Standard Cross-Cultural Sample Research Articles

Symbolic or not-so-symbolic wounds: The behavioral ecology of human scarification

Scarification, the deliberate and often painful modification of the body, is analyzed from the perspective of four competing hypotheses: (1) a rite of passage, (2) a hardening/trauma procedure, (3) a nonadaptive sexually selected character, or (4) an adaptive pathogen-driven sexually selected character. These four hypotheses are tested using the Standard Cross Cultural Sample (SCCS). Hypothesis 1 is supported in the worldwide sample as well as two of the geographic subsamples.

The Size of Societies, Stratification, and Belief in High Gods Supportive of Human Morality

Two hypotheses about belief in high gods supportive of human morality were tested with data from the Ethnographic Atlas and the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample. A significant positive relation between the size of societies and such a belief is demonstrated, and this relation appears to be independent of both regional differences and differences in stratification of the societies. On the other hand, stratification itself is also significantly related with the belief in high gods supportive of human morality, but this relation could not be shown to be independent of regional differences or differences in size.

Access to Subsistence Resources and the Sexual Division of Labor Among Potters

Research on the sexual division of labor among adults has exam ined its relationship to sexual dimorphism, labor-economizing strategies in production processes, and cultural complexity. The author argues that none of the studies has successfully explained the sexual allocation of labor in some of the crafts because re searchers have not examined the causal effect of the material and social conditions thatgive rise to household-level variation in access to subsistence resources. The author derives a theory from the work of ethnographers George Foster and Dean Arnold, introduces two codes for the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample, and tests the hy pothesis using logistic regression. The results indicate that the potters tend to be exclusively or primarily women in societies with relatively easy access to subsistence resources. Men tend to be the equal or principle potters in those societies where the potters'nuclear families have limited access to subsistence resources and instead rely on the exchange of manufactured pottery.

Societal Isolation, Violent Norms, and Gender Relations: A Reexamination and Extension of Levinson's Model of Wife Beating

This article reanalyzes cross-cultural data on wife beating using Murdock and White's Standard Cross-Cultural Sample. Geographic isolation, violent norms, and intergender competition over material and intimate resources and rewards emerge as significant sources of cross-cultural variation in spouse abuse. The conclusion, which provides a provocative foundation for future research, is that wife beating is more common in cultures that embrace the use of violence and that promote competition between husbands and wives.

Starvation and Famine: Cross-Cultural Codes and Some Hypothesis Tests

This article provides a set of codes that rate the starvation and famine experiences of societies in the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample. The codes are used to test several theoretical generaliza tions regarding the underlying cultural causes of famine. The results indicate that several changes arising from world systems involvements increase the likelihood of famine. They suggest fur ther that the extent to which societies experience famine depends on cultural definitions of property and exchange rights. In addition, results confirm the understanding that famine is especially prone to break out in environments of chronic hunger and recurrent starvation.

Women's Power, Children's Labor

Data coded for 91 Standard Cross-Cultural Sample Societies are used to examine the sexual division of labor between adults and children cross-culturally. Results from cross-tabulations of 15 adults' and children's activities in these societies indicate that women are the main recipients of the benefits of children's labor. The gender of the child is the main determinant of children's work assignment. Children of both genders in most societies perform women's activi ties, whereas girls rarely do men's activities in any society.

Was the Duchess of windsor right? A cross-cultural review of the socioecology of ideals of female body shape

Why do some cultures prefer thin women, while others value female fatness? Using the Standard Cross Cultural Sample, we investigated predictions derived from several socioecological hypotheses related to three biological functions of human female body fat (insulation, storage of calories, and regulation of fertility). Results suggest that attitudes toward fatness in women are related cross-culturally to (1) reliability of food supply, (2) climate, (3) relative social dominance of women, (4) the value placed on women's work, and (5) the probability that the expression of adolescent sexuality will have adverse consequences on girls. These hypotheses may be useful in providing an ultimate explanation for currently observed patterns in attitudes toward female fatnness, complementing the more proximate approach of the traditional social sciences.

"Blood Feuds": Cross-Cultural Variations in Kin Group Vengeance

Despite the considerable research that has been carried out on cross-cultural pat terns of political conflict, little empirical attention has been devoted to the study of blood feuds. In this study, coding categories were developed to measure the legitimacy of kin group vengeance, self-redress, and formal adjudication mechanisms among societies in the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (Murdock and White 1969). The empirical results strongly suggest that blood feuds occur within the context of marriage bargains and that they are most characteristic of societies studied prior to World WarI. When historical time penod and other potential external influences were considered, feuding was found to be associated primarily with premarital chastity concerns and mode of marriage. Individual self-redress and formal adjudication, however, depend on characteristics of the political economy-economic resource base, stratification, diverging devolution, and hospitable climate. It is suggested here that future analyses of political conflict should distinguish feuds from other forms and take into account the historical effects of Western incursions on the internal politics of traditional communities.

