygynously married women living away from their co-wives report higher rates of violence than both women co-residing with co-wives and women in monogamous unions, while the difference between the latter two categories is not statistically significant. However, the results also indicate that senior wives living away from their co-wives face particularly high risks of violence. These findings illustrate the social complexity of polygynous marriages and resulting differential vulnerabilities of women in them.
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Lees S, Kyegombe N, Diatta A, Zogrone A, Roy S, Hidrobo M. Intimate Partner Relationships and Gender Norms in Mali: The Scope of Cash Transfers Targeted to Men to Reduce Intimate Partner Violence. Violence Against Women 2020; 27:447-469. [PMID: 31992148 DOI: 10.1177/1077801219897853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Mali has implemented the Filets Sociaux (Jigisémèjiri) program that aims to reduce poverty through cash transfers (CTs) to predominantly male heads of household with accompanying measures. This paper reports on a qualitative study of the effects of the program on intimate partner relationships. In-depth interviews were conducted with men and women in monogamous and polygamous households. Findings revealed that the positive aspects of intimate partner relationships were communication and shared values. However, discussions around decision-making revealed male authority with limited influence by women. Physical violence was reported to be caused by tensions and disputes. Whereas sexual violence was contested, some women described sexual force as violence but men and women asserted that compliance in sexual matters by women was expected. Men also asserted control through preventing women from working outside the home. The CTs were managed by the husband, with some involvement of wives in decision-making about the use of CTs. CTs were reported to reduce household poverty and improve wellbeing, especially for men. There were reports of the effects of the program on IPV, especially in the reduction of physical violence, its effects on sexual violence and controlling behaviour were reported to be limited. Since women are not the primary recipients of the CT, there is limited effect on women's agency to challenge male authority and control around sexual and financial matters. CTs may be more effective if targeted to women, alongside skill and knowledge strengthening to utilize cash transfers to assert their rights to equality and prevent violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley Lees
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK
| | | | - Ampa Diatta
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Amanda Zogrone
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Shalini Roy
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Melissa Hidrobo
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
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Competitive reputation manipulation: Women strategically transmit social information about romantic rivals. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2018.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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18
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Polygynous marriage and child health in sub-Saharan Africa: What is the evidence for harm? DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.4054/demres.2018.39.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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Geary DC. Evolutionary perspective on sex differences in the expression of neurological diseases. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 176:33-53. [PMID: 29890214 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Sex-specific brain and cognitive deficits emerge with malnutrition, some infectious and neurodegenerative diseases, and often with prenatal or postnatal toxin exposure. These deficits are described in disparate literatures and are generally not linked to one another. Sexual selection may provide a unifying framework that integrates our understanding of these deficits and provides direction for future studies of sex-specific vulnerabilities. Sexually selected traits are those that have evolved to facilitate competition for reproductive resources or that influence mate choices, and are often larger and more complex than other traits. Critically, malnutrition, disease, chronic social stress, and exposure to man-made toxins compromise the development and expression of sexually selected traits more strongly than that of other traits. The fundamental mechanism underlying vulnerability might be the efficiency of mitochondrial energy capture and control of oxidative stress that in turn links these traits to current advances in neuroenergetics, stress endocrinology, and toxicology. The key idea is that the elaboration of these cognitive abilities, with more underlying gray matter or more extensive inter-modular white matter connections, makes them particularly sensitive to disruptions in mitochondrial functioning and oxidative stress. A framework of human sexually selected cognitive abilities and underlying brain systems is proposed and used to organize what is currently known about sex-specific vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Geary
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, University of Missouri, MO, 65211-2500, Columbia, United States.
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Uggla C, Gurmu E, Gibson MA. Are wives and daughters disadvantaged in polygynous households? A case study of the Arsi Oromo of Ethiopia. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Delgado-Darias T, Alberto-Barroso V, Velasco-Vázquez J. Violence in paradise: Cranial trauma in the prehispanic population of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:70-83. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Verónica Alberto-Barroso
- Tarha Research Group; University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35003 Spain
| | - Javier Velasco-Vázquez
- Historical Sciences Department; University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35003 Spain
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22
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Geary DC. Evolution of Human Sex-Specific Cognitive Vulnerabilities. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1086/694934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Yerges AL, Stevens PE, Mkandawire-Valhmu L, Bauer W, Ng'ombe Mwenyekonde T, Weinhardt LS, Galvao LW. Women's narratives of living in polygamous marriages: Rural Malawian experience distilled and preserved in poetic constructions. Health Care Women Int 2017; 38:873-891. [PMID: 28481143 DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2017.1326494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Polygamy in sub-Saharan Africa has been linked to poverty, infant mortality, and HIV; however, it is unknown how interpersonal dynamics within polygamous households may influence population health outcomes. Findings from this postcolonial feminist study derive from interview data in a larger mixed-methods study in rural Malawi. We used thematic narrative analysis to probe 25 women's stories and applied an arts-based research technique, poetic construction, to present the results. Participants' evocative expressions, distilled and preserved in poetic form, illustrate themes of perseverance, grief, agency, and reflection. We discuss how gender relations, childrearing, tradition, economics, and health intersect in polygamous households.
