scholarly journals Capital as an Integrative Conceptualisation of Human Characteristics, Behaviour, and Outcomes Predicting Reproductive Success and Evolutionary Fitness

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias L. Kordsmeyer
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Inclusive Fitness ◽  
Social Capital Theory ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Ultimate Outcome ◽  
Differential Reproductive Success

AbstractAccording to evolutionary theory, human cognition and behaviour are based on adaptations selected for their contribution to reproduction in the past, which in the present may result in differential reproductive success and inclusive fitness. Because this depiction is broad and human behaviour often separated from this ultimate outcome (e.g., increasing childlessness), evolutionary theory can only incompletely account for human everyday behaviour. Moreover, effects of most studied traits and characteristics on mating and reproductive success turned out not to be robust. In this article, an abstract descriptive level for evaluating human characteristics, behaviour, and outcomes is proposed, as a predictor of long-term reproductive success and fitness. Characteristics, behaviour, and outcomes are assessed in terms of attained and maintained capital, defined by more concrete (e.g., mating success, personality traits) and abstract (e.g., influence, received attention) facets, thus extending constructs like embodied capital and social capital theory, which focuses on resources embedded in social relationships. Situations are framed as opportunities to gain capital, and situational factors function as elicitors for gaining and evaluating capital. Combined capital facets should more robustly predict reproductive success and (theoretically) fitness than individual fitness predictors. Different ways of defining and testing these associations are outlined, including a method for empirically examining the psychometric utility of introducing a capital concept. Further theorising and empirical research should more precisely define capital and its facets, and test associations with (correlates of) reproductive success and fitness.

scholarly journals Kordsmeyer.inpress_capital-integrative-concept-human-characteristics-behaviour-reproductive-success-fitness

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias L. Kordsmeyer
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Inclusive Fitness ◽  
Social Capital Theory ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Integrative Concept ◽  
Differential Reproductive Success

According to evolutionary theory, human cognition and behaviour are based on adaptations selected for their contribution to reproduction in the past, which in the present may result in differential reproductive success and inclusive fitness. Because this depiction is broad and human behaviour often separated from this ultimate outcome (e.g. increasing childlessness), evolutionary theory can only incompletely account for human everyday behaviour. Moreover, effects of most studied traits and characteristics on mating and reproductive success turned out not to be robust. In this article, an abstract descriptive level for evaluating human characteristics, behaviour, and outcomes is proposed, as a predictor of long-term reproductive success and fitness. Characteristics, behaviour, and outcomes are assessed in terms of attained and maintained capital, defined by more concrete (e.g. mating success, personality traits) and abstract (e.g. influence, received attention) facets, thus extending constructs like embodied capital and the social capital theory, which focusses on resources embedded in social relationships. Situations are framed as opportunities to gain capital, and situational factors function as elicitors for gaining and evaluating capital. Combined capital facets should more robustly predict reproductive success and (theoretically) fitness than individual fitness predictors. Different ways of defining and testing these associations are outlined, including a method for empirically examining the psychometric utility of introducing a capital concept. Further theorising and empirical research should more precisely define capital and its facets, and test associations with (correlates of) reproductive success and fitness.

Ethical Objections to Evolution in Contemporary Muslim Thought

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 79-92
Author(s):  
David Jalajel
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Ethical Behavior ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Islamic Theology ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Ethical Norms ◽  
Differential Reproductive Success ◽  
Survival Of The Fittest

Muslim creationists often argue that the theory of evolution is inherently unethical, claiming that concepts such as natural selection, survival of the fittest, and differential reproductive success promote behaviors like selfishness, violence, and sex- ual promiscuity. This article explores the distinctions made by classical Islamic theologians between God’s actions and human- ity’s actions and their potential to address ethical objections to evolution. The question is examined with reference to two theological traditions: the Ash`ari and the Salafi. The first one distinguishes between God’s creation of actions and humanity’s acquisition (kasab) of actions. According to this approach, ethical valuation is understood to be an attribute of human volitional action. The second approach, followed by Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Abu al-`Izz, and others of the so-called Salafi tradition, distinguishes between God’s existential (kawni) will and legislative (shar`i) will. According to it, ethical valuation is restricted to the domain of what God legislates for His volitional creatures. Although these approaches differ in how they contextualize ethical behavior, both of them place ethical valuation strictly within the context of human volitional action. As a consequence, God’s actions in creation (and therefore what is observed in nature) can neither be taken as a pattern for determining ethical norms nor judged according to the ethical norms appropriate for human beings. The paper concludes that by making these distinctions, classical Islamic theology has the potential to effectively counter ethical objections to evolutionary theory.

