Download or read book Rethinking Human Adaptation written by Rada Dyson-hudson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-06-26 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most anthropologists agree that a comprehension of adaptation and adaptive processes is central to an understanding of human biological and behavioural systems. However, there is little agreement among archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, and human biologists as to what adaptation means and how it should be analyzed. Because of this lack of a common underlying theory, method, and perspective, the subdisciplines have tended to move apart, and anthropology is no longer the integrated science envisaged at its inception in the nineteenth century. In this book, the authors–both biological and cultural anthropologists–use a common theoretical framework based on recent evolutionary, ecological, and anthropological theory in their analyses of biological and social adaptive systems. Although a synthesis of the subdisciplines of anthropology lies somewhere in the future, the original essays in this volume are a first attempt at a unified perspective.
Download or read book Population and Nutrition written by Massimo Livi Bacci and published by CUP Archive. This book was released on 1991-01-31 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this essay, the mechanisms of biological, social and cultural nature linking subsistence, mortality and population are discussed.
Download or read book Current Developments in Anthropological Genetics written by Michael H. Crawford and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 536 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume examines the interrelationship of ecology, subsistence pat terns, and the observed genetic variation in human populations. Hence, the book is divided conceptually into the following categories: nonhuman primates, hunters and gatherers, nomads, swidden agriculturalists, peas ant farmers, religious isolates, and modern and urban aggregates. While many of these populations have experienced (and are experiencing) ac culturation as a result of contact with technologically more advanced groups, the genetic structures described in this volume attempt to recon struct the traditional patterns as well as genetic changes because of con tact. Most chapters also integrate biological (genetic), social, and de mographic data within an ecological frame thus presenting a holistic view of the population structures of ecologically distinct groups. The first chapter examines the body of early nonhuman primate lit erature that emphasized ecological determinism in effecting the popula tion structure of our primate ancestors-relatives. It also examines more recent literature (since 1970) in which it became apparent that greater flexibility exists in primate social structure within specific environmental frameworks. Thus, it appears that our nonhuman primate evolutionary heritage is not one of ecological determinism in social organization but one of flexibility and rapid change suggesting the evolutionary success of our species is based upon a system of flexibility and that social ad aptations can be accomplished in a number of diverse ways.
Download or read book Human Population Biology written by Michael A. Little and published by Research Monographs on Human P. This book was released on 1989 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a careful integration of the social and biological sciences, drawing on anthropology, biology, human ecology and medicine to provide a comprehensive understanding of how our species adapts to natural and man-made environments.
Download or read book Health and Lifestyle Change written by Rebecca Huss-Ashmore and published by UPenn Museum of Archaeology. This book was released on 1992-06-29 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The health impacts of changing behavior and lifestyle in a range of prehistoric, historic, and extant populations are examined in this volume. Of particular interest to the authors is the identification of issues that link past and present, and the ability of research on disease in the past to shed light on modern health problems. MASCA Vol. 9
Download or read book Human Variation written by Stephen Molnar and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-09-04 with total page 509 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Basic text for the sophomore/junior level course in Human Variation or Human Diversity taught anthropology or biology departments. This classic introduction to human variation, has been thoroughly updated to include the issues and controversies facing the contemporary study of diversity.
Download or read book The Ecosystem Approach in Anthropology written by Emilio F. Moran and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 1990 with total page 504 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A reassessment of the ecosystem concept for anthropology
Download or read book Demography of the Dobe Kung written by Nancy Howell and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-11-22 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First published in 1979, this is a classic study of the population of the Bushmen of the Kalahari Deselt of Botswana. Using methods that are simple and fully illustrated, the author presents empirical descriptions of the fertility, mortality, and marriage patterns of the now famous !Kung hunter-gatherers. The !King "Bushman" people of the Kalahari desert in Africa occupy an anomalous position in the world of science. They have been selected for intensive study precisely because they are geographically, socially, and economically removed from modern, industrialized society, living in a sparsely settled and remote portion of an enormous semidesert. The !Kung maintain the language and culture of a fully develop hunting and gathering society with (until very recently) no dependence on cultivated plants, no domesticated animals other than the dog, no stratification system based on kinship or occupation, no power or authority structure extending further than the local bands composed of a few related families, no wage labor, no use of money, and no settled sites of occupation. At the same time, the !Kung have become well-known figures to students—both undergraduate and professional—of Western social science. The faces of !Kung informants gaze from the covers and the illustrations of many texts in anthropology and sociology. Why has all this attention been developed around the !Kung people? Part of the answer lies in the people themselves. The !Kung are a physically attractive people, with slender, graceful bodies and open small-featured faces that are appealing and photogenic. Their culture is simple and has its striking features. The struggle for subsistence, the click language, the emphasis on sharing and humility, the drama of the curing dances in which individuals go into trance and speak directly to spirits to cure sickness, and the pervasive humor, teasing, and playfulness of the !Kung style are all features that are relatively easy to convey and interesting to l earn about. This work covers areas such as marriage, fertility, disease, mortality, history, and the projected future of the !Kung. This book will be of interest to students of demographic studies, anthropology, and African studies.
