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Pathogens promote matrilocal family ties and the copying of foreign religions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2012

Lei Chang ,
Hui Jing Lu  and
Bao Pei Wu
Lei Chang
Affiliation:
Department of Educational Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China. leichang@cuhk.edu.hkluhuijing@cuhk.edu.hkwoobaopei@gmail.comhttp://www.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/eps/people/changl.html
Hui Jing Lu
Affiliation:
Department of Educational Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China. leichang@cuhk.edu.hkluhuijing@cuhk.edu.hkwoobaopei@gmail.comhttp://www.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/eps/people/changl.html
Bao Pei Wu
Affiliation:
Department of Educational Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China. leichang@cuhk.edu.hkluhuijing@cuhk.edu.hkwoobaopei@gmail.comhttp://www.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/eps/people/changl.html
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Abstract

Within the same pathogen-stress framework as proposed by Fincher & Thornhill (F&T), we argue further that pathogen stress promotes matrilocal rather than patrilocal family ties which, in turn, slow down the process of modernity; and that pathogen stress promotes social learning or copying, including the adoption of foreign religions.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , April 2012 , pp. 82 - 83
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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