A Bio-Cultural Study of Preferences, Behaviors, and Outcomes in Family Dynamics

非婚生育在世界各地越来越普遍。2013年，他们占美国出生人口的五分之二，在世界其他许多地方，这一比例甚至更高。婚姻破裂的发生率也很高，而且在不同文化中，不忠是最常被提及的离婚原因之一。传统上，婚姻破裂对母亲和子女都有负面影响，包括健康状况较差、社会经济地位较低和受教育程度较低。这就提出了一个问题，为什么女性会选择更换或维持伴侣，以及在某些情况下，做其中一个或另一个可能是有益的。加州大学洛杉矶分校的人类学家布鲁克·塞尔扎博士将带领一个团队对女性伴侣选择的原因和后果进行生物文化调查，以了解21世纪全球家庭动态变化的重要性。一项科学研究需要将这些行为背后的因素从潜在的混杂变量中分离出来。这就要求在一个比美国更小、更孤立的群体中进行研究。因此，研究人员将前往纳米比亚西北部，在那里他们可以研究Himba，一个半游牧的游牧群体。辛巴族人提供了一个合适的研究地点，因为他们的离婚率高，自我报告的不忠率高，非婚生育率高。如果这些行为对女性的寿命有益，那么这些好处应该会在Himba的数据中体现出来。研究小组将首先记录辛巴族家庭和关系动态的文化模式。然后，他们将使用婚姻和生育史的数据，将这些模型与实际行为进行比较。这将使他们能够评估女性的行为符合偏好的频率，哪些女性最有可能拥有符合她们理想的伴侣，以及什么时候最有可能出现非婚生育的替代策略。最后，将通过跟踪资源转移和健康结果来评估拥有多个合作伙伴的后果。这项研究的发现将帮助社会科学家理解改变婚姻模式和替代生殖策略的重要性，无论它们发生在哪里。这项研究还将深入了解妇女为何寻求非传统伙伴关系，这对于发展实际有效的外联和社会服务至关重要。

Non-marital births are an increasingly common occurrence around the world. In 2013, they accounted for two-fifths of births in the United States and an even higher proportion in much of the rest of the world. Marital dissolution also occurs at high rates and across cultures, infidelity is one of the most commonly cited reasons for divorce. Traditionally, marital dissolution has been associated with negative consequences for both mothers and children, including poorer health, lower socio-economic status, and lower educational attainment. This raises the question about why women choose to switch or maintain partners and whether there are circumstances under which doing one or the other might be beneficial. University of California-Los Angeles anthropologist, Dr. Brooke Scelza, will lead a team to conduct a bio-cultural investigation of the causes and consequences of female partnership selectivity to understand the significance of these worldwide shifts in 21st century family dynamics.A scientific study requires that the factors behind these behaviors be disaggregated from potentially confounding variables. This requires that the research be conducted in a smaller-scale and more isolated group than can be found in the United States. Therefore, the researchers will travel to northwest Namibia where they can study the Himba, a semi-nomadic pastoralist group. The Himba provide an appropriate research site because they have high rates of divorce, self-reported infidelity, and non-marital births. If these behaviors benefit women over their lifespans, these benefits should show up in Himba data. The research team will first document Himba cultural models of family and relationship dynamics. They will then compare these models to actual behaviors, using data from marital and reproductive histories. This will allow them to assess how often women's behaviors match preferences, which women are most likely to have partners that meet their ideals, and when alternative strategies of non-marital reproduction are most likely to occur. Finally, the consequences of having multiple partners will be assessed by tracking resource transfers and health outcomes. Findings from this research will help social scientists understand the significance of changing marital patterns and alternative reproductive strategies wherever they occur. The research will also provide insight into why women seek non-traditional partnerships, which is essential for developing practical and effective outreach and social services.