Download or read book Coevolution written by William H. Durham and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 1991 with total page 658 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charles Darwin's "On the Origins of Species" had two principal goals: to show that species had not been separately created and to show that natural selection had been the main force behind their proliferation and descent from common ancestors. In "Coevolution," the author proposes a powerful new theory of cultural evolution--that is, of the descent with modification of the shared conceptual systems we call "cultures"--that is parallel in many ways to Darwin's theory of organic evolution. The author suggests that a process of cultural selection, or preservation by preference, driven chiefly by choice or imposition depending on the circumstances, has been the main but not exclusive force of cultural change. He shows that this process gives rise to five major patterns or "modes" in which cultural change is at odds with genetic change. Each of the five modes is discussed in some detail and its existence confirmed through one or more case studies chosen for their heuristic value, the robustness of their data, and their broader implications. But "Coevolution" predicts not simply the existence of the five modes of gene-culture relations; it also predicts their relative importance in the ongoing dynamics of cultural change in particular cases. The case studies themselves are lucid and innovative reexaminations of an array of oft-pondered anthropological topics--plural marriage, sickle-cell anemia, basic color terms, adult lactose absorption, incest taboos, headhunting, and cannibalism. In a general case, the author's goal is to demonstrate that an evolutionary analysis of both genes and culture has much to contribute to our understanding of human diversity, particularly behavioral diversity, and thus to the resolution of age-old questions about nature and nurture, genes and culture.
Download or read book Women s Choices and the Risk of Poverty written by Sharon Warner Methvin and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 1997 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Health care policy and proposals for national health care reform have become some of the most contentious political issues of the decade. Garland Publishing announces a new series addressing the most significant issues in the area of health care policy and the business of health care in the United States. books in this multidisciplinary series will include studies of health care practice, the health care business, the implications of multicultural perspectives on health care for public policy, the impact of insurance on health care, and debates over national health care policy, including health care reform. This collection of timely works will offer significant scholarly perspectives on one of the most important issues in public policy.Identifies five kinds of povertyThis study chronicles the lives of 47 Oklahoma women and their experiences with poverty. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, the author examines the relationship between the age at which a woman first gives birth, her marital status then and later in life, and her corresponding risk for entering and exiting poverty. Five categories of women in poverty are identified in the research: Welfare Dependent, Cyclers, Combiners, Temporary Poverty, and Self Sufficient. The author illustrates each type of poverty through insightful case studies which include quotes from the ethnographic interviews and quantitative analysis. The book addresses a variety of the women's experiences, ranging from sexual activity, contraceptive practices, and intimate relationships to their straggles as primary caretakers dealing with education, employment, and government assistance.Discusses feminization of povertyThe study finds thatmany women shift between welfare dependency and husband dependency because of occupational segregation, primary child-rearing responsibilities, and other cultural factors. The research describes the relationships between low wages for women, their marriage and education
Download or read book The Juvenile Skeleton in Forensic Abuse Investigations written by Ann H. Ross and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-07-26 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Juvenile homicide and fatal maltreatment remain serious and pervasive problems in the developed world and especially in the United States, where in 2005 some 1,500 children died from neglect and physical abuse. Alarming statistics such as this, as well as an upsurge in the media attention paid to all things forensic, underscore the pressing need for the utmost rigor in the scientific investigation of child abuse cases. This well timed volume is a response to the climate of public and press interest in such inquiries, where the forensic aspects of the casework generate an enormous amount of attention. The contributions cover a wide range of topics and explore many of the finer details of investigations into juvenile fatalities suspected of being abuse-related. The chapters reflect both the multi-disciplinary nature of such investigations, and also the need for law enforcement professionals to take a rounded, holistic approach to the casework involved. The motivational factors that lead many professionals enter this arena of investigation are, of course, personal and individual. However, at the core of their commitment and their work is a shared need for justice, plain and simple. Victim advocacy and protecting the rights of children, both living and deceased, remains a key impetus for those professionals who specialize in child abuse research. At the heart of this book is the aim of providing both a vital resource for investigators, and a purposeful voice for the young victims of abuse, unable as they are to stand up and speak for themselves.