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Affiliation(s)
- April L Yerges
- a College of Nursing , University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , Milwaukee , Wisconsin , USA
| | - Patricia E Stevens
- a College of Nursing , University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , Milwaukee , Wisconsin , USA
| | | | - Wendy Bauer
- a College of Nursing , University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , Milwaukee , Wisconsin , USA
| | | | - Lance S Weinhardt
- c Zilber School of Public Health , University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , Milwaukee , Wisconsin , USA
| | - Loren W Galvao
- d Center for Global Health Equity, College of Nursing , University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , Milwaukee , Wisconsin , USA
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Geary DC. Evolution of Sex Differences in Trait- and Age-Specific Vulnerabilities. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2016; 11:855-876. [DOI: 10.1177/1745691616650677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Traits that facilitate competition for reproductive resources or that influence mate choice generally have a heightened sensitivity to stressors. They have evolved to signal resilience to infectious disease and nutritional and social stressors, and they are compromised by exposure to man-made toxins. Although these traits can differ from one species or sex to the next, an understanding of the dynamics of competition and choice can in theory be used to generate a priori predictions about sex-, age-, and trait-specific vulnerabilities for any sexually reproducing species. I provide a review of these dynamics and illustrate associated vulnerabilities in nonhuman species. The age- and sex-specific vulnerability of such traits is then illustrated for stressor-related disruptions of boys’ and girls’ physical growth and play behavior, as well as for aspects of boys’ and girls’ and men’s and women’s personality, language, and spatial abilities. There is much that remains to be determined, but enough is now known to reframe trait sensitivity in ways that will allow scientists and practitioners to better identify and understand vulnerable human traits, and eventually ameliorate or prevent their expression.
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Lowe M, Chen DR, Huang SL. Social and Cultural Factors Affecting Maternal Health in Rural Gambia: An Exploratory Qualitative Study. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163653. [PMID: 27661617 PMCID: PMC5035064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The high rate of maternal mortality reported in The Gambia is influenced by many factors, such as difficulties in accessing quality healthcare and facilities. In addition, socio-cultural practices in rural areas may limit the resources available to pregnant women, resulting in adverse health consequences. The aim of this study is to depict the gender dynamics in a rural Gambian context by exploring the social and cultural factors affecting maternal health. METHODS AND FINDINGS Five focus group discussions that included 50 participants (aged 15-30 years, with at least one child) and six in-depth interviews with traditional birth attendants were conducted to explore perceptions of maternal health issues among rural women. The discussion was facilitated by guides focusing on issues such as how the women perceived their own physical health during pregnancy, difficulties in keeping themselves healthy, and health-related problems during pregnancy and delivery. The data resulting from the discussion was transcribed verbatim and investigated using a qualitative thematic analysis. In general, rural Gambian women did not enjoy privileges in their households when they were pregnant. The duties expected of them required pregnant women to endure heavy workloads, with limited opportunities for sick leave and almost nonexistent resources to access prenatal care. The division of labor between men and women in the household was such that women often engaged in non-remunerable field work with few economic resources, and their household duties during pregnancy were not alleviated by either their husbands or the other members of polygamous households. At the time of delivery, the decision to receive care by trained personnel was often beyond the women's control, resulting in birth-related complications. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that despite women's multiple roles in the household, their positions are quite unfavorable. The high maternal morbidity and mortality rate in The Gambia is related to practices associated with gender inequality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mat Lowe
- Institute of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C)
| | - Duan-Rung Chen
- Institute of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C)
- Institute of Health Behaviors and Community Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C)
| | - Song-Lih Huang
- Department of Public Health, International Health Program, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C)
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Kanazawa S. Possible evolutionary origins of human female sexual fluidity. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1251-1274. [PMID: 27196099 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
I propose an evolutionary theory of human female sexual fluidity and argue that women may have been evolutionarily designed to be sexually fluid in order to allow them to have sex with their cowives in polygynous marriage and thus reduce conflict and tension inherent in such marriage. In addition to providing an extensive definition and operationalization of the concept of sexual fluidity and specifying its ultimate function for women, the proposed theory can potentially solve several theoretical and empirical puzzles in evolutionary psychology and sex research. Analyses of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) confirm the theory's predictions that: (i) women (but not men) who experience increased levels of sexual fluidity have a larger number of children (suggesting that female sexual fluidity, if heritable, may be evolutionarily selected); (ii) women (but not men) who experience marriage or parenthood early in adult life subsequently experience increased levels of sexual fluidity; and (iii) sexual fluidity is significantly positively correlated with known markers of unrestricted sexual orientation among women whereas it is significantly negatively correlated with such markers among men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Kanazawa
- Managerial Economics and Strategy Group, Department of Management, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, UK
