Abstract
Currently much debate surrounds the significance of cross-cultural variation in mother-infant attachment. Is only one form of attachment “healthy,” or are different types of attachment adaptations to local socioecological conditions? Juvenile mortality rates have been promoted as important features of local environments that shape attachment, which in turn affects later reproductive strategies. To this we add fertility. Fertility changes the environment of a child by influencing the number of potential caregivers and competitors for care, and the cultural ethos regarding the rights of children. Different combinations of fertility and mortality will likely give rise to different attachment forms, and only under one regime (low fertility and mortality) do we expect exclusivity in attachment.
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The comments of three anonymous were very constructive. Tracy Tamburello and Anita Garcia helped with the HRAF data collection. All shortcomings of the paper are solely the authors’ responsibility.
Andrea Wiley received her Ph.D. in medical anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley and San Francisco in 1992 and her M.A. in demography from UC Berkeley in 1988. She is currently assistant professor of anthropology at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Her research interests are in reproductive health, inclusive of diet and nutrition during pregnancy, and infant health and survival. She has conducted long-term field research in Ladakh, India, and is currently at work on a book detailing the biocultural context of maternal and child health in Ladakh.
Leslie Carlin received her Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996. She is currently a lecturer in anthropology at the University of Durham, England. Her interests are in child health and nutrition and their links to biobehavioral outcomes. She has conducted field research in West Java, Indonesia.
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Wiley, A.S., Carlin, L.C. Demographic contexts and the adaptive role of mother-infant attachment. Hum Nat 10, 135–161 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-999-1012-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-999-1012-y