Abstract: Early scholars such as Darwin noted that a series of similar trait changes occurred between domesticated mammals and their wild counterparts, and that similar trait changes occurred in humans. Follow-up studies in recent years have further confirmed the findings of earlier scholars. These changes are known as domestication syndrome (DS). Human DS variation occurred over thecourse of two to three hundred thousand years before and after the formation of Homo sapiens, and is thought to be the result of human self-domestication. The main way to realize human self-domestication has been an important topic in recent years. And more than theoretical explanations have been proposed. In this paper, the main methods of previous research are briefly reviewed, and some related concepts are slightly revised. For example, the attributes and efficacy of selective reproduction in silver fox domestication experiments, the approximate correspondence between DS and the reduction of sexual dimorphism, and the correlation between DS causes and sexual selection.On this basis, this paper proposes a preliminary judgment on the causes of human DS that is different from the past : according to our present knowledge (empirical facts), there are two powerful drivers of DS variation, namely,exogamy and coming-of-age ceremony in tribal institutions. These two systems existed completely before the colonization of Australian tribes. This paper usesthe early classical ethnography of Australia by Fison, Howitt, Spencer, and Gillen to analyze and summarize the basic content of these two systems (reconstructing the original state of the system before colonization). Then, its domestication function and efficacy are discussed. Based on this, it is concluded that the joint effect of exogamy and coming-of-age ceremony is the main way for human beings to achieve self-domestication. We are very fortunate to have evidence about the Australian tribes in the early stages of civilization before colonization. We can trace their origins and examine their evolution accordingly. The alliance of two multimale-multifemale（mm-mf） groups through non-violent approach is the first step in the speciation of Homo sapiens.The tribal system formed in this historical link is the initial process of human civilization and an important foundation for human prosperity to this day.

Abstract:

Why are rock art sites found in certain places and not others? Can locational or environmental variables inform an understanding of the function and meaning of the art? How can we move beyond observed patterning in spatial associations to a credible explanation of such meanings and ensure that we are not confusing correlation with causation? And what variables were most relevant in influencing site locational choices? These and related problems, whether recognized or not, are the subtext of the last three decades of rock art site distributional and landscape studies. They are now especially important to resolve given the need for accurate predictive modeling due to the rapid transformation of certain regions from undeveloped rural areas into rural industrial landscapes. Partly with this problem in mind, Whitley (2024) developed a descriptive model that provides an explanation for the location of Native Californian rock art in the Mojave Desert. It identifies the variables most relevant to site locations based on ethnographic Indigenous ontological beliefs about the landscape. These concern the geographical distribution of supernatural power and its association with certain landforms, natural phenomena and cultural features. His analysis further demonstrated that this model can account for two unusually large concentrations of sites and motifs: the Coso Range petroglyphs and the Carrizo Plain pictographs. But unanswered was the question of whether the model was applicable more widely, especially to smaller sites and localities made by different cultural groups. We documented and analyzed three petroglyph localities with seven small petroglyph sites in the southern Mojave Desert, California, to test this model. These sites are attributed to the Takic-speaking Cahuilla and Serrano tribes. Our study revealed a good fit between the expected natural and cultural variables associated with rock art site locations, with the number of such variables present at any given locale potentially correlated with the size of the individual sites. In addition to the research value of these results, this suggests that the model may be useful in predictive modeling of rock art site locations for heritage management purposes.

Abstract: As the human population has grown and expanded, increasing pressure is being put on natural habitats in Sri Lanka. This situation has led to a noticeable increase in human-primate conflicts. To understand the situation, we studied the interactions between humans and macaques in three administrative divisions of Kurunegala District. Data was gathered from 875 informants through interviewer-administered questionnaires between 2020 and 2022. The monthly economic loss by commercial farmers due to macaque damage to fruits and vegetables doubled by 2022, amounting to approximately 5000 LKR. In non-fruiting seasons, losses from coconut damage increased, ranging from 3000 to 14,000 LKR/month, decreasing by over 50% during fruiting seasons. Property damage per household averaged between 850 ~4,000 LKR/month. A cost of approximately 1200~3000 LKR was borne per household/month to deter monkeys from the fields. Macaques were the primary culprits for crop damage in this area, and were also responsible for property damage, surpassing that of other animals. The consensus among the community is that either relocating macaques to other forested areas or sterilizing them to control their population could mitigate the issue to some extent. An integrated management plan involving relevant stakeholders is necessary to address the conflict arising from human-macaque crop utilization.

