What continuities are there between human and animal social lives? How did characteristically human social arrangements emerge over the course of hominid evolution? Is there, despite human cultural diversity, a genetically based human nature that can be contrasted with, e.g. chimpanzee nature? What might the human social sciences learn from the zoological disciplines that study animal social behaviour (ethology, sociobiology, behavioural ecology) or from evolutionary psychology? The long-standing social-science orthodoxy has been that radical differences between us and other animals render such questions fruitless, even dangerous, to pursue. But recent developments in the study of animal behaviour have challenged this view. Biological perspectives on human social life are attracting a fresh interest and research effort, though they remain controversial. This course examines the resulting debates. Communication, conflict, altruism, kinship, sex, parenthood, social organisation, language and culture are amongst the topics covered. These will be discussed in three main contexts: the evolutionary past of hominid social characteristics; child development and child-rearing; and adult interactions, relationships and social structures. The main empirical base will be present-day and ethnographically described human societies, with some discussion of evidence on the undocumented past, and some use of animal examples. The aim will be to present the biological approaches and the criticisms they have attracted in a balanced way, and to identify both the strengths and the weaknesses of these approaches. Students will be encouraged to form their own views on the material studied, and on its status in the natural and social sciences.

2,500 word essay (45%), examination(40%), tutorial presentation (15%)

Normally offered in odd-numbered years
Up to 2 hours lectures, one hour of tutorial and one hour of film/video per week

Two first-year courses in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology (ANTH, ARCH or PREH), or the School of Botany and Zoology. Students are also recommended to include at least one other later-year course in Archaeology and Anthropology or Life Sciences in their studies before or alongside this one: for example, ANTH2025, 2034, 2127, BIAN2013, 2115, 2127, BIOL3131, 3132, LING2015, 2021, PSYC2007.

PRAN2024 Human Society and Animal Society: Comparisons and Relationships

Reynolds, V., The Biology of Human Action, Parts I & II, 2nd ed, Freeman, 1980
Dunbar, R. Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language, Faber and Faber, 1996
de Waal, F. The Ape and the Sushi Master, Allen Lane, 2001
Laland, K. N. and Brown, G. R. Sense and Nonsense, Oxford UP, 2002