Comments on: Sex and Violence in Amazonia

By: Steve Beyer

Steve Beyer — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:29:34 +0000

For more on Kenneth Good and the Yanomamö, take a look at http://www.singingtotheplants.com/2009/08/love-story/.

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:47:33 +0000

For more info and interesting reviews of “Into The Heart: One Man’s Pursuit of Love and Knowledge Among the Yanomami” see …
http://www.amazon.com/Into-Heart-Pursuit-Knowledge-Yanomami/dp/0673982327

Enjoy!

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:39:07 +0000

To gain deep insights into Yanomami life I suggest reading Kenneth Good’s “Into the Heart: One Man’s Pursuit of Love and Knowledge Among the Yanomamia” (1991). NY: Simon and Schuster.

Kenneth Good lived in the forest with the Yanomami for many years and was the first to learn and document their language. Good, who originally went into the forest for his PhD research under Chagnon, realized most of Chagnon’s theories were baseless and erroneous. Instead of ‘fierce people’ he found Yanomami so peaceful and harmonious that he decided to stay and live in the forest, marry into the tribe, and abandon his now meaningless academic thesis. Good’s book is a very personal account of Yanomami life. Highly recommended!

By: Gyrus

Gyrus — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:54:56 +0000

Thanks for this info, I hadn’t heard of the recent study. The Yanomamo / Waorani contrast reminds me of the back story to that other evidence of “hard-wired violence”, studies of chimpanzee violence:

“Territorial conflict and closed communities at Gombe and Mahale do not preclude carnivals and open social networks at other sites, and vice versa. We need a better idea of precisely how ecological factors, acting through demographic variables, determine the behavioral options open to chimpanzees at different sites.” (from http://cogprints.org/738/0/Power.html)

The studies in Gombe and Mahale that appeared to show “war” among chimps are disputed; and in any case it’s a particular population. Other populations don’t show the same behaviour.

BTW, nice that you’re a fellow Jodorowsky fan :-)