Abstract: Humans have been monitoring light from the solar system to tell the time and plan activities since Time Immemorial. This is an analysis regarding why Native Americans living in the upper Colorado River Basin chose to monitor light from the western sky using a light marker that is approximately 4.02 miles long and 2.07 miles wide or approximately 12.7 square miles. The light catching is accomplished in a massive geoscape by a carefully calibrated engineered stone markers. The scale of this light marker and its functional topographic components makes it one of the biggest and most elaborate in North America. As such it is a World Balancing geosiste. The analysis is based on 522 ethnographic interviews with 316 conducted during the Canyonlands National Park (Canyonlands NP) ethnographic study and 206 during the two BLM Ethnographic studies. The findings are situated in ethnographic understands from more than a dozen other studies conducted by the authors.

Abstract: This article provides a concise overview of the anthropology of food, tracing its development from the early twentieth century to contemporary debates and emerging research trajectories. Drawing on foundational work by figures such as Boas and Malinowski, it shows how early anthropologists approached food as integral to understanding social organization, kinship, and cultural meaning. As the field evolved, structuralist, materialist, feminist, and political-economic perspectives broadened its scope, highlighting the symbolic significance of cuisine, the interplay between en-vironment and subsistence, and the pivotal role of gender and class in shaping food practices. In recent decades, the anthropology of food has engaged intensively with globalization, investi-gating how transnational flows reshape culinary identities, local economies, and cultural heritage. Researchers have also turned their attention to sustainability, food security, activism, and post-colonial critiques. At the same time, emerging themes—such as multispecies perspectives, sensory studies, and the application of innovative methodologies—offer new lenses for understanding how foods mediate relationships between humans, non-human beings, and environments. By examining case studies spanning regions from Africa and Asia to Europe and the Americas, this article illustrates how contemporary anthropologists use food as a prism to investigate cultural identity, social change, ethical relations, and the complex entanglements of local and global food systems.

Abstract: By designing a conceptual framework that intertwines the use of fire in agricultural activities, the occurrence of wildfires, and the perception of wildfire risk, this article analyses the relationship between these three elements in both wet and dry Puna grasslands. It focuses on two peasant and agropastoral communities, Vilcabamba and Apachaco, both located in Cusco, the region with the highest number of wildfires in Peru. This study highlights the sociocultural significance and persistence of agricultural burnings in Puna agropastoral communities; the necessity of considering changes in agricultural activity, mutual aid systems, and communal institutions—especially concerning land ownership—to explain the occurrence of wildfires; and the widespread perception of wildfire risk among community members, who are aware of the likelihood and severity of wildfire events, while government policies to address this hazard focus primarily on raising awareness and prohibiting burnings.

Abstract: Water insecurity is an ongoing global challenge for households. Many families—especially those in regions experiencing water scarcity—employ different coping methods to alleviate its consequences. However, the strategies often utilized by displaced communities remain largely unexplored. Moreover, there is a lack of analysis on how values, beliefs, and social norms (VBN) shape household decisions regarding these methods. This qualitative study included in-depth interviews with 65 individuals impacted by the Thwake Dam construction in Makueni County, Kenya. The study utilized the VBN theory to analyze individual and household decisions by examining various coping strategies related to water insecurity. Our research shows that displaced communities employ different strategies to alleviate the negative impacts of water insecurity. However, the effectiveness of these strategies largely hinges on households' capacity to store water. Personal values, beliefs, and norms—such as religious and cultural traditions—drive individuals' reactions to diverse water circumstances, impacting their coping mechanisms. Household coping strategies for water insecurity differ significantly; however, water storage plays a crucial role in influencing other coping techniques among displaced communities. The VBN theoretical framework enhances our understanding of how families deal with water insecurity and use their water resources, illuminating individuals' daily water-related experiences.

Abstract: Exploring the cultural dimensions of addiction and recovery among marginalized populations presents significant challenges due to their “hard-to-reach” status and the complexity of measuring “culture.” This paper addresses these challenges by introducing and applying cultural domain analysis, a versatile method for systematically measuring cultural concepts within marginalized groups. Specifically, we use this approach to examine cultural models of addiction. The study was conducted in London, Toronto, and Delhi among reproductive-aged women receiving treatment for substance use disorders. Participants completed a semi-structured questionnaire featuring open-ended and free-list prompts. Findings revealed culturally specific themes at each site, highlighting insights often overlooked by purely quantitative methods. The analysis also uncovered cross-site similarities, such as the role of peer networks in recovery in both India and Toronto. When applied to hybrid data, these results demonstrate how cultural domain analysis provides a structured yet adaptable framework for identifying cultural differences and shared patterns. In conclusion, working with hard-to-reach populations necessitates flexible research methods that authentically amplify participants’ voices while maintaining methodological rigor. Cultural domain analysis achieves this balance, offering a systematic approach to capturing the salience of participants’ perspectives.

