Fatherhood : Evolution and Human Paternal Behavior

Peter B Gray

ISBN 10: 0674064186 / ISBN 13: 9780674064188

Published by Harvard University Press Apr 2012, 2012

About this Item

Neuware - We've all heard that a father's involvement enriches the lives of children. But how much have we heard about how having a child affects a father's life As Peter Gray and Kermyt Anderson reveal, fatherhood actually alters a man's sexuality, rewires his brain, and changes his hormonal profile. His very health may suffer¿in the short run¿and improve in the long. These are just a few aspects of the scientific side of fatherhood explored in this book, which deciphers the findings of myriad studies and makes them accessible to the interested general reader.Since the mid-1990s Anderson and Gray, themselves fathers of young children, have been studying paternal behavior in places as diverse as Boston, Albuquerque, Cape Town, Kenya, and Jamaica. Their work combines the insights of evolutionary and comparative biology, cross-cultural analysis, and neural physiology to deepen and expand our understanding of fatherhood¿from the intense involvement in childcare seen in male hunter-gatherers, to the prodigality of a Genghis Khan leaving millions of descendants, to the anonymous sperm donor in a fertility clinic.Looking at every kind of fatherhood¿being a father in and out of marriage, fathering from a distance, stepfathering, and parenting by gay males¿this book presents a uniquely detailed picture of how being a parent fits with men's broader social and work lives, how fatherhood evolved, and how it differs across cultures and through time.

Seller Inventory # 9780674064188

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Fatherhood : Evolution and Human Paternal Behavior
• Publisher: Harvard University Press Apr 2012
• Publication Date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0674064186
• ISBN 13: 9780674064188
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 236W x 156H x 25D millimeters 236 millimeters width by 156 millimeters height by 25 millimeters depth
• Weight: 464 grams

About this title

Synopsis

We've all heard that a father's involvement enriches the lives of children. But how much have we heard about how having a child affects a father's life? As Peter Gray and Kermyt Anderson reveal, fatherhood actually alters a man's sexuality, rewires his brain, and changes his hormonal profile. His very health may suffer—in the short run—and improve in the long. These are just a few aspects of the scientific side of fatherhood explored in this book, which deciphers the findings of myriad studies and makes them accessible to the interested general reader. Since the mid-1990s Anderson and Gray, themselves fathers of young children, have been studying paternal behavior in places as diverse as Boston, Albuquerque, Cape Town, Kenya, and Jamaica. Their work combines the insights of evolutionary and comparative biology, cross-cultural analysis, and neural physiology to deepen and expand our understanding of fatherhood—from the intense involvement in childcare seen in male hunter-gatherers, to the prodigality of a Genghis Khan leaving millions of descendants, to the anonymous sperm donor in a fertility clinic. Looking at every kind of fatherhood—being a father in and out of marriage, fathering from a distance, stepfathering, and parenting by gay males—this book presents a uniquely detailed picture of how being a parent fits with men's broader social and work lives, how fatherhood evolved, and how it differs across cultures and through time.

About the Authors

Peter B. Gray is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Kermyt G. Anderson is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Oklahoma.