Socioecology shapes child and adolescent time allocation in twelve hunter-gatherer and mixed-subsistence forager societies

Sheina Lew-Levy (), Rachel Reckin, Stephen M. Kissler, Ilaria Pretelli, Adam H. Boyette, Alyssa Crittenden, Renée V. Hagen, Randall Haas, Karen Kramer, Matthew J. O'Brien, Jeremy Koster, Koji Sonoda, Todd A. Surovell, Jonathan Stieglitz, Bram Tucker, Noa Lavi, Kate Ellis-Davies and Helen Davis
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Sheina Lew-Levy: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology [Leipzig] - Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
Rachel Reckin: CAM - University of Cambridge [UK]
Stephen M. Kissler: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Ilaria Pretelli: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology [Leipzig] - Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
Adam H. Boyette: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology [Leipzig] - Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
Alyssa Crittenden: WGU Nevada - University of Nevada [Las Vegas]
Renée V. Hagen: UCLA - University of California [Los Angeles] - UC - University of California
Randall Haas: Wayne State University [Detroit]
Karen Kramer: University of Utah
Matthew J. O'Brien: UC - University of Cincinnati
Jeremy Koster: California State University [Chico]
Koji Sonoda: Niigata University
Todd A. Surovell: UW - University of Wyoming
Jonathan Stieglitz: TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics - UT Capitole - Université Toulouse Capitole - UT - Université de Toulouse - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement
Bram Tucker: University of Georgia [USA]
Noa Lavi: UCL - University College of London [London]
Kate Ellis-Davies: Swansea University
Helen Davis: Department of Human Evolutionary Biology - Harvard University

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Abstract: A key issue distinguishing prominent evolutionary models of human life history is whether prolonged childhood evolved to facilitate learning in a skill- and strength-intensive foraging niche requiring high levels of cooperation. Considering the diversity of environments humans inhabit, children's activities should also reflect local social and ecological opportunities and constraints. To better understand our species' developmental plasticity, the present paper compiled a time allocation dataset for children and adolescents from twelve hunter-gatherer and mixed-subsistence forager societies (n = 690; 3–18 years; 52% girls). We investigated how environmental factors, local ecological risk, and men and women's relative energetic contributions were associated with cross-cultural variation in child and adolescent time allocation to childcare, food production, domestic work, and play. Annual precipitation, annual mean temperature, and net primary productivity were not strongly associated with child and adolescent activity budgets. Increased risk of encounters with dangerous animals and dehydration negatively predicted time allocation to childcare and domestic work, but not food production. Gender differences in child and adolescent activity budgets were stronger in societies where men made greater direct contributions to food production than women. We interpret these findings as suggesting that children and their caregivers adjust their activities to facilitate the early acquisition of knowledge which helps children safely cooperate with adults in a range of social and ecological environments. These findings compel us to consider how childhood may have also evolved to facilitate flexible participation in productive activities in early life.

Date: 2022
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem
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Published in Scientific Reports, 2022, 12, ⟨10.1038/s41598-022-12217-1⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03673386

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12217-1

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