This study examines the relationship between mother absence in child rearing and kinship terminology, particularly the differentiation of daughters and nieces. A significant association is found and the author offers theories of causality in both directions.

This study examines the presence of parent-infant body contact at birth in non-industrial societies and its effects on subsequent infant care. The results show that immediate parent-infant contact is not common among most societies and does not have a significant effect on the quality of infant care.

This article tests hypotheses about the relationship between how the general anticipations of pain in develop in children and the formal belief systems of a society. The authors posit that beliefs in malevolent supernatural beings reflect punitive child rearing practices and beliefs in benevolent supernatural being relfect nurturing child rearing practices. Results generally support this hypothesis.

This article tests hypotheses about the relationship between how the general anticipations of pain in develop in children and the formal belief systems of a society. The authors posit that beliefs in malevolent supernatural beings reflect punitive child rearing practices and beliefs in benevolent supernatural being relfect nurturing child rearing practices. Results generally support this hypothesis.

This article explores narcissism and child-rearing. The author presents a theory that, if a society’s structural pattern weakens the marital bond, the mother will be ambivalent toward the son who consequently will become narcissistic. This process would reinforce itself as it is repeated by each generation.

This chapter offers an exploratory study that examines the relationships between several culture characterstics, including child socialization practices, social structure, and food production, and mind-altering drug use in non-literate societies. All hypotheses were supported.

Author reconsiders an earlier study on mother-infant contact and its possible effects on a society's language system. Focuses here on a different dependent variable--the society's local jurisdictional hierarchy.

This article investigates peer relations in infancy, both in primates and in preindustrial human societies. Data from these populations shows a strong tendency toward a multi-age composition of play groups rather than solely peer-aged play groups for infants. Patterns in child care across societies of different subsistence types are empirically examined.

This article investigates peer relations in infancy, both in primates and in preindustrial human societies. Data from these populations shows a strong tendency toward a multi-age composition of play groups rather than solely peer-aged play groups for infants. Patterns in child care across societies of different subsistence types are empirically examined.

This study explores ecological reasons that might explain why boys are mostly circumcised in tropical regions, particularly in Africa and the insular Pacific. The author postulates a long causal chain linking: 1) tropical climate to the growing of root and fruit crops; 2) the need to keep babies on mother's milk for as long as possible where the adult diet is lacking in protein; 3) a long post-partum sex taboo as a way to space births; 4) the practice of polygyny (and associated mother-child sleeping) in the face of a long sex taboo; 5) patrilocal residence; and 6) male initiation ceremonies which are believed to result from the combination of mother-child sleeping, the long poast-partum sex taboo and patrilocal residence.