Abstract: This paper examines the role of identity politics in the exclusion and statelessness of the Rohingya in Myanmar. Using an anthropological lens, the study explores how the Rohingya resist their marginalization through cultural practices and informal leadership within refugee camps in Bangladesh. The analysis, based on ethnographic fieldwork, draws on theories of homo sacer and cultural resistance to demonstrate how Myanmar’s exclusionary national identity has stripped the Rohingya of citizenship, exposing them to violence and displacement. Despite this, the Rohingya actively preserve their identity and assert political agency, offering a critical perspective on statelessness and resilience.

Abstract: Migrate is a verb representing a process where the intention of providing social services to migrants is to reduce their instability and discomfort. Consequently, social service providers are inclined to view migrants as pitiful, often also those to be feared, with migrants learning to form negative views of themselves, decreasing their mental health. Considering migration as a verb neglects the noun initiating the migration when the migrant is heading to a person, place, thing, event, or idea. In viewing migration as noun-dependent, the migrant is identifiable as self-directed in seeking aid rather than pitiful or inciting fear. This study aims to examine the types of nouns migrants conceptualize for guiding their migration based on a Google Scholar search of “[noun-type] to which [whom] migrants head in their migration” for each noun type regarding the four most highly cited reports published since 2020. The purpose is to determine the social services applicable to migrants in their self-direction regarding theoretical foundations that contrast problem-focused with emotion-focused coping. Viewing such migration nouns as essential migration signifiers encourages migrants’ favorable identification. In recognizing the intended self-direction of the migrant, their mental health is improved and is supportable through relevant and appropriately available social services.

Abstract: Storied Rocks (Tumpituxwinap) is a term of reference used by the Numic Speaking tribal elders whom we have worked with for over 60 years on an estimated 200 ethnographic studies. Key in this analysis are the protocols for approaching, interacting, and using the places where Storied Rocks have been located. Concomitant with these traditional protocols are ones established to resolve the curiosity of non-Natives about why they are in a particular place and what they mean. This analysis shares the cultural understandings of Tribal representatives who participated in these ethnographic studies. Studies used in the analysis were funded by U.S. federal agencies, supported by federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and composed with the cultural understandings shared and made public by tribally appointed elders to clarify the conundrums that are Storied Rocks.

Abstract: While the history of Lough Derg is extremely well-documented, there have been com-paratively fewer ethnographic reports. Given the highly elaborate Lough Derg websites and multiple postings by Lough Derg pilgrims, this researcher anticipated that Lough Derg – like many other Irish pilgrimages - would attract mostly recreational tourists. It does not. Pilgrims to Lough Derg do not see the site as primarily a tourist destination. Instead, they see Lough Derg primarily as a locus of intense religious experience. Lough Derg 3-day pilgrimages are rigorous and entail considerable self-sacrifice: fasting, sleep deprivation, cold, bare feet, prayer, no cell phones, and exposure to jagged rocks. Lough Derg’s 3-day pilgrimages closely follow patterns established centuries ago. Lough Derg is both "modern" and "timeless." It selectively incorporates ancient ritual and 21st century technology. This paper looks at the impact of the covid19 epidemic on Lough Derg pilgrimages. The site was closed to pilgrims during the 2020-2021 season and an on-line virtual pilgrimage was offered as a substitute. One unintended consequence of this virtual pilgrimage is that many pilgrims to Lough Derg now give greater prominence to what Corin Braga has categorized as fisi (ecstatic revelations) than to the physical journey itself (i e. somanodias). Post-covid pilgrims highlight the Internet: production of virtual texts and Internet vlogs. As in most pilgrimages worldwide, contemporary pilgrims to Lough Derg arrive with varied expec-tations and myriad motives. This ethnographic report examines these motives and offers a critique of James L. Smith (2016), who, like Edith and Victor Turner (1978) before him – saw Lough Derg as a symbol of Irish nationalism. Smith highlighted Lough Derg’s “moral geography” which, he argued, stems from its long history of isolation. But Post- covid Lough Derg is no longer isolated. The site has become more accessible through organized bus tours, improved public transportation, and development of a commercial tourist infrastructure.

