Ritual, Community, and Conflict
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Social & Cultural Anthropology
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Organisations
- University of Oxford (Lead Research Organisation)
- HARVARD UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- COVENTRY UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- Binghamton University (Collaboration)
- University of Montpellier (Collaboration)
- University of Hertfordshire (Collaboration)
- Royal Holloway, University of London (Collaboration)
- University of Connecticut (Collaboration)
- National University of Distance Education (Collaboration)
- QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST (Collaboration)
- Trinity College Dublin (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF EXETER (Collaboration)
- The Evolution Institute (Collaboration)
- University of Texas at Austin (Collaboration)
- University of Bath (Collaboration)
- University of Auckland (Collaboration)
- University of Otago (Collaboration)
- Stanford University (Collaboration)
- National University of Singapore (Collaboration)
- Yale University (Collaboration)
- Brunel University London (Collaboration)
Publications
Curry O
(2019)
Is It Good to Cooperate? Testing the Theory of Morality-as-Cooperation in 60 Societies
in Current Anthropology
Farmer H
(2014)
Trust in me: trustworthy others are seen as more physically similar to the self.
in Psychological science
Fischer R
(2014)
The fire-walker's high: affect and physiological responses in an extreme collective ritual.
in PloS one
Francois, P.
(2016)
A Macroscope for Global History. Seshat: Global History Databank: a methodological overview
in Digital Humanities Quarterly
Fredman L
(2015)
Identity Fusion, Extreme Pro-Group Behavior, and the Path to Defusion
in Social and Personality Psychology Compass
Gantley M
(2018)
Material Correlates Analysis (MCA) An Innovative way of Examining Questions in Archaeology Using Ethnographic Data
in Advances in Archaeological Practice
Gaviria E
(2015)
Identity and the developmental origins of fusion: an exploratory approach / La identidad y los orígenes de la fusión en el desarrollo: un enfoque exploratorio
in Revista de Psicología Social
Gelman S
(2011)
When Worlds Collide - Or Do They? Implications of Explanatory Coexistence for Conceptual Development and Change
in Human Development
Gelman SA
(2011)
Concepts and folk theories.
in Annual review of anthropology
| Description | Objective 1 - Cognitive foundations of ritual from a developmental perspective: A novel experimental paradigm was developed for understanding the role of imitation in social learning. Results indicated that children show more imitative rigidity when a ritual stance (seeking out a rationale for actions based on social convention) is activated than in the case of an instrumental stance (seeking out rationale for actions based on causation). Initial studies were conducted in Austin (USA) and Oxford (UK), followed by cross-cultural studies in Vanuatu. The ritual stance also promotes executive control and the ability to delay gratification. Objective 2 - Effects of ritual on in-group cohesion and inter-group relations: Based on numerous studies utilizing multiple methods (e.g., experiments, longitudinal surveys), we have found substantial support for a process model that traces in-group prosociality back to its roots in group identity and the imagistic mode of group experiences. Unique group rituals or one-off events that are both shared with ingroup members and highly dysphoric in nature tend to produce rich personal reflection on the events. For example, in Northern Ireland we found that those who reflected most on 'The Troubles' had personally experienced the most harrowing events. In turn, participants imbued these memories with great personal significance and felt a sense of shared essence with their group leading to "identity fusion". Persons "highly fused" to a group have been found to engage in a wide variety of prosocial acts for their groups. In Libya, revolutionaries who experienced the most intense dysphoric experiences of warfare were also most fused to their brothers in arms were most likely to risk life and limb as frontline fighters. In the U.S., Americans most strongly fused to the nation were most likely to provide financial or socio-emotional support for victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. In follow-up experiments in controlled lab settings, priming personal memories of highly dysphoric group events temporarily amplified identity fusion and in turn, willingness to self-sacrifice for the group. Objective 3 - Role of ritual in political evolution: Large databases have been constructed to examine the role of ritual in the evolution of social complexity. Initial analyses of our archaeological database suggest that domestication of plants and animals in Western Asia entailed increasingly routinized forms of collective behaviour associated with increased communal rituals and the homogenization of cultural identity markers. Our global historical database (http://seshatdatabank.info) will enable us to explore the relationships between ritual, warfare and social complexity worldwide covering a period of up to ten thousand years BP. Based on complex systems analysis of the Seshat database our ambitious aims are: to establish laws of human history and sociocultural evolution (based on precise and testable hypotheses); more accurately predict patterns of state breakdown, civil war, and other forms of political instability; investigate the role of environmental pressures in the growth or decline of armed groups; clarify the relationship between the resourcing needs of armed groups and their structure, spread, and survival; analyze the weakening or strengthening effects of exerting military pressure on groups as well as the role of extra-regional support; establish what conditions lead to more cohesive, stable, and peaceful societies (as distinct from trying to impose 'democracy' everywhere); establish how groups generate collective goods necessary for state building; predict the costs and other consequences of war (including effects on free trade, movement of goods, etc.). |
| Exploitation Route | A major focus of this project is on role of ritual in binding communities together and fuelling inter-group conflict. Our findings are expected to be useful to public policy making in the following areas: preventing radicalization; reforming violent criminals; resolving inter-group conflict; reducing hooliganism among football fans; improving motivation in the armed forces and police. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy |
| URL | https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/ritual-community-and-conflict |
| Description | Falling within the ESRC's strategic challenge area on "Security, Conflict and Justice" this project also forms part of the Global Uncertainties Programme. Research conducted by PI Harvey Whitehouse and project researcher Brian McQuinn in Libya has provided unique insight into civil war armed groups operating in the region and has been used to inform national and international policy on community security and the demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration of combatants. At the behest of international policy makers, McQuinn facilitated meetings between local leaders of the military council and representatives of the international community (e.g. British Ambassador, United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General in Libya). In 2012 McQuinn published a policy document detailing the security apparatus in Misrata and the evolution of non-state armed groups in Libya. McQuinn continues to contribute to international media accounts of the security situation in Misrata and fulfill requests from international agencies for briefings on conflict dynamics in Libya. Examples of such organizations include: the Small Arms Survey (Geneva); UN Panel of Experts on Libya (Security Council Resolution 1973 (2011)); UN OCHA; United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL); ACTED; UN Department of Political Affairs (UN DPA); IRIN (humanitarian news and analysis). Discussions of pathways to societal impact in year 2 (at a workshop organized by Whitehouse, ESRC Project PI, at Wadham College Oxford) led to the creation of a new Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflicts (CRIC) at Harris Manchester College Oxford. The new Centre, led by Lord John Alderdice in collaboration with co-founders Atran (ESRC project co-I), Whitehouse, and Richard Davis, is partly constructed around a synthesis of our objective 2 research on ritual, shared dysphoria and fusion, including also research conducted by Atran's team on the role of 'sacred values' in intractable conflicts. This process is expected to involve collaborations with policy experts, academics, politicians and other stakeholders. The expertise needed for this kind of work is currently dispersed but one of CRIC's aims will be to provide a stable and enduring platform for discussing and developing theories of intractable conflict and practical interventions. Whitehouse has also been working with criminologists and other social scientists in Australia to engage with various organs of the criminal justice system there to develop mechanisms to promote prisoner reform through fusion with mainstream, law-abiding groups creating exciting opportunities for knowledge exchange, and further potential policy impact. Meanwhile, research with football supporters by various members of the team in Brazil has enabled the development of theories that could help overcome problems of hooliganism and anti-social behaviour in fan groups and their wider communities. Other data collection work under Objective 2 has opened up new opportunities for further research in the Middle East, particularly with jihadi fighters in Jordanian prisons, and building on the groundwork of this project, key members of the team (Whitehouse and Buhrmester, in collaboration with Lee Rowland, Jonathan Jenkins and Alexis Everington) were awarded a contract to advise the Defence and Human Capability Science and Technology Centre regarding the moral components of conflict. In December 2015, Whitehouse travelled to Geneva to deliver a talk on 'The intra-group causes of inter-group conflict' during a training workshop on 'Analysing and Understanding Non-State Armed Groups' for the United Nations System Staff College. He has been repeatedly invited back to deliver more lectures to the UNSSC. He has also attended several advisory meetings in Whitehall, speaking to policymakers, civil servants, and government officials about the potential to predict future human behaviour and events from trends identified during the analysis of the Seshat Global History Databank produced under Objective 3, including leading panel sessions at World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2017 ('BetaZone: Why Facts Don't Unify Us', 'ERC Ideas Lab: The Science of Social Cohesion' and 'Ask About: The Science of Identity'). With some of his US collaborators, Whitehouse served on a steering committee set up to establish the Society for the Study of Cultural Evolution, which aims to advance the scientific study of cultural evolution and its practical applications, making research in this field relevant to a wide range of policymakers and experts. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | Analyzing Islamic State - talk by H Whitehouse at Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre Workshop on Future Trends - Blavatnik School of Governance |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | Harvey Whitehouse - Talk on "What motivates extreme self-sacrifice?"; - NIC/DCDC Workshop on Future Trends, Blavatnik School of Governance, University of Oxford, 4th June 2015. |
