HDE 103 Lecture 5: Making Children and Family Planning
11 Jun 2018
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I. Lecture 5: Making Children and Family Planning (April 18-23, 2018)
A. Recap so far…
1. Children’s value and rank and importance chances across time (history) and space (context/ecology)
a. Culture is transmitted to children across generations (time) and space (in their daily interactions within
their societies, peers, families)
2. Children can occupy the apex (neontocracy) or the basement (gerontocracy) or anywhere in between
3. Children learn about culture and future expectations from peers
4. How are children “made” in different cultures where their value is suspect?
B. Paradoxing
1. WEIRD societies expect to have few children, whom they treat worshipfully
a. Yet, those same children appear to have a near epidemic of psychological disorders comparative to
children of the rest of the world
2. Adults in WEIRD cultures delay reproduction until they have sufficient resources (so maybe never)
a. Thus, WEIRD parents sometimes go extraordinary lengths to secure a child through adoption
b. Humans show a unique empathy to nurture children who do not even remotely resemble their
biological or cultural heritage
3. Other cultures appear to accept many children
a. Except those children are often hungry, neglected and suffer illness and death higher rates than others
b. Paradox: those who can “afford” many children often have few in modern times (we are not behaving
optimally)
C. Gerontocracy Model = Human Model
1. Progeny is desired, but children aren’t really wanted
a. Ashanti farmers who die without children have thorns nailed into their feet and a sign posted on their
graves, “do not return”
b. Israelite society over history it was a curse for man to die childless
2. Many cultures see marriage and fertility inextricably linked
a. Yet, they see birth as dangerous and unclean
3. Historically, in Ancient Rome citizens’ main duty to Rome (the State) was to produce more Romans!
a. To increase the privilege classes, not to encourage the love of children
b. “Be fruitful and multiply” has Malthausian Problems globally
D. High Fertility, or Target Fertility
1. Often, boys are more desirable than girls
a. Calculated by the economic roles men fill and costs women bear (exosystem)
b. Cultural or religious norms influenced by institutions (macro exosystems)
2. Birth order matters
a. First born girls are like “mini-mothers” across cultures
b. First born sons often inherit their family’s wealth
c. Other children may be welcomed as little “slaves” or helpers in the nest”
3. Many norms and rules protect the pregnant mother and newborn
a. Are often tied to customs that sanction abortion and infanticide
E. Demographic transitions forcing changes in family planning
1. The changes in the economic basis of society
a. Long, extensive study over years to be a “producer” as opposed to a “consumer”
b. Modern families make use of contraceptives to prevent children
i. Children are rarely seen as economic assets but rather personal liabilities to rewarding ventures
ii. Not all societies are in a demographic transition
F. Making children is about costs
1. Rarely is a child’s health and well-being considered when any family considers having a child
2. The decision to make a child brings in a lot of different people
a. All of whom have strikingly different interests and expectations…which sometimes leads too…
G. A big unhappy family
1. Mating systems are not the same as marriage systems
a. The behaviors that make someone successful in mating are often mutually exclusive of the behaviors
that result in successful marriages and parenting
2. Dysfunctional families with chronic conflict are real
a. Not all families are cooperating harmoniously for the common good – especially for the sake of
children
3. Families are the nexus for culture, and the nexus for conflicts that lead to siblings and family members
being different
H. Genes and interests
1. “Selfish genes” – there is a compelling physiological drive for organisms to reproduce itself as often as
possible
2. Reproductive interests and goals differ – for men, women, and children
3. The first premise means that big families are possible and likely when you put men and women together for
long periods of time
a. But they might not be happy – there’s costs and tradeoffs to making these choices
I. Sterile Boorish, but Compelling Views
1. Men typically desire to reproduce themselves with as many women as possible for as long as possible
a. Even extremely conservative societies have norms and rules (macrosystem) that supports men’s
machismo
b. Creates institutions and spaces for men to compete with other men (exosystem)
2. Women, ideally, want fewer children both for the child’s and mother’s health
a. And they’d like their fathers to be good fathers who stick around and help out
b. Carrying a child is metabolically challenging
J. Showoffs and Peacocking
1. Men, who know what women are inherently looking for will signal their prowess along those preferences
a. Women of Nantucket in the 1600-1700s in America pledge to, “marry only men who have killed a
whale”
b. So, men would where chock pins to signal that they were boatsteeres (with the potential to kill a
whale)
i. Translate culturally: they were athletes, intelligent, had potential to provide lucrative economic
comforts
ii. Translate biologically: they had good genes to pass to children, they could teach children the
skills to be skilled themselves, they would never go without
2. Cultural norms and institutions reinforce these dyadic-dynamics
K. Silly males…
1. Hunting is for food
a. Across societies, men will pass up easy game to provide consistent food in exchange for the change to
take down larger more spectacular prey
i. Translate: many men will pass up the sensible Honda Civic for a Dodge Challenger….
