IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wsi/acsxxx/v15y2012i01n02ns0219525911003372.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Evolution Of Ethnolinguistic Diversity

Author

Listed:
  • THOMAS E. CURRIE

    (Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
    Evolutionary Cognitive Science Research Centre, University of Tokyo, Japan;
    AHRC Centre for the Evolution of Cultural Diversity, University College London, London, United Kingdom)

  • RUTH MACE

    (Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
    AHRC Centre for the Evolution of Cultural Diversity, University College London, London, United Kingdom)

Abstract

Humans divide themselves up into groups based on a shared cultural identity and common descent. Culturally inherited differences in dress, language, and institutions are often used as symbolic markers of the boundaries of these ethnic groups. Relatively little is known about the function of such ethnic groups, and why ethnic diversity is high in some regions yet lower in others. In this paper, we demonstrate how investigating the spatial distribution of ethnolinguistic groups can reveal the factors that affect the origin and maintenance of human ethnic group diversity. Here we describe the use of a Geographic Information System to construct a large database that integrates information about languages with a number of environmental, ecological, and ethnographic variables. Using these data on the spatial distribution of ethnolinguistic groups, we employ a hierarchical linear modeling approach to test a variety of hypotheses concerning the function of such groups. Despite revealing intriguing spatial patterns such as the latitudinal gradient in ethnolinguistic diversity, previous analyses suggested that the direct effects of environmental variables on the distribution of ethnolinguistic groups were in fact quite small. Here we show that the strength of the relationship between ethnolinguistic area and environmental variables is stronger in societies whose primary mode of subsistence is foraging. We then go on to demonstrate this same finding using the estimated native distributions of ethnolinguistic group in the Americas and Australia. In particular, Net Primary Productivity is shown to be a good predictor of the area covered by ethnolinguistic groups in foragers but not in agriculturalists. This provides support for the idea that the factors affecting ethnic diversity have changed in a systematic way with changes in subsistence strategies and social organization. We highlight future avenues for spatially explicit investigations of the evolution of ethnic diversity, and suggest that the evolutionary ecological approach adopted here may provide important insights into processes affecting ethnic diversity in the modern world.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas E. Currie & Ruth Mace, 2012. "The Evolution Of Ethnolinguistic Diversity," Advances in Complex Systems (ACS), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 15(01n02), pages 1-20.
  • Handle: RePEc:wsi:acsxxx:v:15:y:2012:i:01n02:n:s0219525911003372
    DOI: 10.1142/S0219525911003372
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S0219525911003372
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1142/S0219525911003372?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Oecd, 2005. "'Joinedupdesignforschools' in the United Kingdom," PEB Exchange, Programme on Educational Building 2005/5, OECD Publishing.
    2. Joakim Westerlund, 2005. "New Simple Tests for Panel Cointegration," Econometric Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(3), pages 297-316.
    3. ., 2005. "Meeting Challenges in Public Utility Planning," Chapters, in: Public Utilities, chapter 5, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Menezes, Flavio M., 2008. "An Introduction to Auction Theory," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199275991.
    5. Oecd, 2005. "Online Computer and Video Games," OECD Digital Economy Papers 98, OECD Publishing.
    6. ., 2005. "Policy Challenges Facing Public Utilities," Chapters, in: Public Utilities, chapter 2, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Marsha L. Cirgin Ellett & Joseph M.B. Croffie & Mervyn D. Cohen & Susan M. Perkins, 2005. "Gastric Tube Placement in Young Children," Clinical Nursing Research, , vol. 14(3), pages 238-252, August.
    8. anonymous, 2005. "Supervision and regulation," Monograph, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.), number 2005sa.
    9. Unknown, 2005. "ARER Reviewers, September 2004 - August 2005," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 34(2), pages 1-1, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Neil A. Wilmot & Ariuna Taivan, 2021. "Examining the Impact of Financial Development on Energy Production in Emerging Economies," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-17, February.
