Thesis
Leadership in the EHRAF probability sample: testing three evolutionary models against the ethnographic record
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2015
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/103430
Abstract
This study tests three theoretical models of leadership against the ethnographic record documenting the support, or lack of support, for each model. The dominance-prestige model (Cheng, Tracy, Foulsham, Kingstone, & Henrich, 2013; Henrich & Gil-White, 2001), the strategic versus coordinating model (Van Vugt & Kurzban, 2007), and James Neel's intelligence-reproduction model (Neel 1970, 1980), all focus on specific dimensions of leadership and social influence. The ethnographic record is an important resource that can be used to identify relationships between theoretical models and cultural and ecological variation based on ethnographic field reports. Using the HRAF probability sample, ethnographic texts from traditional societies relevant to these theoretical models and leadership have been coded and evaluated. Evolutionary leadership theory is an emerging field of study (Price & Van Vugt, 2014; Van Vugt 2006; Van Vugt & Ronay, 2014; Van Vugt & Tybur, 2014) and results from these data will provide a wider, cross-cultural grounding to several established theories and yield fine-grained predictions useful in future field research. We use frequencies counts, proportional data, hierarchical cluster analysis and principal components analysis to identify variation in support for these models. Results suggest the prestige strategy is represented much more so than the dominance strategy, and followers resist overly assertive, dominant leaders. This is true across all subsistence categories and is especially true for hunter-gatherers. Intelligence is a widespread quality of leaders but the frequency of polygynous leaders is less common than expected. Strategic leadership is nearly universal and likely captures important aspects of our evolved leader-follower psychology. Coordinating leadership and task completion are likely associated with dominance-based strategies. Across models we find that being respected, intelligent, having expertise, and being polygynous are qualities of leaders and may form the foundation of a novel model of leadership. However, these results suggest these theoretical models do not fully capture leadership in non-Western societies.
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Details
- Title
- Leadership in the EHRAF probability sample
- Creators
- Zachary Hughes Garfield
- Contributors
- Edward H. Hagen (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525146501842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis