PART I: Pathways to the present -- 1. Envisioning evolution: representations of humanness and causation -- 2. Origin stories: the co-evolution of human anatomy and sociality -- 3. Losses and gains: economic and health transitions since the Neolithic Revolution -- PART II: Plasticity, identity, and health -- 4. Thicker than water: blood and milk in human evolution -- 5. Risk and responsibility: power and danger in individualized approaches to preventive health -- 6. Difference as destiny: race, sex, and culture -- PART III: Sex and gender -- 7. Choosers and cheaters: the sexual/reproductive conflict hypothesis -- 8. Hoe and plow, pig and cow: work, family, and gender stratification -- 9. Tale of two-spirits: constructing gender and sexuality, aptitudes and inclinations -- PART IV: Conflict and violence -- 10. Savage empathy: sources of competitiveness and cooperativeness, greed and generosity -- 11. Why stratify? Inequality and interpersonal violence -- 12. Peace and war: patterns and prevention of violent intergroup conflict -- Appendix: Life expectancy rate calculations -- Index.
Summary:
This text brings together biological and cross-cultural evidence to critically examine common preconceptions and challenge popular assumptions about human nature. It set outs to counter genetic and evolutionary myths about human variation and behavior, drawing on both biological and cultural anthropology, as well as from other disciplines including psychology, economics, and sociology.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.