b. Men often share their catch with other households to signal his prowess to the community
i. Translate: taking pictures of our many lavish culturally consumptive goods
c. Men who share enjoy more mating opportunities than unsuccessful hunters (thus reinforcing the
norms)
i. Translate: “Men don’t like having nice stuff, men know that women like men who have nice stuff”
– Chris Rock
ii. These dynamics although partially explained by biology cannot be sufficiently explained by
biology because variability exists
2. Babies aren’t meant for parading
a. Fathers, who otherwise spend little time with their offspring, will “borrow” them from mothers to
show off their commitment to parenting to other potential mates in their community
i. Eipo of Papua New Guinea: take a women’s baby to walk up to an hour away to get friendly
attention
ii. Chipewyan men are often seen walking around a village carrying and playing with small children
iii. Fijian fathers do not often play with children, but will take them to village meetings and
ceremonies
b. Showing off healthy children signals: I can provision your babies as well
L. Taboos about promiscuity cuts both ways
1. However…many cultures have taboos restricting the amount of promiscuous behaviors for both men and
women
a. Phiringaniso is a child “illness” attributed to violation of the [Tsonga] norms of sexual behavior and
propriety as a parent
2. Even in relatively egalitarian societies (!Kung)
a. Violent conflict can arise – usually over access to women
3. Some societies with unending warfare sparked by a desire to add women to the community
a. Status rank, rules, norms, and social position are created and reinforced to prevent constant warfare
i. Chiefs have access to more women
M. Taking advantage of hierarchies
1. Young males across cultures are forced out of romantic and reproductive opportunities until they’ve proven
their “manhood” or completed a “spiritual journey”
a. Or when their family amassed a proper “bride-price”
2. Meanwhile, those men at the top through polygyny and multiple marriages can monopolize young women
a. The hierarchy isn’t as integral and rigid as in animals
i. The King with his harem guarded by eunuchs
ii. The Don Juan gallivanting around the countryside deflowering women are very rare
3. It’s flexible, we can have multiple hierarchies (in different contexts)
N. Sociosexual Orientation
1. Some societies are more rigid and strict
a. Where rules govern how men and women process infidelity
2. Some societies are more loose or lax
a. Where premarital relations and adultery, and illegitimacy are considered capital crimes
i. Cliterodectomy ensures women will not engage in illegitimate relationships by destroying any
sexual desire they might have
3. Throughout history men and society have devised ways to ensure women’s fidelity (worth)
a. Chastity belts, full length clothing, house imprisonment, community interest in monitoring a women’s
sexual relationships, foot binding representing a woman’s virtual imprisonment
O. What explains this?
1. There is an inverse relationship between restrictions imposed on women and their economic contribution to
the household
a. Where women’s contribution to labor and the economy are important there are more relaxed rules
about their infidelity and promiscuity
b. All exacerbated in patriolocal residential patterns (the husband’s family puts more pressure on a
woman’s behavior; mother-in-laws are often responsible for bride-burnings in cases of promiscuity)
2. Many of those trategies also say more about male paternity insecurities and anxieties than women
3. Men’s long-term fertility may be enhanced if they partner early and consistently with a single pair-bond
(dads vs cads)
a. Constantly looking for fighting for mates is costly
4. Consistently, although not deterministically, women shape their behavior to ensure a husband sticks around
P. Most unhappy children
1. Thoughout the conflicts between men and women, children are likely the most unhappy
a. Children want free resources provided by mom
b. Mom wants to free up her physiological resources to invest in the next child conflict
2. Across all cultures, mothers recognize aggression from older weaning children on newborns
a. Parents are limited in the resources they can share, and siblings want all of them conflict
3. Displaced weaned children across cultures and juveniles across species are often the ones we observe
throwing temper tantrums
a. Siblicide is not as uncommon as you would hope
Q. However, children are the family glue
1. As Hrdy points out, often children are the glue that keeps families and extended families together
2. Humans are cooperative breeders
a. Children spend a considerable time growing, while not needing direct attention from mom, enables the
increased fertility we see across all human societies in ideal circumstances
b. Older individuals often share in child care and feeding younger siblings
Document Summary
Paradox: those who can afford many children often have few in modern times (we are not behaving optimally: gerontocracy model = human model. Progeny is desired, but children aren"t really wanted: ashanti farmers who die without children have thorns nailed into their feet and a sign posted on their graves, do not return . First born girls are like mini-mothers across cultures. Families are the nexus for culture, and the nexus for conflicts that lead to siblings and family members being different: genes and interests. Showoffs and peacocking: men, who know what women are inherently looking for will signal their prowess along those preferences, women of nantucket in the 1600-1700s in america pledge to, marry only men who have killed a whale . So, men would where chock pins to signal that they were boatsteeres (with the potential to kill a whale)