| Description | Harvey Whitehouse speaks at UN System Staff College, Geneva |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | On 10 December 2015, Prof. Harvey Whitehouse led a session entitled 'Anthropology of Armed Groups' at a training workshop on Analysing and Understanding Armed Groups for the United Nations System Staff College at the UNESCO International Bureau of Education in Geneva. |
| URL | http://www.icea.ox.ac.uk/latest/news/article/date/2015/12/prof-harvey-whitehouse-speaks-at-the-un-sy... |
| Description | Issue Brief 'Physical Security and Stockpile Management: The Practices of Selected Non-state Actors,' (2; Geneva: Small Arms Survey) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | The case studies reported on highlighted the need for adjustments to conventional physical security and stockpile management (PSSM) best practices to make them more applicable to a broader array of armed actors. |
| URL | http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/?highlight-ad-hoc-arsenals |
| Description | Militia evolution and structure in Misrata during the Libyan revolution - B McQuinn |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | Presentation at the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Tripoli, Libya. |
| Description | Panel discussion Brian McQuinn |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Panel discussion - The Middle East and International Affairs Research Group and the Austrian Society for Policy Analysis. Provided policy makers with detailed research findings on challenges and risks faced in Libya's post-conflict transition. |
| Description | Policy impact in post-revolutionary Libya |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Provided policy makers with detailed research findings on challenges and risks faced in Libya's post-conflict transition. |
| Description | Research briefings on findings in Libya |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | Research briefing, hosted by United Nations Support Mission in Tripoli, Libya, to UN personnel and five different embassies, including the U.S., U.K., Canada, UAE and Qatar. Brian McQuinn |
| Description | Success and Failure in State-Building by Armed Groups - invited talk by H. Whitehouse at the Foreign Office, London |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | The Anthropology and Psychology of Ritual and Conflict - training session delivered by H. Whitehouse at the Analyzing and Understanding Non-State Armed Groups workshop, United Nations System Staff College, Amman, Jordan. |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | The Anthropology of Armed Groups - training session delivered by H. Whitehouse at United Nations System Staff College workshop on Analyzing and Understanding Non-State Armed Groups, Nairobi, Kenya. |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | ERC Advanced Grant |
| Amount | € 2,350,443 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 694986 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 10/2016 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Description | Funding Competition (Axial Age Religions) |
| Amount | $924,002 (USD) |
| Funding ID | ID 488188 |
| Organisation | The John Templeton Foundation |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 03/2014 |
| End | 02/2017 |
| Description | Horizon2020 |
| Amount | € 4,000,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 02/2015 |
| End | 01/2018 |
| Description | John Fell OUP Research Fund (Grant 1) |
| Amount | £59,188 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2014 |
| End | 01/2015 |
| Description | John Fell OUP Research Fund (Grant 2) |
| Amount | £68,047 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2012 |
| End | 09/2015 |
| Description | Kindness.org |
| Amount | £39,240 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Neon Foundation |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2016 |
| End | 09/2016 |
| Description | NSF |
| Amount | $407,500 (USD) |
| Organisation | National Science Foundation (NSF) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 09/2015 |
| End | 08/2018 |
| Description | Natural Governance Programme |
| Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Department | Oxford Martin School |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2016 |
| End | 05/2017 |
| Description | Religion's Impact on Human Life: Integrating Proximate and Ultimate Perspectives (£1,010,484 awarded by the John Templeton Foundation) |
| Amount | £1,010,484 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The John Templeton Foundation |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United States |
| Start | |
| Description | TIN 3.193 Understanding the moral component of conflict |
| Amount | £31,320 (GBP) |
| Organisation | BAE Systems |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2016 |
| End | 03/2016 |
| Description | Templeton World Charity Foundation |
| Amount | £1,519,217 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | TWCF0164 |
| Organisation | Templeton World Charity Foundation |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | Bahamas |
| Start | 02/2017 |
| End | 01/2020 |
| Title | Ganesha: the global comparative database of information technology by Mullins and Whitehouse |
| Description | Ganesha: the global comparative database of information technology by Mullins and Whitehouse builds on the cross-sectional sample of societies identified in the Ritual Database by Atkinson and Whitehouse to examine the role that rituals and information technology may have played in facilitating social cohesion and increases in organizational complexity around the globe. Large-scale qualitative data analysis techniques are being used to extract and code ethnographic and historical material and construct this database. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Ganesha: the global comparative database of information technology by Mullins and Whitehouse is designed to be of interest to three primary groups: literacy campaigners, government civil servants and policy makers. Each of these target groups are benefitting from this research database because it enables them to demonstrate the wide-reaching role that literacy plays in facilitating social cohesion both within the UK and elsewhere around the globe. |
| URL | https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:98d1f155-c96d-4ba0-ac36-c610d3d7454c |
| Title | The Seshat: Global History Databank |
| Description | The Seshat: Global History Databank systematically collects what is currently known about the cultural and organizational systems of past human societies to examine variation and patterns in these systems and reveal how civilizations have evolved over time. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2012 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The Seshat: Global History Database contends that the best way to provide meaningful answers to some of the most critical problems confronting the modern world is to study the past through well-established scientific techniques. To accelerate impact, this database brings historical experts together with community leaders and policy-makers to solve real-world problems and answer some of humanity's most important questions - how and under what circumstances does prosocial behaviour evolve in large societies? What roles do religion and ritual activities play in group cohesion and cultural development? What is the impact of climatic and the environmental factors in societal advance? What mechanisms translate economic growth into quality of life improvements for the average person? |
| URL | http://seshatdatabank.info/ |
| Title | Tolstoy |
| Description | Tolstoy is a relational database containing statistically analysable variables on non-state armed groups. Information categories include ethnic and linguistic composition, longevity, shared customs and practices, type of leadership, number of hierarchical levels, relationship to the local population, type of resource extraction, and links with other actors. There are no direct legal or ethical constraints to make these data public. Several datasets on non-state armed groups are in the public domain. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This database enables researchers to do large-N research on non-state armed groups. In first instance, it addresses questions about group structure and resource use. The database will also enable research on links/exchanges between armed groups (the network structure of groups). The aim is to generate peer-reviewed publications from this, to inform the wider scientific community about said topics. |
| Description | Ac_Auckland |
| Organisation | University of Auckland |
| Department | School of Chemical Sciences |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) collaborated closely with Atkinson in all aspects of the research work detailed below. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Quentin Atkinson was involved in Objective 3 of the project. He collaborated with Whitehouse and other project researchers on various aspects of implementation and writing up. He also undertook fieldwork with Whitehouse and Mazzucato at Catalhoyuk. This research has partially focused on the role of writing and recordkeeping in cultural evolution. Recent insights garnered from behavioural economics, palaeography, grammatology, evolutionary psychology, and anthropology suggest that writing and recordkeeping helps to solve the problem of cooperation in large groups by transcending the severe limitations of our evolved psychology through the elaboration of four cooperative tools - (1) reciprocal behaviours, (2) reputation formation and maintenance, (3) social norms and norm enforcement, and (4) group identity and empathy. |
| Impact | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2012.12.017 Modes of religiosity and the evolution of social complexity at Çatalhöyük The Cultural Evolution of Religion Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, sociology, history, cultural and social evolution, archaeology |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Ac_Bath |
