Who Helps Tsimane Children and Adults?

Eric Schniter, Daniel Cummings, Paul Hooper, Jonathan Stieglitz, Benjamin Trumble, Hillard Kaplan and Michael Gurven
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Daniel Cummings: Economic Science Institute, Chapman University
Paul Hooper: Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico and Economic Science Institute, Chapman University
Jonathan Stieglitz: Toulouse School of Economics and Institute for Advanced Study, University of Toulouse
Benjamin Trumble: University of Manchester
Hillard Kaplan: Economic Science Institute, Chapman University
Michael Gurven: Integrative Anthropological Sciences Unit, University of California-Santa Barbara

Working Papers from Chapman University, Economic Science Institute

Abstract: We examine various forms of helping behavior among Tsimane Amerindians of Bolivia, focusing on the provision of shelter, childcare, food, sickcare, cultural influence, and traditional story knowledge. Kin selection theory traditionally explains nepotistic nurturing of youth by closely related kin. However, less attention has been given to understanding the help provided by individuals without close genetic relatedness. To explain who provides various forms of help, we evaluate support for several predictions derived from kin selection theory. Our results show that helpers who are most often closely related and from an older generation tend to provide more costly forms of help to youth at early ages. In contrast, alloparents who are not blood-related tend to provide lower-cost forms of help to older youth. Since older youth are more capable of reciprocity, we propose that some alloparental aid acts as an investment in future reciprocal relationships or as indirect investment in a relationship with the beneficiary’s relatives. Our results support kin selection and relationship effort explanations for who helps Tsimane youth.

Keywords: Help; Nepotism; Alloparenting; Relationship effort; Kin selection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B52 D61 D64 D83 Y8 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-evo
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:chu:wpaper:24-06

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