Those who have been privileged to watch baboons long enough to
know them as individuals and who have learned to interpret some of
their more subtle interactions will attest that the rapid flow of
baboon behavior can at times be overwhelming. In fact, some of the
most sophisticated and influential observation methods for sampling
vertebrate social behavior grew out of baboon studies, invented by
scientists who were trying to cope with the intricacies of baboon
behavior. Barbara Smuts' eloquent study of baboons reveals a new
depth to their behavior and extends the theories needed to account
for it.
While adhering to the most scrupulous methodological strictures,
the author maintains an open research strategy--respecting her
subjects by approaching them with the open mind of an ethnographer
and immersing herself in the complexities of baboon social life
before formulating her research design, allowing her to detect and
document a new level of subtlety in their behavior. At the Gilgil
site, described in this book, she could stroll and sit within a few
feet of her subjects. By maintaining such proximity she was able to
watch and listen to intimate exchanges within the troop; she was
able, in other words, to shift the baboons well along the continuum
from "subject" to "informant." By doing so she has illuminated new
networks of special relationships in baboons. This empirical
contribution accompanies theoretical insights that not only help to
explain many of the inconsistencies of previous studies but also
provide the foundation for a whole new dimension in the study of
primate behavior: analysis oft he dynamics of long-term, intimate
relationships and their evolutionary significance.
At every stage of research human observers have underestimated
the baboon. These intelligent, curious, emotional, and long-lived
creatures are capable of employing stratagems and forming
relationships that are not easily detected by traditional research
methods. In the process of unraveling their complex social
relationships, Smuts has revealed that these masters of strategy
and aggressive competition are equally capable of patience,
tenderness, and concern.
"Barbara B. Smuts" is professor of psychology and anthropology,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is also the author of
Primate Societies.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
