Maladpative Behaviors Flashcards
Adaptation
Any trait or condition that maximizes an organism’s ability to meet its basic physiological needs, and to successfully reproduce.”
* Much of culture traits are made to be adapted
Functionalism
cultural traits generally have an adaptive function, long history in social science.
Adaptationist Trap
tendency to see everything as adaptive, over-use of Functionalism, “just so stories.”
* Some are neutral or just maladaptive
* Not everything is functional
Example of fuctionalism
Ayahuasca- plant that removed intestinal parasites.
* Making hallucinogenic tea makes enzymes that flush out parasites
* The trait stayed because it has the additional latent medical benefit
The Hopi tribe made their villages on high mesas to protect themselves from attackers on horses.
Ozborn
Charles Ozborn found skeletal remains that showed hypocalcemia. About the same time the bones were from, groups were tempering their pottery with crushed shells. Ozborn thought that the crushed shells were a result of an adaptation to low calcium in their diets.
Neutral adaptation
Aztec Cannibalism & who was the guy & why was he wrong
Marvin Harris wrote a paper that said cannibalism became widespread because of the lack of protein in the diet.
Refuted by Ortiz de Montellano (no evidence, chinampas, protein sources).
* Chinampas (floating gardens - artificial land built on water) were the primary form of agriculture. This was enough to feed all the people. They had a lot of beans that were high in protein.
* Their tribute system had a lot of game preserves, trades, etc that provided meat
* No osteological evidence of protein deficiency but there was a lot of animal bones
* Hardly anyone actually participated in cannibalism: Mostly done by the higher up people for celebration. Done as a symbol for conquering.
Maladaptive Behaviors
“Any behavior which brings harm, retards or reduces an organism’s ability to meet its physiological needs and/or successfully reproduce.”
Typically persists due to conformity and because they looked for immediate reward rather than long term consequences
Subincision
extreme form of male circumcision
among some pre-contact Australian Aboriginal groups. Not necessary, Polyandry, Runaway Selection
- Maybe because carrying capacities were so low
- Common polyamory (1 woman for several men)
- Forbidden sex out of wedlock
- Postpartum sexual taboos
Example of maladaptive behavior
Tapirapé of Central Brazil
Post Partum Sexual Taboos lasted for years
Max of three kids. 1 boy & 1 girl was ideal and kids after were aborted
Done to adjust for small carrying capacity
Disease caused their population from 1500 to less than 100
* Continued practices led to their extinction
* Cultural lag
Conformity
Natural Selection has embedded in us the need to conform> one of the basic cognitive design elements.
To detect and prefer the central tendency
EEA - The Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation.
Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation (EEA)
Umbrella term used to describe the entire time that humans evolved. Starting from the beginning to when agriculture first began
* Humans mostly stayed in Africa for this time
* Organized in bands - better chances of survival; have an adaptive advantage over those that are alone
* Hunting and gathering
Corsets
- in the 19th Century - wear corsets that were very tight
- Frail women, permanent damage to organs and ribcage, constriction of the birth canal
- Wearing corsets while pregnant
- Swimsuit corsets
- Corsets were considered healthy
- This led to an increase of internal hemorrhage and miscarriages (The richer experienced this more)
- Persist because they were conforming to culture
- Men & children also wore corsets
Chinese Foot Binding
- Mothers will bind the feet of their female children with wrapping so they grow in a certain way
- This was to conform to cultural norms
- Caused by emperors that were enamored by the binded foot
- Became a sign of wealth and high status
- Prevented people from walking
Trypanosome Parasite & Chagas Disease
Men would eat a beetle that would increase their sexual stamina, virility
* The beetle is known to be a host of the Trypanosome Parasite.
* Can cause blindness and death
Aztec Tooth Carving
War heroes were allowed to have dental modifications
* Showed super high status
File the two front teeth to points and drilled holes through the middle and inlay pearls in them
Thousand of years of experience so they knew the consequences
* Teeth often broke and caused infection