SOCIAL CAPITAL THEORY: ACADEMIC SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1169-1180
Author(s):  
Jelena Filipovic ◽  
◽  
Maja Arslanagic Kalajdzic
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Social Capital Theory ◽  
Capital Theory

Shared Leadership and Team Performance: The Joint Effect of Team Dispositional Composition and Collective Identification

2021 ◽  
pp. 105960112110199
Author(s):  
Nathapon Siangchokyoo ◽  
Ryan L. Klinger
Keyword(s):  
Team Performance ◽  
Shared Leadership ◽  
Joint Effect ◽  
Social Capital Theory ◽  
Leadership Responsibilities ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Collective Identification ◽  
Moderated Mediation Model ◽  
Time Lagged ◽  
The Impact

This study explores how team core self-evaluations (CSE) influence the emergence and effectiveness of shared leadership. Drawing on adaptive leadership theory, we propose that decisions to share leadership responsibilities rather than allocating the role to a single team member are influenced by homogeneity in members’ CSE. In addition, we identify team collective identification as an emergent team state that interacts with CSE homogeneity to promote the emergence of shared leadership. We then argue that not all shared leadership teams are equally effective; applying group social capital theory, we propose that team mean CSE strengthens the impact of shared leadership on team performance. Results based on multisource and time-lagged data from 85 project teams provide support for our proposed moderated mediation model. We discuss how our theoretical model extends research on the role of team dispositional composition on the antecedents and consequents of shared leadership and highlight practical implications related to the design, recruitment, and socialization of autonomous work teams.

Reproductive Autonomy and Evolutionary Biology: A Regulatory Framework for Trait-Selection Technologies

1993 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-231
Author(s):  
Owen D. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Supreme Court ◽  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Social Values ◽  
Inclusive Fitness ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Regulatory Framework ◽  
Reproductive Autonomy ◽  
Future Child

The Constitution protects, in some measure, each person's autonomy in making basic decisions about family, parenthood, and procreation. This Article examines the extent to which courts should protect from government intrusions a parent's access to technologies that influence specific characteristics of offspring. Beginning with Supreme Court opinions that articulate constitutional and social values regarding reproductive autonomy, the Article explores how important new insights from evolutionary biology may supplement an understanding of Human procreation. Specifically, the Article explains how trait selection can constitute an important part of larger “reproductive strategies” that powerfully affect an individual's “inclusive fitness” (itself a measure of reproductive success). It concludes that access to trait-selection technologies should receive the same federal protection from government intrusions as that afforded access to abortion. It proposes the first limit to that protection, however, when a parent seeks to select for a trait, or to use a technique, that would be clearly and significantly damaging to the future child. The Article subsequently divides the use of trait-selection technologies (TSTs) into eight contexts and proposes a preliminary framework by which a regulatory system could legitimately distinguish among them.

Effective Planning for Rural Development in A Democratic South Africa: The Prospects of Rural Cooperatives

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
France Khutso Lavhelani Kgobe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Capital Theory ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Rural Cooperatives ◽  
The Government ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Effective Planning

This paper explores the potency of rural cooperatives for the effective planning and implementation of rural strategies to address poverty. Rural cooperatives function as a participatory approach that provides the potential to equip and empower people in rural areas with various skills. Hence, rural cooperatives represent the means and strategies to unshackle rural people from the vicious circle of poverty. The contestation about a deadlock of rural development has become pertinent in the recent and ongoing political transformation in South Africa. This paper is grounded on the social capital theory and its ideals. As such, it depends on a literature review for its premise, argument, crux and purpose, as well as drawing up results and conclusions. The paper gathers information in respect of various scholars’ notions on rural cooperatives and rural development from related articles, journals and books. The paper reveals that where the South African government is confronted and characterised by some form of upheaval and service delivery challenges, so rural cooperatives are fit to capacitate citizens to avoid depending on the government for scarce resources. The paper further reveals that rural cooperatives are deemed to ameliorate the long-standing patterns of developmental backlogs in almost all South African municipalities. The conclusion that can be made from this paper is that the authentic promotion of rural development in the formulation of a well-informed legislative framework, that is clear and unambiguous, can deal effectively with the challenges of rural cooperatives.

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