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Geary DC. Can Neglected Tropical Diseases Compromise Human Wellbeing in Sex-, Age-, and Trait-Specific Ways? PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004489. [PMID: 27077746 PMCID: PMC4831682 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Traits that facilitate competition for reproductive resources or that influence mate choice have evolved to signal resilience to infectious disease and other stressors. As a result, the dynamics of competition and choice can, in theory, be used to generate predictions about sex-, age-, and trait-specific vulnerabilities for any sexually reproducing species, including humans. These dynamics and associated vulnerabilities are reviewed for nonhuman species, focusing on traits that are compromised by exposure to parasites. Using the same approach, sex-, age-, and trait-specific vulnerabilities to parasitic disease are illustrated for children's and adolescent's physical growth and fitness. Suggestions are then provided for widening the assessment of human vulnerabilities to include age-appropriate measures of behavioral (e.g., children's play) and cognitive (e.g., language fluency) traits. These are traits that are likely to be compromised by infection in age- and sex-specific ways. Inclusion of these types of measures in studies of neglected tropic diseases has the potential to provide a more nuanced understanding of how these diseases undermine human wellbeing and may provide a useful means to study the efficacy of associated treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C. Geary
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
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Fletcher GJO, Simpson JA, Campbell L, Overall NC. Pair-bonding, romantic love, and evolution: the curious case of Homo sapiens. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2015; 10:20-36. [PMID: 25910380 DOI: 10.1177/1745691614561683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
This article evaluates a thesis containing three interconnected propositions. First, romantic love is a "commitment device" for motivating pair-bonding in humans. Second, pair-bonding facilitated the idiosyncratic life history of hominins, helping to provide the massive investment required to rear children. Third, managing long-term pair bonds (along with family relationships) facilitated the evolution of social intelligence and cooperative skills. We evaluate this thesis by integrating evidence from a broad range of scientific disciplines. First, consistent with the claim that romantic love is an evolved commitment device, our review suggests that it is universal; suppresses mate-search mechanisms; has specific behavioral, hormonal, and neuropsychological signatures; and is linked to better health and survival. Second, we consider challenges to this thesis posed by the existence of arranged marriage, polygyny, divorce, and infidelity. Third, we show how the intimate relationship mind seems to be built to regulate and monitor relationships. Fourth, we review comparative evidence concerning links among mating systems, reproductive biology, and brain size. Finally, we discuss evidence regarding the evolutionary timing of shifts to pair-bonding in hominins. We conclude there is interdisciplinary support for the claim that romantic love and pair-bonding, along with alloparenting, played critical roles in the evolution of Homo sapiens.
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Scelza BA. Perceptions of polygyny: the effects of offspring and other kin on co-wife satisfaction. BIODEMOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL BIOLOGY 2015; 61:98-110. [PMID: 25879264 DOI: 10.1080/19485565.2014.981795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The costs and benefits of polygyny have been widely debated and vary according to local sociopolitical context, the level of female autonomy, and economic considerations such as the mode of production. This study aims to understand perceptions of polygyny as a function of household demography, particularly the number of female kin present in the household who can provide labor that is largely substitutable to that of a co-wife. The presence of these helpers is proposed to shift the cost-benefit structure of polygyny, in which having more female kin available is associated with a more negative view of the practice. Interview and census data from 106 Himba women, who are traditional, seminomadic pastoralists, were used to test this prediction. Among married women who reside patrilocally, the presence of more elder daughters was associated with a more negative view of polygyny. Among unmarried women, who reside in their natal homes, it is the total number of adult female kin that predicts perception of polygyny. In addition, unmarried women are significantly more likely to report fights over resources as a source of co-wife conflicts when they have more dependent children, but no such association was found among married women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke A Scelza
- a Department of Anthropology , University of California, Los Angeles , Los Angeles , California , USA
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Martin DL, Harrod RP. Bioarchaeological contributions to the study of violence. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2014; 156 Suppl 59:116-45. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Debra L. Martin
- Department of Anthropology; University of Nevada; Las Vegas NV 89119
| | - Ryan P. Harrod
- Department of Anthropology; University of Alaska; Anchorage AK 99508
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Reflections on the Evolution of Human Sex Differences: Social Selection and the Evolution of Competition Among Women. Evol Psychol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0314-6_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Benenson JF. The development of human female competition: allies and adversaries. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20130079. [PMID: 24167309 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout their lives, women provide for their own and their children's and grandchildren's needs and thus must minimize their risk of incurring physical harm. Alliances with individuals who will assist them in attaining these goals increase their probability of survival and reproductive success. High status in the community enhances access to physical resources and valuable allies. Kin, a mate, and affines share a mother's genetic interests, whereas unrelated women constitute primary competitors. From early childhood onwards, girls compete using strategies that minimize the risk of retaliation and reduce the strength of other girls. Girls' competitive strategies include avoiding direct interference with another girl's goals, disguising competition, competing overtly only from a position of high status in the community, enforcing equality within the female community and socially excluding other girls.