| Organisation | University of Bath |
| Department | Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) collaborated closely with Bryson on the research detailed below. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Joanna Bryson contributed to the project under Objective 2, conducting research in conjunction with Whitehouse (PI) and Hochberg (collaborator, Montpellier). This empirical work involved designing and implementing studies to demonstrate the benefits of using social simulations to understand and communicate the consequences of theories of religion and other sociocultural systems. Particular focus was given to Whitehouse's theory of Divergent Modes of Religiosity, for which social simulations of the patterns of religious transmission and transformation it predicts enabled the discovery of numerous aspects that were underspecified, generating new hypotheses for investigation in future empirical research. Overall, the studies demonstrated that this back-and-forth between simulation and theory testing has the potential to accelerate progress in the scientific study of religion. |
| Impact | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2012.691033 Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, sociology, computer science, computer programming, religious studies |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Ac_Bing |
| Organisation | Binghamton University |
| Department | Department of Materials Science and Engineering |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) and other members of the project team have had input to the design and implementation of the collaborative work, and have jointly written arising publications. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Prof. David Sloan Wilson was involved in Objective 3 of the project. He fulfilled an advisory role for the researchers on this part of the project and contributed to various aspects of implementation and writing up. This collaboration consisted of research into cultural evolution, particularly questions such as whether cultural traits are adaptations, and if so, at what level(s) of selection, and more broadly how cultural traits and groups change over time. A new, more comprehensive approach to studying cultural diversity has been developed, which emulates the study of biological diversity and adds considerable value to the 'axis' approach. Part of this has involved advocating the establishment of field sites for the study of religious and cultural diversity comparable to biological field sites. |
| Impact | To Understand Present Day Cultures We Must Study the Past: a Commentary on David Sloan Wilson. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2015.1132243 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0070 The Cultural Evolution of Religion. Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, religious studies, cultural evolution, sociology, history |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Ac_Brunel |
| Organisation | Brunel University London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) worked with Russell and Gobet to design, implement, analyse and write up the study described below. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Yvan Russell and Fernand Gobet were collaborators on the project under Objective 2. They contributed to a study run with Whitehouse (PI) using game playing as a proxy for religious ritual in order to investigate the differential effects of euphoric and dysphoric mood, focusing on expertise and analogical reasoning.The study examined the effect of mood on analogical transfer in four conditions: 1) expert euphoric; 2) expert dysphoric; 3) nonexpert euphoric; and 4) nonexpert dysphoric. Overall the team found that expertise and dysphoria have special cognitive functions in ritual. |
| Impact | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2014.921861 Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, social psychology, sociology, religious studies |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Ac_Conn |
| Organisation | University of Connecticut |
| Department | Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) has been involved in the direction, design and writing up of all the work detailed below. Other members of the Oxford team have also liaised with staff at University of Connecticut (UConn). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Prof. Peter Turchin has been involved in Objective 3 of the project. He has fulfilled an advisory role for the researchers on this part of the project and has also contributed to various aspects of implementation and writing up. He has undertaken fieldwork with Whitehouse, Atkinson and Mazzucato, and contributed to several major publications. The most prominent aspect of this collaboration has been the development of a Historical Database of Sociocultural Evolution, now known as Seshat: Global History Databank. Seshat is a comprehensive dataset covering human cultural evolution since the Neolithic and is constructed in such a way as to allow researchers to use it to tackle big questions that play out over long time scales while also drilling down to the detail to place every single data point in both its historic and historiographical context. This work has brought together the available historical and archaeological data in such a way as to facilitate the rigorous testing of hypotheses concerning the origin of ultrasociality. Through this database, researchers are now able to test such theories as those that explain how modern societies evolved from ancestral ones, why modern societies vary so much in their capacity to satisfy their members' basic human needs, why economies decline or fail to grow, etc. Turchin has also collaborated with Whitehouse (PI) and Pieter Francois (UK collaborator) to investigate the role of ritual in the evolution of social complexity. An additional strand of the collaborative work with UConn has consisted in research collaborations between Whitehouse (PI) and his student Martha Newson, and Dr Dimitris Xygalatas and his student Gabriela Pinto at UConn, made up of two studies. Study 1 measured euphoric and dysphoric arousal and synchronous movement among fans in a basketball stadium as the predictor variables and the dependent variables included identity fusion with various target groups as well as various physiological measures including heart rate GSR. Study 2 was conducted in the lab and measured game-by-game levels of euphoric and dysphoric arousal longitudinally among fans who watch away games on live transmission, with follow up measures taken via SMS or other suitable means. It quantified fusion and social cohesion based on psychological and behavioural measures using sociometric badges designed at MIT. The deliverables were the datasets arising from each study, plus the results summaries and resulting publications. |
| Impact | A Historical Database of Sociocultural Evolution https://doi.org/10.21237/C7clio6127917 https://doi.org/10.21237/C7clio6127473 https://doi.org/10.21237/C7clio6229624 A Macroscope for Global History: Seshat Global History Databank, a methodological overview https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0070 The Cultural Evolution of Religion Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, evolutionary biology, ecology, cultural evolution, history, sociology |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Ac_Cov |
| Organisation | Coventry University |
| Department | Centre for Technology Enabled Health Research (CTEHR) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) has worked closely with both van Mulukom and Jong since their respective moves to Coventry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Valerie van Mulukom was previously a postdoctoral researcher on Objective 2 of the project in the Oxford team. Since moving to Coventry University she has continued to collaborate on the project, designing, implementing, analysing and writing up studies on highly significant autobiographical memories, reflection and identity fusion. Dr Jonathan Jong was an advisor to the project at Oxford, and since moving to Coventry University has continued to contribute to Objective 2. Jong is a social psychologist, and has collaborated with Whitehouse (PI), Rybanska (research student) and other collaborators to design, implement, analyse and write up lab and field studies investigating ritual practices in children and adults, in relation to religion, early development, identity fusion and group identification, and social bonding. |
| Impact | The Event Opacity Scale and the Event-Specific Rumination-Reflection Scale", Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Human Memory Conference, Cluj-Napoca, Romania The evolution of extreme cooperation via intense shared experiences http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12762 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12165 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149880 Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, social psychology, developmental psychology, sociology, religious studies |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Ac_EI |
| Organisation | The Evolution Institute |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI), the Oxford research team, and collaborators at UConn, Binghamton, Hertfordshire and elsewhere have carried out the research that has been disseminated through the Evolution Institute's channels, as detailed below. |
| Collaborator Contribution | For details of other collaborations involving members of the Evolution Institute, please see the entries for the University of Connecticut, the University of Hertfordshire, and SUNY Binghamton. In addition, Joe Brewer of the Evolution Institute has helped to disseminate key findings from the project through the newly formed Society for the Study of Cultural Evolution (SSCE) - which has 1100 founding members from more than 50 countries - and also across the media platform hosted by the Evolution Institute, through the web venues of the SEF, TVOL magazine, and other communication channels. Considerations of group cohesion, inheritance of behavioural practices and social norms, and intergroup conflict resolution have been reflected in the "grand challenge" survey responses from SSCE members about the mission and scope for the society. As such, it has been and will continue to be a ready and eager audience for debate and open dialogue for the unique data and key findings of the project. The readerships of SEF and TVOL are comprised of academic researchers, journalists and bloggers, and members of the public with an interest in evolutionary studies. |
| Impact | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0070 Seshat: Global History Databank (database) Also see outputs from UConn, Binghamton and Hertfordshire. Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, sociology, history, cultural and social evolution, evolutionary biology |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Ac_Exe |