Sex, Coalitions, and Politics in Preindustrial Societies

Broadly defined, political activity normally involves some form of coalition, usually centering upon resource acquisition, and is not restricted to humans. Male and female mammals appear to have evolved to seek and use resources differently—males to get mates (mating effort) and females to raise healthy, successful offspring (parental effort). Because the return curves for these two types of effort differ in shape, several predictions follow about sex differences in political activity. These predictions are tested using the 93 odd-numbered societies of the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample. Results offer insights into current patterns of male and female political activity in Western societies.

Polygyny: Further Factors from Mamprusi

American AnthropologistVolume 93, Issue 4 p. 948-950 Polygyny: Further Factors from Mamprusi Dianne Naden, Dianne Naden Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy, and Bible TranslationSearch for more papers by this authorTony Naden, Tony Naden Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy, and Bible TranslationSearch for more papers by this author Dianne Naden, Dianne Naden Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy, and Bible TranslationSearch for more papers by this authorTony Naden, Tony Naden Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy, and Bible TranslationSearch for more papers by this author First published: December 1991 https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1991.93.4.02a00130AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume93, Issue4December 1991Pages 948-950 RelatedInformation

Software Reviews : SHOWCASE: STANDARD CROSS-CULTURAL SAMPLE, Version 1.0 Reviewed by Richard A. Wagner, Human Relations Area Files, Inc. (HRAF) Publisher: Cognitive Development, Inc., Suite 141, 12345 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, wA 98125 (telephone: 206-363-6905) Year of Publication: 1988 Materials: Program and utilities disks (not copy protected) Instructor's Book of Demonstrations (by Rodney Stark, University of Washington), User's Guide,

This is one of a number of SHOWCASES designed for social science instruction. The STANDARD CROSS-CULTURAL SAMPLE SHOWCASE includes 202 coded variables for the 186 societies in the popular sample designed by Murdock and White. In brief, the software allows users to map the worldwide distribution of traits, compare both groups and cases, generate cross-tabulations, and provides correlation and regression capability. The package is very easy to run, simple to understand, and hard to get lost in.

Female Genital Mutilations in Africa

Codes and ratings for female genital mutilations, virginity tests, premarital sex norms, and female initiation rites are presented for the 115 cultural clusters on the continent of Africa. Documenting the prevalence of these characteristics within clusters comprising sampling provinces is crucial for research on the pattern of variability both in Africa and in the world. In addition to the 11 cultures listed in the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample in which the operation is practiced, an additional 18 provinces contain cultures practicing genital mutilations. Female genital mutilations within Africa are associated with strong fraternal interest groups, virginity tests, and conservative premarital sex norms. A number of hypotheses for future cross-cultural research that are suggested by these findings are discussed.

A Paradigmatic Shift in the Search for the Origin of Agriculture

Pryor's study of origins of (AA 88:879-897, 1986) concludes by asking why some societies have adopted and suggests if the absence of can be explained, we deal with an issue that provides an extremely important key to understanding transition to agriculture (p. 891, emphasis in original). The question of why all societies have adopted is a puzzle for Pryor, since he assumes that over past 10,000 years four conditions have prevailed in most societies: (1) the requisite knowledge for practicing was at hand; (2) uncertainty in gathering and hunting was sufficiently great that many societies certainly experienced a desire to lower these risks by adopting a certain amount of agriculture; (3) in many societies cultural and natural conditions that preclude were very important; and (4) not only [have] weak diminishing returns [in food resources] occurred in most societies but also ... population increase in period after ending of last glacial age led to strong diminishing returns in many societies as well (p. 891). We believe Pryor's analysis is flawed by his (1) inconsistent use of terms such as origin and adoption, (2) view that is a single trait that is present or absent or can be accepted or rejected, (3) assumption that is a response to exogenous forces such as population pressure, (4) use of human intent and striving for adaptation as primary factors in origins of agriculture, (5) view that is superior to other modes of plant use, and (6) suggestion that question of why some societies have adopted is separate from question of why some societies have adopted agriculture. We address these issues by contrasting Pryor's economic approach with an evolutionary approach, especially biologically based approach used by Rindos (1980, 1984), and illustrate advantages of latter approach by examining one of nonagricultural societies that Pryor's economic theory cannot explain. Pryor's search for origins of begins with an excursion into ethnographic literature, using information from Murdock and White's (1969) standard crosscultural sample (SCCS) of 186 precapitalist societies. He develops a series of stages in which temporal dimension is dependent variable ordered by an independent variable, the degree to which home-grown foodstuffs fulfill nutritional needs of soci-

Rethinking Polygyny: Co-Wives, Codes, and Cultural Systems [and Comments and Reply

Rethinking Polygyny: Co-Wives, Codes, and Cultural Systems [and Comments and Reply

