With this blog I am hoping to provide a comparative perspective on aging, using my own experiences, my research and the work of others on the anthropology of aging. I plan to explore how other cultures approach the task of growing old, the statuses and roles of older members in non-Western societies, and ultimately, ho......... more »
I was reminded of the importance of daily exercise when I read the article titled "Heart Healthy on the Amazon" (NY Times, April 6, 2017). An article by the Times regular writer on fitness Gretchen Reynolds summarized an anthropological study of the Tsimane people, a group of subsistence hunters and farmers living deep......... more »
“Miles later and the heat is just ferocious. Sunglasses and goggles are not enough for this glare. You need a welder’s mask.” Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974) by Robert M. Pirsig. In our culture, as we grow older the process of negotiating transitions with ourselves and others is a cons......... more »
For most of human history, homo sapiens lived in small bands, towns, and villages. Always there were several generations under one roof, be that roof a hard rock cave ceiling, palm thatch, tanned buffalo hides, or fired tiles. Even with the advent of agriculture a littleover 10,000 years ago and the rise of industr......... more »