| Organisation | University of Exeter |
| Department | School of Psychology |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) and members of the Oxford team have worked closely with Currie on research relating to the Seshat sub-project, as detailed below. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Thomas Currie has contributed to the project under Objective 3. As a specialist in Cultural Evolution, Currie has been principally involved with Seshat: Global History Databank, which involves the systematic organisation of the vast amount of historical and archaeological knowledge about the cultural evolution of past human societies since the Neolithic period, in order to render it accessible for empirically testing theories about cultural evolution and historical dynamics. For example, what evolutionary mechanisms were involved in the transition from the small-scale, uncentralized societies, in which humans lived 10,000 years ago, to the large-scale societies with an extensive division of labour, great differentials in wealth and power, and elaborate governance structures of today? Why do modern states sometimes fail to meet the basic needs of their populations? Why do economies decline, or fail to grow? The data in Seshat has allowed the project team and others to test theories explaining how modern societies evolved from ancestral ones, and why modern societies vary so much in their capacity to satisfy their members' basic human needs. The platform can be used to tackle big questions that play out over long timescales whilst allowing users to drill down to the detail and place every single data point in both its historic and historiographical context. |
| Impact | Seshat: Global History Databank (database) https://doi.org/10.21237/C7clio6127917 https://doi.org/10.21237/C7clio6127473 A Macroscope for Global History. Seshat: Global History Databank: a methodological overview. Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, sociology, cultural and social evolution, evolutionary biology, history |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Ac_Harvard |
| Organisation | Harvard University |
| Department | Graduate School of Education |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) has been heavily involved in the collaborative work carried out with Prof. Paul Harris at Harvard. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Prof. Paul Harris was involved in Objective 1 of the project. He fulfilled an advisory role for the researchers on this part of the project and also contributed to various aspects of implementation and writing up. In particular, studies benefiting from this collaboration have involved investigating the kinds of cues that increase imitative fidelity in early childhood, task-specific effects of third-party ostracism on imitative fidelity in early childhood, whether imitative fidelity is influenced by cues to interpret behaviour as instrumental vs conventional, and whether children use high-fidelity imitation as a reinclusion behaviour in response to being ostracized by in-group members. |
| Impact | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2013.08.010 Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, sociology, child development, developmental psychology, social psychology, early education |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Ac_Mont |
| Organisation | University of Montpellier |
| Department | Institute of Evolutionary Sciences (ISEM) |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) has collaborated closely with Hochberg on the research detailed below. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Michael Hochberg has contributed to the project under Objective 3. As a population biologist, he has been involved in both empirical work, and data analysis and database development. The empirical work involved designing and implementing studies to demonstrate the benefits of using social simulations to understand and communicate the consequences of theories of religion and other sociocultural systems. Particular focus was given to Whitehouse's theory of Divergent Modes of Religiosity, for which social simulations of the patterns of religious transmission and transformation it predicts enabled the discovery of numerous aspects that were underspecified, generating new hypotheses for investigation in future empirical research. Overall, the studies demonstrated that this back-and-forth between simulation and theory testing has the potential to accelerate progress in the scientific study of religion. Hochberg's other work involved commentary on the value of studying the past in order to fully appreciate and understand present day cultures, broadly supporting the project's advocacy of the importance of historical and archaeological data, and its proper reference and manipulation, for studying cultural and social evolution. In terms of applied research, Hochberg contributed to research investigating one of the central puzzles in the study of sociocultural evolution: how and why transitions from small-scale human groups to large-scale, hierarchically more complex ones occurred. The team developed a spatially explicit agent-based model as a first step towards understanding the ecological dynamics of small and large-scale human groups. By analogy with the interactions between single-celled and multicellular organisms, they built a theory of group lifecycles as an emergent property of single cell demographic and expansion behaviours. They found that once the transition from small-scale to large-scale groups occurs, a few large-scale groups continue expanding while small-scale groups gradually become scarcer, and large-scale groups become larger in size and fewer in number over time. Demographic and expansion behaviours of groups are largely influenced by the distribution and availability of resources. The results conform to a pattern of human political change in which religions and nation states come to be represented by a few large units and many smaller ones. This research laid the groundwork for future enhancements of the model which should include decision-making rules and probabilities of fragmentation for large-scale societies. The team suggested that the synthesis of population ecology and social evolution will generate increasingly plausible models of human group dynamics. |
| Impact | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2012.691033 To Understand Present Day Cultures We Must Study the Past: a Commentary on David Sloan Wilson. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0138496 Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, sociology, computer science, computer programming, history, social and cultural evolution |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Ac_NUS |
| Organisation | National University of Singapore |
| Department | Department of Psychology |
| Country | Singapore |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI), Jong (previously Oxford advisor, now Coventry collaborator), and Lanman (collaborator, QUB) worked closely with Tong and Reddish at NUS on all aspects of the studies detailed below. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Eddie Tong and Dr Paul Reddish have contributed to the project under Objective 2, designing, implementing, analysing and writing up studies on collective synchrony and prosociality. Previous research had found that behavioural synchrony between people leads to greater prosocial tendencies towards co-performers. In Reddish and Tong's study, the team investigated the scope of this prosocial effect: did it extend beyond the performance group to an extended ingroup (extended parochial prosociality) or even to other people in general (generalized prosociality)? Participants performed a simple rhythmic movement either in time (synchrony condition) or out of time (asynchrony condition) with each other. Before and during the rhythmic movement, participants were exposed to a prime that made salient an extended ingroup identity. After the task, half of the participants had the opportunity to help an extended ingroup member; the other half had the opportunity to help an outgroup member. The team found a main effect of the synchrony manipulation across both help targets suggesting that the prosocial effects of synchrony extend to non-performers. Furthermore, there was a significantly higher proportion of participants willing to help an outgroup member after moving collectively in synchrony. Overall, the study showed that under certain intergroup contexts synchrony can lead to generalized prosociality with performers displaying greater prosociality even towards outgroup members. |
| Impact | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12165 Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, sociology, social psychology |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Ac_Otago |
| Organisation | University of Otago |
| Department | Department of Psychology |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) worked closely with Halberstadt on the research detailed below. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Prof. Jamin Halberstadt has contributed to the project under Objective 2, designing, supervising and writing up studies on social group formation in an effort to answer basic persistent questions about group formation, structure, and change. The approach of Halberstadt and his team has been to argue that the problem is methodological. Until recently, there was no way to track who was interacting with whom with anything approximating valid resolution and scale. Halberstadt and Whitehouse's team describe a new method that applies recent advances in image-based tracking to study incipient group formation and evolution with experimental precision and control. Using this method, termed "in vivo behavioral tracking," the team tracked individuals' movements with a high definition video camera mounted atop a large field laboratory. They reported results of an initial study that quantifies the composition, structure, and size of the incipient groups. They also applied in-vivo spatial tracking to study participants' tendency to cooperate as a function of their embeddedness in those crowds. Overall they found that participants form groups of seven on average, are more likely to approach others of similar attractiveness and (to a lesser extent) gender, and that participants' gender and attractiveness are both associated with their proximity to the spatial center of groups (such that women and attractive individuals are more likely than men and unattractive individuals to end up in the center of their groups). Furthermore, participants' proximity to others early in this study predicted the effort they exerted in a subsequent cooperative task, suggesting that submergence in a crowd may predict social loafing. The team concluded that in vivo behavioral tracking is a uniquely powerful new tool for answering longstanding, fundamental questions about group dynamics. |