Abstract: Alleged practices of magical assault and vampirism are a recurrent feature of popular explanations of misfortune in Tuva Republic, South Siberia. Based on a field study of healing practices in an “Association of Shamans”, this article analyses rituals of countercursing one’s antagonists in a context of Russian political domination. A central purpose of this discussion is to foreground the centrality of kinds of parasitical worship and occult threat to structures of political power in – and beyond – the region of Tuva. Focusing on a “curse-scape”, which develops from the combative practices of shamans, occult specialists and office-holders, the article probes a repertoire of healing symbols in a shaman’s courtroom. It is argued that shamanic healing draws its efficacy from appropriating hunting symbols and animal spirits, which appear in Indigenous Siberian cosmologies. The analysis shows that ideas of playing with risk during countercursing rituals structure the process of symbolic resolution. The article concludes by highlighting indigenous perceptions of a “cursed” landscape as a field where the agencies of “darkness” (and their political sponsors) are confronted with an emancipating, Buddhist religious mindset.

Abstract: The consumption of insects in the Democratic Republic of Congo is an ancient practice. The taxonomic identification and characterization of “entomophagy” seem urgent in Kinshasa following the related anthropogenic pressures (demographic pressure, uncontrolled urbanization) leading to a food crisis. This study aims to assess the diversity of edible insects and their consumption by the population of Kinshasa. A total of 360 people were surveyed to identify the insect species consumed in Kinshasa, the ecosystems that provide them, and the preference for species in relation to ethnolinguistic groups, churches (faith) and household size. Three species of insects most consumed in Kinshasa are: Gonimbrasia jamesonii, Cirina forda and Brachytrupes membranaceus. 41.9% of these insects are consumed by the Kongo ethno-linguistic group, 23.6% by the Luba, 20.6% by the Ngala and 13.9% by the Swahili. Inhabitants of the communes of Kassa Vubu (57%), Maluku (54%), Masina (54%) and Mont-Ngafula (39%) mainly consume C. forda and G. jamesonii. Luba and Kongo ethnolinguistic groups mainly consume C. forda while the Swahili and Ngala consume G. jamesonii. Catholic, Revivalist Church, Kimbagu, Islam, Protestant and Johovah's Witness believers mainly consume C. forda and G. jamesonii. This study made it possible to understand the socio-cultural influence on the degradation (pressure) of biodiversity and; contributes to SDGs 2 and 12 by 2023..

Abstract: The relationship between culture and the individual is a central focus of social scientific research. This paper examines motivations that mediate between shared culture norms and individual actions. Inspired by the works of Leon Festinger and Melford Spiro, we posit that social network conformation (the perceived adherence of one’s social network with norms) and internalization of cultural norms (incorporation of cultural models with the self-schema) will differentially shape behavior (cultural consonance) depending on the domain and individual characteristics. For the domain of gender roles among Brazilian men, religious affiliation results in different configurations of the individual and culture. Our findings suggest that due to changing and competing cultural models, religious men are compelled to reflexively “think” about what masculinity means to them, rather than subconsciously conform to social (hegemonic) expectations. This study demonstrates the importance of considering the impetus of culturally informed behaviors, and in doing so, provides a methodological means for measuring and interpreting such motivations, an important factor in the relationship between culture and the individual.

Abstract: As distinct human societies, three unique intentional communities are investigated regarding their preferred consensus decision-making practices. It is Identified that each has adopted a different form of consensus decision-making to solve potential group-wide interpersonal conflict. The individual attributes of these three consensus decision-making practices are considered, both from the perspective of maintaining group stability and in relation to individual member's mental health. The communities are a Canadian self-directed public senior elementary and secondary school, an annual English conference for those self-identifying as on the autistic spectrum, and a self-producing Korean popular music (K-pop) group. It is found that the intentional community and participants’ mental health are sustained regarding each of the three consensus decision-making practices. Nevertheless, the resulting decisions generate various stresses within the communities, both as a whole and concerning the individual members. To retain group cohesion and maintain individual mental health, these stresses must be recognized and understood by participants. The novel finding of this research is that, dependent on the time available for decision-making, and the members’ perspective adopted, intentional communities might practice more than one form of consensus decision-making and still support both group cohesion and individual mental health, maintaining the democracy of these distinct societies.

Abstract: This article focuses on methods for designing heuristic models within the paradigm of systems theory and in the disciplinary context of intercultural communication. The main question arises from the striking observation that the common language is insufficient to develop knowledge about human communication, especially when many factors of complexity (such as ambiguity, paradoxes, or uncertainty) are involved in the composition of an abstract research object. This epistemological, theoretical, and methodological problematic is one of the main challenges to the scientificity of anthropological theories and concepts on culture. Moreover, these questions lie at the heart of research in intercultural communication. Authors and theorists in the complexity sciences have already stressed the need, in such case, to think in terms of models or semiotic representations, since these tools of thought can mediate much more effectively than unformalized language between the heterogeneous set of perceptions arising from the field of experience, on the one hand, and the philosophical principles that organize speculative thought, on the other. This sets the scene for a reflection on the need to master the theory of heuristic models when it comes to developing scientific knowledge in the field of intercultural communication. In this essay, my first aim is to make explicit the conditions likely to ensure the heuristic value of a model, while my second aim is to clarify the operational function and required level of abstraction of certain terms such as concepts, categories, headings, models, systems, or theories that are among the most commonly used by academics in their descriptive accounts or explanatory hypotheses. To achieve this second objective, I propose to create cognitive meta-categories to identify the three (nominal, cardinal or ordinal) roles of words in the reference grids we use to classify our ideas, and to specify how to use these meta-categories in the construction of our heuristic models. Alongside the theoretical presentation, examples of application are provided, almost all of which are drawn from my own research into the increased cultural vigilance of the majority population in Quebec since the reasonable accommodation crisis in this French-speaking province of Canada. The typology I propose will perhaps help to avoid the confusions regularly committed by authors who attribute only cosmetic functions to words that nevertheless have a highly heuristic value, and who forget to consider the logical leaps of their theoretical thinking in the construction of heuristic models.

Abstract: The past years have shown the widespread vulnerability of agro-food systems and rural diets to external perturbations such as wars, climate events, and pandemics. Experiencing numerous obstacles, Cuba constitutes an example of success in the transition to agroecological sustainability models. This article characterizes how processes of agricultural change, local development, and industrial degrowth have impacted food availability and dietary diversity among rural livelihoods in the municipality of Yaguajay, Sancti Spíritus, for the past forty years (1980s-2020s). It integrates findings from focus groups, repeated nutritional surveys, and interviews carried out between 2016 and 2022 among residents of the towns of Yaguajay and La Picadora. The goal is to identify effects and response strategies within agro-food systems of rural populations. Distinguishing between periods of abundance and shortage, our findings show two counterpoints: intensive sugar monocrop cultivation which resulted in high dietary variety; and economic crises in 1990s and during the last period of the pandemic, which have led to significant dietary adjustments. The article concludes underscoring the importance of comprehensive assessments of dietary strategies to elicit what agroecological transitions mean for local realities and of the value of food consumption and small-holder production experiences to understand the limits to sustainable transformations.

Abstract: Various authors have highlighted the importance of marriage as a social marker that alter the so-cial categorization of individuals and their relationships from youth to adulthood according to the cultural construction of the life course in Arab countries. This article aims to analyze the in-teraction between the socio-political framework (structure) and the capacity for individual action (agency) in the context of biographical experiences to achieve emancipation in Morocco. This per-spective responds to the demand of different authors to include the subjective approaches of young people in the process of analysis. This analysis will be guided by some questions: Which is the capacity of young Arabs to decide the orientation of their life trajectories? What factors (cultural, family, socioeconomic, educational, etc.) create and shape the expectations of young people re-garding their transition to adult life? Is there a specific model of emancipation in the Arab Medi-terranean countries?

Abstract: Institutional barriers can hinder effective access and utilisation of Newcastle disease vaccines among smallholder chicken farmers. Many studies have focused on formal institutional barriers with minimal focus on informal institutions - unwritten rules and regulations that govern access and utilisation of Newcastle vaccines. However, informal institutions are more profound and encultured in individuals’ daily activities. This study sought to investigate informal institutional barriers to access and utilisation of Newcastle disease vaccines among women smallholder chicken farmers in Makueni, Kenya. The cross-sectional qualitative study employed in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and focus group discussions as data collection methods. Study informants were conveniently and purposively sampled. Informal institutional barriers to access and utilisation included: fear of Newcastle disease vaccine as a new technology, use of herbal remedies, mistrust of community vaccinators, gender division of labour, ownership of household resources and beliefs that indigenous chickens do not need vaccines. The study concludes that women chicken farmers are constrained by unwritten rules, norms, regulations and gender roles that hinder their access to and utilisation of the Newcastle disease vaccines. The need to examine informal institutions to identify and eradicate barriers to access and utilisation of Newcastle disease vaccines by farmers is recommended.