Distinguishing intergroup and long-distance relationships

Anne Pisor and Cody T. Ross
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Anne Pisor: Washington State University

No u8tgq, OSF Preprints from Center for Open Science

Abstract: While intergroup relationships (IRs) dominate the literature on human sociality, long-distance relationships (LDRs) are also highly prevalent in human social life; however, they are often conflated with IRs or overlooked entirely. We suggest that by focusing on IRs to the exclusion of LDRs, scholars are painting an incomplete picture of human sociality. Though both IRs and LDRs function to provide resource access, LDRs likely evolved before IRs in the human lineage and are especially effective for both responding to widespread resource shortfalls and providing access to resources not locally available. To illustrate the importance of distinguishing IRs from LDRs, we draw on an example from rural Bolivia. This case study illustrates how (1) IRs and LDRs vary in importance, even between nearby communities, due to differences in socioecology and past experience, and (2) researcher expectations about IR prevalence can bias both data collection and data interpretation. We close by highlighting areas of LDR research that will expand our understanding of human sociality.

Date: 2021-09-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-isf
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:osf:osfxxx:u8tgq

DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/u8tgq

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