| Impact | http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149880 Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, sociology, social psychology |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Ac_QUB |
| Organisation | Queen's University Belfast |
| Department | School of Mathematics and Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) worked closely with both Lanman and Buhrmester throughout the work described below. In addition, Buhrmester was a postdoc in the Oxford team, seconded to QUB. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The department at QUB hosted Dr Michael Buhrmester (Oxford postdoc) on a secondment during the project. Michael worked on Objective 2 of the project, taking over as Co-ordinator for the objective part way through the project. He designed and implemented field and laboratory studies in order to determine the nature of ritual's effects on identity fusion, cooperation and outgroup hostility. He collaborated with psychologists and anthropologists who formed part of the project's international network of collaborators and worked with the research coordinator in Oxford in relation to ethical approval, participant recruitment etc. He also contributed to data analysis and writing up of results and findings. Michael's work in particular focused on investigating: what motivates the altruism of exceptional individuals who rush to the aid of victims of group tragedy; relationships between personal and group identity; cognitive representations of group members; and personally costly pro-group actions. Dr Jonathan Lanman has collaborated with Buhrmester to design, run, and write up three studies on the role of fusion with a religious tradition on willingness to pay very high cost for the benefit of that religion and its adherents. While four existing studies support their claim that fusion with religion is a much better predictor of self-sacrifice than any particular religious beliefs (e.g. fundamentalism, rewarding afterlife beliefs, etc.) these final studies were needed to help demonstrate causality and to make the subsequent paper more suitable to higher-impact journals. More broadly, Lanman's work on the project has involved investigating: the precise nature of 'ritual' and 'social cohesion' and the claim that participating in collective rituals promotes social cohesion; integration of the theories and findings of the social and evolutionary sciences in this regard; the development of a general and testable theory of the relationship between ritual, cohesion, and cooperation that more precisely connects particular elements of "ritual," such as causal opacity and emotional arousal, to two particular forms of "social cohesion": group identification and identity fusion; contextual work to ground this theory in an evolutionary account of why particular modes of ritual practice would be adaptive for societies with particular resource-acquisition strategies. In addition, Lanman worked with Whitehouse (PI) and other collaborators to develop a more comprehensive approach to studying cultural diversity that emulates the study of biological diversity and adds considerable value to the 'axis' approach. This also involved advocating the establishment of field sites for the study of religious and cultural diversity, comparable to biological field sites. Finally, Lanman contributed to work on collective synchrony, working with Whitehouse and others to investigate the scope of this prosocial effect: does it extend beyond the performance group to an extended ingroup (extended parochial prosociality) or even to other people in general (generalized prosociality)? Participants performed a simple rhythmic movement either in time (synchrony condition) or out of time (asynchrony condition) with each other. Before and during the rhythmic movement, participants were exposed to a prime that made salient an extended ingroup identity. After the task, half of the participants had the opportunity to help an extended ingroup member; the other half had the opportunity to help an outgroup member. The team found a main effect of the synchrony manipulation across both help targets suggesting that the prosocial effects of synchrony extend to non-performers. Furthermore, there was a significantly higher proportion of participants willing to help an outgroup member after moving collectively in synchrony. This study showed that under certain intergroup contexts synchrony can lead to generalized prosociality with performers displaying greater prosociality even towards outgroup members. |
| Impact | http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/678698 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2014.992465 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2015. 1132243 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12165 The evolution of extreme cooperation via intense shared experiences Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, social psychology, religious studies, sociology |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Ac_RHUL |
| Organisation | Royal Holloway, University of London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) and members of the research team worked closely with Ryan McKay throughout the project, collaborating on study planning and design, implementation and writing up. Whitehouse co-supervised research student Rybanska with McKay. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Ryan McKay carried out research on the project full time for years 1,2 and 3 and remained involved in an advisory capacity thereafter. His work related primarily to objective 2, and was conducted in collaboration with other project participants. As part of Objective 2, a series of psychological experiments were run at Royal Holloway, under Ryan's supervision. These included studies on dysphoric arousal, psychological kinship, as well as future neuroimaging studies. Ryan was also responsible for supervising a lab administrator and research assistants. The studies at RHUL investigated: religious rituals, and particularly whether religious rituals of atonement and absolution are, from the perspective of religious groups, counterproductive mechanisms for addressing the moral transgressions of group members; the relationship between religion and morality - arguing that to make progress with studying that relationship, the two categories must be fractionated into a set of biologically and psychologically cogent traits, revealing the cognitive foundations that shape and constrain relevant cultural variants; the nature of prosociality and the prospects for non-parochial 'religious prosociality'; and whether engagement in ritualistic behaviours improves children's executive functioning, in turn improving their ability to delay gratification. Ryan also undertook co-supervision duties with Whitehouse (PI) for a research student on the project (Rybanska). |
| Impact | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2012.739410 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0038455 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X15000503 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12762 The evolution of extreme cooperation via intense shared experiences Intelligent Design Versus Random Mutation? (A comment on Steven Pinker) Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, developmental psychology, social psychology, religious studies, morality, sociology, cultural and social evolution |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Ac_Stanford |
| Organisation | Stanford University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) worked closely with Hodder and other collaborators to conduct fieldwork at the site, and in writing up a book chapter on this research. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Prof. Ian Hodder was involved in Objective 3 of the project. He fulfilled an advisory role for the researchers on this part of the project and also contributed to various aspects of implementation and writing up. This work concerned ritual and religion in neolithic society, with a particular focus on the site at Çatalhöyük, Turkey. Research focused on modes of religiosity and the evolution of social complexity using this site as a case study. |
| Impact | Modes of religiosity and the evolution of social complexity at Çatalhöyük Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, history, cultural evolution, archaeology |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Ac_TCD |
| Organisation | Trinity College Dublin |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) and members of the Oxford team have collaborated closely with Brennan and Feeney to design and structure the Seshat sub-project, and to further develop the database as it has been populated and put into use. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Rob Brennan and Dr Kevin Feeney of the TCD Knowledge and Data Engineering Group have contributed to the design and programming of the Seshat: Global History Databank initiative, under Objective 3 of the project. |
| Impact | Seshat: Global History Databank (database) https://doi.org/10.21237/C7clio6127917 A Macroscope for Global History. Seshat: Global History Databank: a methodological overview Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, cultural and social evolution, sociology, history, evolutionary biology, computer programming, computer science, information science |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Ac_Texas |
| Organisation | University of Texas at Austin |