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Gray PB. Evolution and human sexuality. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 152 Suppl 57:94-118. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Accepted: 08/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter B. Gray
- Department of Anthropology; University of Nevada; Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5003
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Al-Krenawi A. Mental health and polygamy: The Syrian case. World J Psychiatry 2013; 3:1-7. [PMID: 24175180 PMCID: PMC3782180 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v3.i1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2012] [Revised: 11/29/2012] [Accepted: 02/07/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM: To examine the psychological, self-esteem (SE), family function, marital satisfaction, life satisfaction and degree of agreement with the practice of polygamy among polygamous women with a control group from monogamous women in Syria.
METHODS: Convenience sample of 136 women, 64 of whom were wives in polygamous marriages and 72 were wives in monogamous marriages participated in this study. A snowball method of sampling was used, conducted by undergraduate local female students trained to collect data according to culturally competent methods. The following research instruments were deployed: the symptoms checklist-90, the Rosenberg SE, the Life Satisfaction, family function and marital satisfaction.
RESULTS: Findings revealed that women in polygamous marriages experienced lower SE, less life satisfaction, less marital satisfaction and more mental health symptomatology than women in monogamous marriages. Many of the mental health symptoms were different; noteworthy were elevated somatization, depression, hostility and psychoticism and their general severity index was higher. Furthermore, “first wife syndrome” was examined in polygamous families, comparing first with second and third wives in polygamous marriages. Findings indicated that first wives reported on more family problems, less SE, more anxiety, more paranoid ideation, and more psychoticism than second and third wives.
CONCLUSION: These results are best understood through consideration of the socio-cultural and economic realities facing these women. Implications for mental health practice, policy and further research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alean Al-Krenawi
- Alean Al-Krenawi, Department of Social Work, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
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Abstract
Women's social networks and social power are increasingly seen as important factors modulating their health in sub-Saharan Africa. Polygyny, a common marital structure in many societies, mediates important intra-household relationships by requiring both competition and co-operation among co-wives. Using mixed methods, semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 298 women aged 15-84 living in the Kolondiéba region of rural Mali in 1999, and supplemented by detailed interviews with 40 women. Three categories of outcome were explored: illness experience, therapeutic itinerary and social support received. Quantitative data were analysed using regression analysis and qualitative data using a grounded theory approach. In quantitative analyses, controlling for age and household wealth index, senior wives were less likely to be escorted to a healer by their husbands during illness than were junior wives or monogamous women. Polygynous women were also less likely to obtain a treatment for which there was a monetary fee. Fewer than one-third of polygynous women reported the assistance of a co-wife during illness in any given task. In qualitative analyses, women further related varied mechanisms through which polygyny impacted their health trajectories. These ranged from strongly supportive relationships, to jealousy because of unequal health or fertility, bias in emotional and material support provided by husbands, and accusations of wrong-doing and witchcraft. This study highlights the need for more prospective mixed methods analyses to further clarify the impact of polygyny on women's health-related experiences and behaviours in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Bove RM, Vala-Haynes E, Valeggia C. Women's health in urban Mali: social predictors and health itineraries. Soc Sci Med 2012; 75:1392-9. [PMID: 22818488 PMCID: PMC3560408 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2012] [Revised: 05/30/2012] [Accepted: 06/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Social and marital factors may influence women's health outcomes. This is of particular relevance in sub-Saharan Africa, where women's health indicators lag behind the rest of the world. Our study examines the impact of social mediators of women's health during key events (pregnancy and illness) in urban Mali. In this cross-sectional study, we interviewed 324 women aged 15-80, living in Bamako, the capital city, in 1999. We used mixed quantitative and qualitative methods to obtain detailed histories of pregnancy and illness during specific time periods preceding the survey. We examined the role of marital factors (polygyny, widowhood), social factors (sources of support and scales derived for social network and social power), and household wealth on women's therapeutic itineraries. We compared the sociodemographic characteristics of our sample with those of the 2001 Mali Demographic and Health Survey and used their data on contraception to enrich analyses. We found that most pregnant women delivered in a health center and most women sought medical care during an illness event. Household wealth influenced illness reporting, and financial concerns were obstacles to medical care. Polygyny was associated with lower prevalence of contraceptive use, lower social power, as well as with less support received during pregnancy from women's husbands and in-laws. Widowhood appeared to increase susceptibility to illness, while decreasing resort to biomedical care. Our social composite scores highlighted differences in healthcare utilization in an urban setting with near-uniform access to biomedical care. We validate the utility of locally-derived composite scores, which may provide a deeper understanding into the social mediation of health outcomes for women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley M Bove
- Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, NRB168, Boston MA 02115, USA
| | - Emily Vala-Haynes
- Population Studies Center, 239 McNeil Building, University of Pennsylvania, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6298, USA
| | - Claudia Valeggia
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, 432 University Museum, 3260 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6398, USA
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A Survey of Non-Classical Polyandry. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2012; 23:149-72. [DOI: 10.1007/s12110-012-9144-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Abstract
The anthropological record indicates that approximately 85 per cent of human societies have permitted men to have more than one wife (polygynous marriage), and both empirical and evolutionary considerations suggest that large absolute differences in wealth should favour more polygynous marriages. Yet, monogamous marriage has spread across Europe, and more recently across the globe, even as absolute wealth differences have expanded. Here, we develop and explore the hypothesis that the norms and institutions that compose the modern package of monogamous marriage have been favoured by cultural evolution because of their group-beneficial effects-promoting success in inter-group competition. In suppressing intrasexual competition and reducing the size of the pool of unmarried men, normative monogamy reduces crime rates, including rape, murder, assault, robbery and fraud, as well as decreasing personal abuses. By assuaging the competition for younger brides, normative monogamy decreases (i) the spousal age gap, (ii) fertility, and (iii) gender inequality. By shifting male efforts from seeking wives to paternal investment, normative monogamy increases savings, child investment and economic productivity. By increasing the relatedness within households, normative monogamy reduces intra-household conflict, leading to lower rates of child neglect, abuse, accidental death and homicide. These predictions are tested using converging lines of evidence from across the human sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Henrich
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada.
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In the Company of Men: Quality of Life and Social Support Among the Ariaal of Northern Kenya. J Cross Cult Gerontol 2011; 26:221-37. [DOI: 10.1007/s10823-011-9146-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Pollet TV, Fawcett TW, Buunk AP, Nettle D. Sex-ratio biasing towards daughters among lower-ranking co-wives in Rwanda. Biol Lett 2009; 5:765-8. [PMID: 19586966 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is considerable debate as to whether human females bias the sex ratio of their offspring as a function of their own condition. We apply the Trivers-Willard prediction-that mothers in poor condition will overproduce daughters-to a novel measure of condition, namely wife rank within a polygynous marriage. Using a large-scale sample of over 95 000 Rwandan mothers, we show that lower-ranking polygynous wives do indeed have significantly more daughters than higher-ranking polygynous wives and monogamously married women. This effect remains when controlling for potential confounds such as maternal age. We discuss these results in reference to previous work on sex-ratio adjustment in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas V Pollet
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat II, 1, 9712TS Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Abstract
In this paper we review the literature on the association between polygyny and women's health in sub-Saharan Africa. We argue that polygyny is an example of "co-operative conflict" within households, with likely implications for the vulnerability of polygynous women to illness, and for their access to treatment. We begin with a review of polygyny and then examine vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections (STIs, including HIV) and differential reproductive outcomes. Polygyny is associated with an accelerated transmission of STIs, both because it permits a multiplication of sexual partners and because it correlates with low rates of condom use, poor communication between spouses, and age and power imbalances among other factors. Female fertility is affected by the interplay between marital rank, household status, and cultural norms in polygynous marriages. Finally, we present areas which have received only cursory attention: mental health and a premature, "social" menopause. Although data are scarce, polygyny seems to be associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression, particularly around stressful life events. It is our hope that the examples reviewed here will help build a framework for mixed method quality research, which in turn can inform decision makers on more appropriate, context-dependent health policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley Bove
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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