Measures of Polygyny in Humans

Measures of Polygyny in Humans

A Sociological Journey into Sexuality

The Freudian, Marxian, and sociobiological explanations of sexuality are not well designed for answering questions concerning differences among societies or groups in their sexual lifestyles. A macro-level, societal explanation of sexuality is needed to answer such questions. Such a theory is lacking in sociology but is developed in this paper. Sexuality is defined as a societal product whose importance lies more in its physical pleasure and selfdisclosure aspects than in its reproductive potential. Those qualities are universally valued because they are the building blocks of social relationships. This paper proposes that sexuality is universally linked to the social structure in three specific areas: (a) marital jealousy, (b) gender role power, and (c) beliefs about normality. Variations and interrelations of these three linkages are explained by the logical structure of this sociological theory. Evidence concerning the theory is explored by examining the Standard Cross Cultural Sample, National Opinion Research Center surveys, and individual research on other societies. The sociological explanation presented here applies to both heterosexual and homosexual relationships and to both industrial and nonindustrial societies. A number of specific, interrelated propositions that explain societal variations within the three universal linkage areas are explored. The logical structure of the theory is developed as the context of those propositions. The paper also treats the relevance of this theory for the applied professions dealing with sexuality.

Reply to Cleveland

American AnthropologistVolume 87, Issue 2 p. 407-410 Free Access Reply to Cleveland Carol R. Ember, Carol R. Ember Department of Anthropology, Hunter College, CUNYSearch for more papers by this author Carol R. Ember, Carol R. Ember Department of Anthropology, Hunter College, CUNYSearch for more papers by this author First published: June 1985 https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1985.87.2.02a00230AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat References Cited Ember, Melvin, and Carol R. Ember 1971 The Conditions Favoring Matrilocal Versus Patrilocal Residence. American Anthropologist 73: 571– 594. Erasmus, Charles J. 1955 Work Patterns in a Mayo Village. American Anthropologist 57: 322– 333. Fortes, Meyer 1954 A Demographic Field Study in Ashanti. In Culture and Human Fertility. Frank Lorimer et al., eds. Paris: UNESCO. Minge-Klevana, Wanda 1980 Does Labor Time Decrease with Industrialization? A Survey of Time-Allocation Studies. Current Anthropology 21: 279– 287. Murdock, George P. 1967 Ethnographic Atlas: A Summary. Ethnology 6: 109– 236. Murdock, George P., and Douglas R. White 1969 Standard Cross-Cultural Sample. Ethnology 8: 329– 369. Nag, Moni 1962 Factors Affecting Fertility in Nonin-dustrial Societies: A Cross-Cultural Study. Yale University Publications in Anthropology, No. 66. New Haven, CT: Department of Anthropology. Werner, Dennis 1984 Amazon Journey: An Anthropologist's Year among Brazil's Mekranoti Indians. New York: Simon & Schuster. Volume87, Issue2June 1985Pages 407-410 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Family Life Cycle, Work Career Patterns, and Women's Wages at Midlife

Social gerontologists generally agree that the status of the elderly in the US and in other industrial countries is quite low but their status is not uniformly high in nonindustrial societies. The status of the elderly tends to be high in agricultural societies because the elderly usually control property right; elderly status is lower in hunter-gatherer societies because resourses are usually open to all. The status of the elderly tends to be higher in societies with extended and stem families than in those with nuclear families although this relationship may be spurious due to the association of family types with economic systems. The authors test the hypothesis that the status of the elderly varies according to family type regardless of economic system. Specifically the authors test whether elderly status varies with type of economy; the presence or absence of inheritance customs; and patterns of postmarital residence especially in cases of patrilocal residence. Data on 122 cultures from the Standard Cross Cultural Sample of Murdock and White 1969 and the Human Relations Files are examined for prestige power and privilege for elderly males and females. Elderly status is significantly lower in exploitative than in agricultural economics. Elderly status also varies with family structure. For men and women status is highest in small extended families and lowest in large extended families. The elderly have higher status in societies that have inheritance customs. Their status is lowest in neolocal societies highest in patrilocal societies and intermediate in other unilocal societies. The effects of inheritance customs and small extended families are negligible. This study suggests that the importance of family structure is overated as a source of elderly status.

Sex and Power in Simple SocietiesThe Politics of Reproductive Ritual.Karen Ericksen Paige , Jeffery M. Paige , Linda Fuller , Elizabeth Magnus

Previous articleNext article No AccessReview SymposiumSex and Power in Simple Societies The Politics of Reproductive Ritual. Karen Ericksen Paige , Jeffery M. Paige , Linda Fuller , Elizabeth Magnus George C. HomansGeorge C. Homans Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Sociology Volume 89, Number 4Jan., 1984 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/227953 Views: 2Total views on this site Copyright 1984 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Totem and Taboo, Purity and Danger ... and Fads and Fashion in the Study of Pollution Rules

Although most sociologists and anthropologists have some familiarity with that portion of Freud (1918) that deals with the incest taboo and totemism, his discussion of pollution rules there has generally been overlooked. I test here three hypotheses with data from the Standard Cross Cultural Sample: one is derived from Freud (1918); a second from Stephens (1962); and a third from Douglas (1966). Only Freud's hypothesis is supported.