Download or read book Infant Care and Feeding in the South Pacific written by Leslie B. Marshall and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2022-02-16 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First Published in 1985. This is Volume 3 of a series on Food and Nutrition in History and Anthropology. In the aftermath of the controversial marketing of infant formula in the Third World, this volume describes infant care and feeding practices within their social, cultural and physical context among fourteen different Melanesian and Polynesian societies. The contributors address such issues as health and nutritional status, women's roles and social support, early socialization, symbolism and meaning of foods and feeding and intracultural variability. The material is valuable to health professionals, nutritionists and social scientists in understanding infant care and feeding practices in underdeveloped regions.
Download or read book A Guide to Careers in Physical Anthropology written by Alan S. Ryan and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2001-12-30 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The field of physical anthropology deals with issues that everyone thinks about and cares about: our origins, our evolutionary history, and why we look and act the way we do. The field has benefited greatly by increased attention from the media, from popular books, and from several television series. There is a multitude of topics considered by physical anthropologists, including human and primate origins, primate societies, growth and development, genetics, forensic science, and nutrition. Most physical anthropology graduate students have traditionally aspired to research and/or teaching careers at a university. However, during the last decade there has been an increased interest in non-traditional careers outside the ivory tower, primarily because the number of new physical anthropology Ph.D.s exceeds the number of jobs available in anthropology departments. Because physical anthropology encompasses a variety of research interests, students are broadly trained and have a wealth of talents and skills that make them competitive for non-academic careers. However, pursuing opportunities outside the academy requires thoughtful planning and training. This collection serves as a reference for students contemplating a career in physical anthropology within or outside the academy. Several rewarding career paths that physical anthropologists have chosen are described. Students will understand how anthropological theory, methods, and training are applicable to job responsibilities and career development. This book will also help departments of anthropology design coursework and training programs that will make their students more competitive. In sum, the future of anthropology seems promising given the discipline's broad scope and concern for issues faced by contemporary society, and physical anthropologists will be playing an increased role in many arenas.
Download or read book Breastfeeding written by Patricia Stuart Macadam and published by Transaction Publishers. This book was released on with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Culture Ecology and Sustainable Development written by Sukant Kumar Chaudhury and published by Mittal Publications. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The present volume is an outcome of a national seminar organized by the Ethnographic and Folk Culture Society, Lucknow in October 1999"--Pref.
Download or read book Reflections of Our Past written by John H. Relethford and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-03-26 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rise of the multi-billion dollar ancestry testing industry points to one immutable truth about us as human beings: we want to know where we come from and who our ancestors were. John H. Relethford and Deborah A. Bolnick explore this topic and many more in this second edition of Reflections of Our Past. Where did modern humans come from and how important are the biological differences among us? Are we descended from Neandertals? How should we understand the connections between genetic ancestry, race, and identity? Were Native Americans the first to inhabit the Americas? Can we see evidence of the Viking invasions of Ireland a millennium ago even in the Irish of today? Through engaging examination of issues such as these, and using non-technical language, Reflections of Our Past shows how anthropologists use genetic information to suggest answers to fundamental questions about human history. By looking at genetic variation in the world today and in the past, we can reconstruct the recent and remote events and processes that have created the variation we see, providing a fascinating reflection of our genetic past.
Download or read book Human Biologists in the Archives written by D. Ann Herring and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2002-12-05 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, the 'field' is not an exotic locale but the sometimes dusty back rooms of libraries, archives and museums. These largely untapped resources however reveal how the study of human biology through historical documents can expand the horizons of anthropological research.
