Time Schedule:
Geoffrey C. Kushnick
BIO A 469
Seattle Campus
Delineation and analysis of a specific problem or a more general area in biocultural anthropology. Offered occasionally by visiting or resident faculty.
Class description
EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVES ON PARENTING AND CHILDCARE
This course surveys our understanding of parenting and childcare adaptations in humans. As such, its perspective is evolutionary, covering comparative, theoretical, and empirical aspects of these adaptations. Particular attention will be paid to whether an evolutionary approach helps us explain modern human diversity in parenting and childcare.
Specific topics that will be covered include: comparative perspectives on primate parenting; hormonal and other phsyiological adaptations for parenting; biocultural models of childcare adaptations in humans; infidelity and parenting; environmental uncertainty and parenting; parental investment and parent-offspring conflict theory; cooperative breeding in humans; adoption; and, more...
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Mix of lecture, student presentations, and discussion.
Recommended preparation
While there are no prerequisites for the course, you will get the most out of the course if have previously taken at least one other BioA course or a course in evolution.
Class assignments and grading
TBD - tentatively there will be graded assignments and/or writing, but there will be no exams.
