The role of parent-offspring conflict in Shuar partner choice and marital practices

Abstract

Previous research argues that female choice may not be as powerful an influence on the evolution of human mating preferences as once expected given the importance of parental choice in marital practices across cultures. Furthermore, much of the literature supporting this argument assumes that endorsed cultural norms reported in the ethnographic record accurately represent individuals' behaviors. Here, we argue that the roles of parent-offspring conflict and parental choice are more nuanced. We test predictions from parent-offspring conflict theory and illuminate three loci of conflict between parents and daughters over partner choice. Using data from over 10 years of fieldwork in Shuar communities, we demonstrate that endorsed norms do not reflect complete behavioral repertoires at the individual level. We conclude that analyzing individual behavior provides insight into (1) areas of parental-offspring conflict and (2) complementary aspects of female choice and parental choice.