In this paper we present a model of generative proto-imitation that replicates external signals without associating with objects, as in higher-level imitation. A mixed population of adults, that have fixed associations objectssignals, and infants, that do not have associations but imitate unconditionally, endowed with a kinship and interaction structure, allows infants to develop signal affinit...

An exploratory case study design using three sources of data-interviews with kinship caregivers, interviews with social workers, and file reviews-was used to identify the needs of kinship caregivers in northern British Columbia. The research found that kinship caregivers identified many needs that must be addressed if kinship caregiving is to be a viable and sustainable option for children in n...

Friendly postconflict (PC) interactions between former opponents have been described for a large number of primate species held in captivity. We investigated conflict management behaviour for wild Hanuman langurs, Semnopithecus (Presbytis) entellus entellus, in India, using a large sample of over 6000 agonistic and affinitive interactions recorded in one one-male/multifemale troop and three all...

In a series of four field and mesocosm studies, we examined the effects of kinship on growth, survival, and aggregation behavior in tadpoles of the Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) under different ecological conditions. (1) Field observations of tadpole aggregations revealed ecological factors that may interact with kinship to influence tadpole interactions. (2) In an experiment conducted in mesoc...

Confusions between substantive and relational concepts of kinship as a social network have led to a number of problems that are clarified by a temporally ordered relational theory of network structure. The ordered-network approach gives rise to a novel means of graphing the social field of kinship relations, while allowing kinship to be locally defined in culturally relative terms. Its utility ...

Kinship provides the fundamental structure of human society: descent determines the inheritance pattern between generations, whereas residence rules govern the location a couple moves to after they marry. In turn, descent and residence patterns determine other key relationships such as alliance, trade, and marriage partners. Hunter-gatherer kinship patterns are viewed as flexible, whereas agric...

The proposition is advanced that many current measures of kinship strength may paradoxically indicate inadequate or weakened kinship structures. That is so because they rely on measures that emphasize continuous proximity. This curious paradox is a consequence of inattention to the relationship between technology, services, and proximity. This article presents nonproximity indicators of kinship...

Using methods of experimental cognitive psychology, we tested the hypothesis that attitude similarity serves as a heuristic cue signaling kinship, which may motivate kin-recognition responses (e.g., prosocial behavior) even to unrelated individuals. The experiment employed a reaction-time methodology to assess cognitive associations between specific target individuals and kinship cognitions. Re...

Gellner’s concept of an ideal kinship language anticipated later developments in methods for recording kinship connections, and also sparked a controversy about the relation between biological and social kinship. Though the debate has moved on, the topic has remained controversial. I argue that the idea of an ideal kinship language offers a way of analyzing the relationship between alternative ...