Ecological variation and institutionalized inequality in hunter-gatherer societies.

ABSTRACT: Research examining institutionalized hierarchy tends to focus on chiefdoms and states, while its emergence among small-scale societies remains poorly understood. Here, we test multiple hypotheses for institutionalized hierarchy, using environmental and social data on 89 hunter-gatherer societies along the Pacific coast of North America. We utilize statistical models capable of identifying the main correlates of sustained political and economic inequality, while controlling for historical and spatial dependence. Our results indicate that the most important predictors relate to spatiotemporal distribution of resources. Specifically, higher reliance on and ownership of clumped aquatic (primarily salmon) versus wild plant resources is associated with greater political-economic inequality, meas

SUBMITTER: Smith EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8020663 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature