Behavioral and Other Human Ecologies

Critique, Response and Progress through Criticism

Bibliographic Data

ID7879620
AuthorsB Winterhalder (0000-0001-6560-3302, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, corresponding author)
Year2002
Volume6
Issue1
Pages4-23
Publication date2002-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Ecological Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1528-6509 • E-ISSN: 2162-4593
PublisherUniversity of South Florida Libraries (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.5038/2162-4593.6.1.1
OpenAlexW2045703429
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited57

This paper has three goals: (1) to define the anthropological subfield of human behavioral ecology (HBE) and characterize recent progress in this research tradition; (2) to address Joseph's (2000) critique of HBE from the perspective of an advocate of that field; and (3) to suggest features that make for effective criticism of research traditions. (1) HBE attempts to understand intra- and inter-societal diversity in human behavior as the product of species-wide adaptive goals which must be realized in highly diverse, socio-environmental circumstances. Theoretically, HBE draws selectively from neo-Darwinism and its cultural-evolutionary analogs, from micro-economics, and from elements of formal decision and game theory. Applications generally use simple, formal models as heuristic devices for generating testable hypotheses about resource use, reproductive and social behavior, and life history traits. (2) Using Kuhn's (1977) and McMullin's (1983) criteria for assessing progress in a research tradition, I examine Joseph's review of HBE, indicating the several points on which we agree and the greater number for which I believe her criticisms are misplaced or in error. (3) Finally, I try to describe general features of effective critique, in the sense of critical commentary that enables the advance of scientific understanding through collective scholarly effort. Such criticism will be necessary if we are to sort out the relative strengths and potential contributions of the several research traditions in human ecology (e.g., cultural ecology, historical ecology, political ecology, etc.)

Biology · Criticism · Environmental ethics · Epistemology · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Computer Science · Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Law · Philosophy · Primate Behavior and Ecology · Ecology

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