| Department | Department of Psychology |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) has collaborated closely with both Legare and Swann throughout the project. All studies detailed below were jointly conceived and written up between the collaborator and members of the Oxford team. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Cristine Legare (Co-I) worked full-time throughout the first five years of the project, in collaboration with the PI, to investigate the cognitive foundations of ritualized behaviour by adopting a developmental perspective cross-culturally. The allocated work involved designing and implementing psychological experiments to tease apart some of the main cues for activation of the 'ritual stance' in childhood. Experiments have been conducted at the collaborating university and then been replicated in a variety of field locations around the world. In particular, studies have involved investigating the kinds of cues that increase imitative fidelity in early childhood, task-specific effects of third-party ostracism on imitative fidelity in early childhood, whether imitative fidelity is influenced by cues to interpret behaviour as instrumental vs conventional, and whether children use high-fidelity imitation as a reinclusion behaviour in response to being ostracized by in-group members. Legare has played a leading and coordinating role for Objective 1 of the project, including line managing a Lab Manager and Staff Research Scientist based in Austin. The role of the research scientist was to assist the PI and Co-I in the design and implementation of experimental studies examining the cognitive underpinnings of ritualistic behaviour. Prof. William Swann has been involved in Objective 2 of the project. He has fulfilled an advisory role for the researchers on this part of the project and also contributed to various aspects of implementation and writing up focused around the following investigations: theory of identity fusion; what motivates ordinary civilians to sacrifice their lives for revolutionary causes, particularly in Libya; what motivates altruism among individuals who rush to the aid of the victims of group tragedy; the relationships between personal and group identity; cognitive representations of group members; personally costly pro-group actions; the development of a computer-based measure of identity fusion; and the impact of genetic relatedness in fostering a powerful feeling of union between twins that predicts sharing, tolerance and self-sacrificial behaviour toward each other. The Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin has also hosted various secondments for project researchers, particularly postdocs, undertaking cognitive developmental studies. Their work has included participant recruitment, data collection and analysis, the implementation of research protocols and procedures, training junior RAs, and presenting results at conferences. |
| Impact | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2013.08.010 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.01.004 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2015.05.020 https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615607205 https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0028589 https://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1416284111 https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2014.992465 https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0894439314566178 https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2017.1296887 Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, social psychology, developmental psychology, sociology, religious studies |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Ac_UH |
| Organisation | University of Hertfordshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Pieter Francois was originally a postdoctoral researcher in the Oxford team before he moved to take up a permanent position at the University of Hertfordshire. As such, he has worked closely with Whitehouse (PI) and the rest of the Oxford team throughout the project. Whitehouse has supervised and collaborated on the design, implementation and writing up of all the work described below with Francois, and other collaborators. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Pieter Francois was previously a postdoctoral researcher in the Oxford team, but moved to the University of Hertfordshire and became a collaborator there mid-way through the project. His work throughout has contributed to Objective 3 of the project, particularly with regard to database development and longitudinal data analysis. He has supervised data collection for a wide range of variables on social complexity, warfare and ritual over the past 5000 years by research assistants in the UK and in the field, and has contributed to the writing up of research findings. The most prominent aspect of Dr Francois's work has been the research focused around Seshat: Global History Databank, which involves the systematic organisation of the vast amount of historical and archaeological knowledge about the cultural evolution of past human societies since the Neolithic period, in order to render it accessible for empirically testing theories about cultural evolution and historical dynamics. For example, what evolutionary mechanisms were involved in the transition from the small-scale, uncentralized societies, in which humans lived 10,000 years ago, to the large-scale societies with an extensive division of labour, great differentials in wealth and power, and elaborate governance structures of today? Why do modern states sometimes fail to meet the basic needs of their populations? Why do economies decline, or fail to grow? The data in Seshat has allowed the project team and others to test theories explaining how modern societies evolved from ancestral ones, and why modern societies vary so much in their capacity to satisfy their members' basic human needs. The platform can be used to tackle big questions that play out over long timescales whilst allowing users to drill down to the detail and place every single data point in both its historic and historiographical context. With Whitehouse (PI) and Turchin (Collaborator, UConn), Francois has also undertaken work on the role of ritual in the evolution of social complexity, and the connections between ritual, emotion and power in middle and modern European history. |
| Impact | Seshat: Global History Databank (in databases section) https://doi.org/10.21237/C7clio6127917 https://doi.org/10.21237/C7clio6127473 http://escholarship.org/uc/item/4836f93g A Macroscope for Global History. Seshat: Global History Databank: a methodological overview Ritual, Emotion and Power Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, evolutionary biology, ecology, sociology, history, cultural evolution |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Ac_UNED |
| Organisation | National University of Distance Education |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse has worked closely with Gomez on all the research described below. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Angel Gomez has fulfilled an advisory role for the researchers on Objective 2 of the project and also contributed to various aspects of implementation and writing up focused around the following investigations: theory of identity fusion; development of a computer-based measure of identity fusion; and the impact of genetic relatedness in fostering a powerful feeling of union between twins that predicts sharing, tolerance and self-sacrificial behaviour toward each other. |
| Impact | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2017.1296887 http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0894439314566178 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0028589 The evolution of extreme cooperation via intense shared experiences Multi-disciplinary: anthropology, social psychology, sociology |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Ac_Yale |
| Organisation | Yale University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Whitehouse (PI) worked closely with Manning on various research activities connected with the Seshat sub-project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Prof Joseph Manning contributed to the project as an advisor under Objective 3. He has been particularly involved in the work on Seshat: Global History Databank, which involves the systematic organisation of the vast amount of historical and archaeological knowledge about the cultural evolution of past human societies since the Neolithic period, in order to render it accessible for empirically testing theories about cultural evolution and historical dynamics. For example, what evolutionary mechanisms were involved in the transition from the small-scale, uncentralized societies, in which humans lived 10,000 years ago, to the large-scale societies with an extensive division of labour, great differentials in wealth and power, and elaborate governance structures of today? Why do modern states sometimes fail to meet the basic needs of their populations? Why do economies decline, or fail to grow? The data in Seshat has allowed the project team and others to test theories explaining how modern societies evolved from ancestral ones, and why modern societies vary so much in their capacity to satisfy their members' basic human needs. The platform can be used to tackle big questions that play out over long timescales whilst allowing users to drill down to the detail and place every single data point in both its historic and historiographical context. |
| Impact | https://doi.org/10.21237/C7clio6127917 Seshat: Global History Databank (database) |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | 'How do sacred values and identity fusion affect conflict prevention and resolution?' Interview with H Whitehouse, Radio Adelaide |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Discussion of research with H Whitehouse |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | https://soundcloud.com/icea/adelaide-radio-interview |
| Description | 'Rituale' an article in GEO by F. Langer |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Article discusses the work of H Whitehouse and B McQuinn |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | A land of militias, Libya struggles to build a military |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | research mentioned The Christian Science Monitor |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2013/0224/A-land-of-militias-Libya-struggles-to-build-a-m... |
| Description | An interview with Harvey Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interview with Harvey Whitehouse |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=782&v=jqEnGM3Wdt8 |
| Description | Analysis: Libya's long road to disarmament |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In 'Humanitarian news and analysis', a service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Brief discussion of B McQuinn research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| URL | http://www.irinnews.org/report/94559/analysis-libya-s-long-road-to-disarmament |
| Description | Analyzing Islamic State - Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Harvey participated in a workshop on the current trajectory and future implications of Islamic State Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.harveywhitehouse.com/events/2016/1/21/analyzing-islamic-state |
| Description | Article - Pacific Standard "What motivates extreme self-sacrifice?" by Harvey Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Essay in the magazine, Pacific Standard - What Motivates Extreme Self-Sacrifice? New work in the field of anthropology says violent extremism isn't really motivated by religion-but by fusion with the group. By Harvey Whitehouse. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Article on PsyPost - 'Religious priming does not increase the ability to delay gratification: study' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Discussion of R McKay and J Harrison' article 'Do Religious and Moral Concepts Influence the Ability to Delay Gratification? A Priming Study' in Journal of Articles in Support of the Null Hypothesis |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.psypost.org/2013/07/religious-priming-does-not-increases-the-ability-to-delay-gratificati... |
| Description | Audio interview HW Rites from the Start Nature Podcast |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Nature Podcast |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.harveywhitehouse.com/multimedia/ |
| Description | Being 'forgiven' makes people more generous, psychologists find |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | mentions research The Telegraph |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9727182/Being-forgiven-makes-people-more-generous-psycholog... |
| Description | Catholic absolution of guilt boosts donations to church |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | mentions research CBC News |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/12/07/catholic-guilt-donations.html |
| Description | Causal opacity, cultural transmission, and social glue. H. Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Workshop Exploring the Cultural Constitution of (Causal) Cognition, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, Bielefeld University, Germany. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Debate - delusions are radically different from normal beliefs. R. McKay |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Power and pitfalls of psychopathology: Marking 100 years since the publication of Karl Jaspers' General Psychopathology. The Royal Society of Medicine, London, UK. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Delusional Inference by Ryan McKay |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Seminar presentation at University of Bath Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Delusions and Shared Delusions by Ryan McKay |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to Dept of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Der Sinn von Ritualen: Beispiel Religion by H Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Article in Spektrum der Wissenschaft, Spezial , by H Whitehouse Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Durkheimian Anthropology and the Cognitive Science of Religion - H Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Durkheimian Studies Workshop, School of Anthropology, University of Oxford Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | End of Anonymity: A way to stop online abuse - including interview with R McKay in New Scientist |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Discussion of research - New Scientist, 220(2940), pp 34-37 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029400.700-the-end-of-anonymity-a-way-to-stop-online-abuse.h... |
| Description | Evaluating ritual efficacy: Evidence from the supernatural by Cristine Legare |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation, Institution Theater, Austin, Texas Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Explaining Irrational Belief and Behaviour |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Workshop on the Differential Diagnosis of Delusions. Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Explaining Misbelief - R McKay |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | School of Psychology, Research Seminar, Brunel University, London. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Explaining the role religion played in the rise of social complexity. An introduction to Seshat: Global History Databank by Pieter Francois |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at Religious Research Group Seminar, Liverpool Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Feature article in Nautilus |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Feature article in online Science magazine, Nautilus |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://nautil.us/issue/17/big-bangs/to-understand-religion-think-football |
| Description | Fightcast Podcast #262 - BJJ Grading Rituals, C Kavanagh |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with C Kavanagh about gathering data about BJJ belt ceremonies |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://thefightworkspodcast.com/2012/10/21/262-metamoris-promoter-robert-zeps-and-brazilian-jiu-jits... |
| Description | Findings in Libya by Brian McQuinn |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at Swedish National Defence College, Stockholm Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Forgiving could lead to more giving for fearful parishioners |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | research mentioned Independent.ie |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.independent.ie/world-news/forgiving-could-lead-to-more-giving-for-fearful-parishioners-28... |
| Description | Fusion and Delusions: Understanding Departures from Rational Belief and Behaviour. R. McKay |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Colloquium given at the Psychology Department, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Fusion, Delusions, and Positive Illusions. R. McKay |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Research seminar given at the Psychology Department, University of Portsmouth, UK. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Fusion, delusions, and positive illusions: Understanding departures from rational belief and behaviour. R. McKay |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Centre for Excellence in Cognitive Disorders (CCD) Annual Workshop. Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | HW interview A Walk in the Park |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | New Atheism - 'A Walk in the Park' - video interview New Atheism - "A Walk in the Park" - video interview |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=400&v=xf26Ku9GcQI |
| Description | HW interview Religion Past and Present |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | keynote/invited speaker |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk and discussion - questions from the audience taken by panel. Interview at International Convention of Psychological Science, Amsterdam. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=5353&v=URzjiqYy7lw |
| Description | HW video Why are rituals important? |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Filmed interview with Harvey Whitehouse - Why are rituals important? Interview |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.harveywhitehouse.com/multimedia/ |
| Description | Harvey Whitehouse interview Radio Adelaide |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interview on Ritual, Community and Conflict with Radio Adelaide Radio interview |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | https://radio.adelaide.edu.au/professor-harvey-whitehouse-ritual-community-and-conflict/ |
| Description | Imitative Foundations of Cultural Learning by Cristine Legare |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at University of Bielefeld Discussion of Research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Inside a rebellion: the emergence and evolution of armed groups in Libya by Brian McQuinn |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at Middle Eastern Studies Research Colloquia Series, St Antony's College, University of Oxford Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Inside a revolution: an ethnography of the revolutionary brigades in Misrata, Libya |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | School of International Development, University of East Anglia Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Interview Jon Lanman in the New Science of Religion series - Youtube |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | YouTube interview with Jon Lanman - 'Belief, identity and sacrifice' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XnCnK7kdf8&feature=youtu.be |
| Description | Liberation and Resistance Movements: Strengthening their Capacity for Peacemaking by Brian McQuinn |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at Berghof Foundation, Berlin Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Libya official says militia commander led raid on U.S. mission |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Article in Los Angeles Times. Libya official says militia commander led raid on U.S. mission Los Angeles Times |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://articles.latimes.com/2012/oct/17/world/la-fg-libya-consulate-justice-20121018 |
| Description | Libyan attack: it should have been clear deposing Gaddafi was the easy bit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Article in The Guardian mentions the Small Arms Survey work. The Guardian |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/12/libyan-attack-fire-cannot-extinguish |
| Description | Libyan revolutionary fighters develop a 'national army-in-waiting' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | University of Oxford Press Release. New research examining how armed groups formed in Libya to topple Colonel Muammar Gaddafi says the revolutionary brigades are still a cohesive military force. University of Oxford Media Page |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2012/120705.html |
| Description | Libyans enthusiastic about elections despite violence |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Article refers to research conducted in Libya The Scotsman |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/libyans-enthusiastic-about-elections-despite-violence-1-2... |
| Description | Mail on Sunday article about Farmer, McKay and Tsakiris study on trust and self-merging. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Mail on Sunday article about Farmer, McKay and Tsakiris study on trust and self-merging. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/femail/article-2492495/When-trust-imagine-look-like-says-new-study.htm... |
| Description | Militia evolution and structure in Misrata during the Libyan revolution - B McQuinn |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Tripoli, Libya. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Misrata Katiba Structures: order within the chaos - B McQuinn |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | College for Industrial Technology, Misrata Libya Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Online article- Boston bombing |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Online article for the Huffington Post - by Swann and Buhrmester. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-b-swann-jr/boston-bombing-shows-the-_b_7054690.html |
| Description | Online blog - Developing the Field Site Concept for the Study of Cultural Evolution: An Anthropologist's View |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Extended blog entry for the Social Evolution Forum, curated by the Evolution Institute in the USA. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Online blog - Response to commentaries on "Five predictions and a drum roll" - Harvey Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A response to commentaries on The Role of Ritual in the Evolution of Social Complexity: Five predictions and a drum roll |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | https://evolution-institute.org/commentary/response-to-commentaries/?source=sef |
| Description | Online blog: The role of ritual in the evolution of social complexity - Harvey Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Role of Ritual in the Evolution of Social Complexity: Five predictions and a drum roll |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | https://evolution-institute.org/focus-article/the-role-of-ritual-in-the-evolution-of-social-complexi... |
| Description | Online commentary - Whitehouse and McKay |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Online commentary on Pinker's 'The False Allure of Group Selection.' - Whitehouse and McKay |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://edge.org/conversation/the-false-allure-of-group-selection#hwrm |
| Description | Oxford Research: Former Revolutionary Fighters in Libya Develop a 'National Army-in-Waiting' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Mention of research is made in the Chicago online newspaper eNews Park Forest |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.enewspf.com/opinion/analysis/34820-oxford-research-former-revolutionary-fighters-in-libya... |
| Description | Podcast Interview Jon Lanman Religious Studies Project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Jon Lanman podcast interview with the Religious Studies Project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.religiousstudiesproject.com/podcast/practice-what-you-preach-creds-and-cruds/ |
| Description | Public Lecture on Atheism and Cognitive Science (BHA and CFI) by Jon Lanman |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Public Lecture on Atheism and Cognitive Science (BHA and CFI) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSZCnNjqkEY&feature=youtu.be |
| Description | Public lecture - How Do Rituals Motivate Prosociality? Harvey Whitehouse - Australian Hearing Hub |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Public lecture - How Do Rituals Motivate Prosociality? Harvey Whitehouse - Australian Hearing Hub |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Radio Interviews - Brian McQuinn |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Interviews with Associated Press Television, BBC Scotland, Radio France International regarding Libya. Information shared with a wide international audience. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | https://soundcloud.com/radiofranceinternationale/tripoli-or-tobruk-libyan-kingmakers-of-two-minds |
| Description | Religion's Impact on Human Life by Harvey Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at UBC, Vancouver Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Research briefings on findings in Libya |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Research briefing, hosted by United Nations Support Mission in Tripoli, Libya research briefing, hosted by United Nations Support Mission in Libya, to UN personnel and five different embassies, including the U.S., U.K., Canada, UAE and Qatar. Brian McQuinn research briefing, hosted by United Nations Support Mission in Libya, to UN personnel and five different embassies, including the U.S., U.K., Canada, UAE and Qatar |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Ritual and Group Bonding. H. Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Department of Behavioral Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Ritual and Instrumental Stances on Tanna, Vanuatu. H. Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Institute of Cultural Evolution and Anthropology, University of Oxford. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Ritual and the Evolution of Social Complexity by Harvey Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at project workshop, Storrs Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Ritual as Social Glue: An interview with Harvey Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Discussion of research with H Whitehouse with This View Of Life - http://www.thisviewoflife.com/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.thisviewoflife.com/index.php/magazine/media/ritual-as-social-glue-an-interview-with-harve... |
| Description | Ritual in the transition from foraging to farming - H Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Ritual, Community and Conflict project, Centre for Anthropology and Mind, University of Oxford Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Ritual, Cohesion, and Conflict. H. Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Workshop on Preventing and Resolving Intractable Conflicts, Wadham College, Oxford. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Ritual, Community and Conflict by H Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Public lecture presented to the Harold Schlosberg Colloquium, Providence Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Ritual, Community and Conflict by Harvey Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Lecture, Singapore Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Ritual, Community and Conflict. J Lanman |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Green College Residents' Members Series, University of Columbia, Vancouver Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Ritual, Community, and Conflict. H Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Department of Physiology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Ritual, Community, and Conflict: Investigating the Consequences of Ritual on Ingroup Cohesion and Intergroup Relations by Jonathan Lanman |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at Anthropology Seminar Series, Belfast Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Ritual, Community, and Conflict: The Role of Rituals in Ingroup Cohesion and Intergroup Relations - M Matthews, J Lanman |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Social Area Seminar, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Ritual, Intra- and Inter-Group Relations. H. Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Culture, Social Ecology, and Psychology Lab, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Ritual, community, and conflict: Investigating the consequences of ritual for ingroup cohesion and outgroup stability |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | keynote/invited speaker |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited presentation at the Social Psychology Workshop Series, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Seshat - Policy Implications Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Seshat: Policy Implications - Workshop on Seshat: Global History Databank, School of Anthropology, University of Oxford. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.icea.ox.ac.uk/latest/news/article/date/2015/07/workshop-ritual-memory-and-identity/?cHash... |
| Description | Seshat. A Historical Database of Sociocultural Evolution by Pieter Francois |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Seminar presentation at Queens University Belfast Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Shadow army takes over Libya's security |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Article in Financial Times quotes input by B McQuinn Financial Times |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8f865f1c-c75a-11e1-849e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2LsJN2KSl |
| Description | Small Arms Survey podcast #8 'In Transition: Armed groups in Libya' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | B McQuinn discusses research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/about-us/multimedia/podcasts.html |
| Description | The Coexistence of Natural and Supernatural Explanations across Cultures and Development by Cristine Legare |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to Austin Atheist Group, University of Texas, Austin Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | The Coexistence of Natural and Supernatural Explanations across Cultures and Development by Cristine Legare |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at Brown University, Providence Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | The Coexistence of Natural and Supernatural Explanations across Cultures and Development by Cristine Legare |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at University of Texas Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | The Coexistence of Natural and Supernatural Explanations across Cultures and Development by Cristine Legare |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at Centre for Inquiry, University of Texas, Austin Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | The Cultural Evolution of Technology: Facts and Theories - Boyd, R. ,Richerson, P. and Henrich, J. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Ernst Strüngmann Forum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | The Evolution of Prosocial Religions: querying some recent arguments by Harvey Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at Ernst Strüngmann Forum, Frankfurt am Main Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | The Evolution of Social Complexity in Western Asia by Harvey Whitehouse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at Our Place in the World, International Workshop, Urfa, Turkey Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | The Imitative Foundations of Cultural Learning by Cristine Legare |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at University of California, San Diego Discussion of Research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | The Puzzle of Ultrasociality, How Did Large-Scale Complex Human Societies Evolve? - By P Turchin |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Ernst Strüngmann Forum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Trusting what you're told: How children learn from others by Paul Harris |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | ICEA invited lecture, Oxford Discussion of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Video of HW interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | 'Rituals as Social Glue: An Interview with Harvey Whitehouse' - Youtube Sharing information with the public. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIzsRlqcRXg |
| Description | Workshop- Ritual, Memory and Identity |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Sharing Self-Defining Memories as a Pathway to Fusion; - Workshop on Ritual, Memory and Identity, School of Anthropology, University of Oxford. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.icea.ox.ac.uk/latest/news/article/date/2015/07/workshop-ritual-memory-and-identity/?cHash... |