    2. Carvalho Lopes, Celia Mendes & Bolfarine, Heleno, 2012. "Random effects in promotion time cure rate models," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 75-87, January.
    3. Hosan, Shahadat & Rahman, Md Matiar & Karmaker, Shamal Chandra & Saha, Bidyut Baran, 2023. "Energy subsidies and energy technology innovation: Policies for polygeneration systems diffusion," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    4. Mohammad Mafizur Rahman & Nahid Sultana, 2024. "Nexus of Human Development and Environmental Quality in Low-Income and Developing Countries: Do Renewable Energy and Good Governance Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-18, June.
    5. Muhammad Shahbaz & Syed Jawad Hussain Shahzad & Mantu Kumar Mahalik & Perry Sadorsky, 2018. "How strong is the causal relationship between globalization and energy consumption in developed economies? A country-specific time-series and panel analysis," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(13), pages 1479-1494, March.
    6. Dong, Kangyin & Sun, Renjin & Li, Hui & Liao, Hua, 2018. "Does natural gas consumption mitigate CO2 emissions: Testing the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis for 14 Asia-Pacific countries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 419-429.
    7. Sun, Yunpeng & Tian, Wenjuan & Mehmood, Usman & Zhang, Xiaoyu & Tariq, Salman, 2023. "How do natural resources, urbanization, and institutional quality meet with ecological footprints in the presence of income inequality and human capital in the next eleven countries?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    8. Wasi Ul Hassan Shah & Rizwana Yasmeen & Muddassar Sarfraz & Larisa Ivascu, 2023. "The Repercussions of Economic Growth, Industrialization, Foreign Direct Investment, and Technology on Municipal Solid Waste: Evidence from OECD Economies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, January.
    9. Colvin, John & Blackmore, Chris & Chimbuya, Sam & Collins, Kevin & Dent, Mark & Goss, John & Ison, Ray & Roggero, Pier Paolo & Seddaiu, Giovanna, 2014. "In search of systemic innovation for sustainable development: A design praxis emerging from a decade of social learning inquiry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 760-771.
    10. Aladejare, Samson Adeniyi, 2022. "Natural resource rents, globalisation and environmental degradation: New insight from 5 richest African economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    11. Venturini, Francesco, 2022. "Intelligent technologies and productivity spillovers: Evidence from the Fourth Industrial Revolution," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 220-243.
    12. Aleksy Kwilinski & Oleksii Lyulyov & Tetyana Pimonenko, 2023. "Inclusive Economic Growth: Relationship between Energy and Governance Efficiency," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-16, March.
    13. Chen, Hong & Gangopadhyay, Partha & Singh, Baljeet & Chen, Kairan, 2023. "What motivates Chinese multinational firms to invest in Asia? Poor institutions versus rich infrastructures of a host country," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    14. Hamit-Haggar, Mahamat, 2012. "Greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and economic growth: A panel cointegration analysis from Canadian industrial sector perspective," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 358-364.
    15. İlke Onur & Rasim Özcan & Bedri Taş, 2012. "Public Procurement Auctions and Competition in Turkey," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 40(3), pages 207-223, May.
    16. Maranzano, Paolo & Cerdeira Bento, Joao Paulo & Manera, Matteo, 2021. "The Role of Education and Income Inequality on Environmental Quality. A Panel Data Analysis of the EKC Hypothesis on OECD," FEEM Working Papers 310225, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    17. Holly, Sean & Pesaran, M. Hashem & Yamagata, Takashi, 2010. "A spatio-temporal model of house prices in the USA," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 158(1), pages 160-173, September.
    18. Aamir Aijaz Syed & Muhammad Abdul Kamal, 2024. "Do cryptocurrency and commodities markets affect stock market performance in South Asia? An empirical investigation during the COVID-19 pandemic," International Journal of Economics and Business Research, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 27(4), pages 673-692.
    19. Hong Chen & Wenzhe Hu, 2020. "Determining Whether Trade Can Affect Regional Environmental Sustainability from the Perspective of Environmental Pollution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-15, February.
    20. Ul-Durar, Shajara & De Sisto, Marco & Arshed, Noman & Naveed, Shabana & Farooqi, Madiha Rehman, 2024. "FinTech adoption in achieving ecologically sustainable mineral management in Asian OBOR countries – A cross-section and time autoregressive robust analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wsi:acsxxx:v:15:y:2012:i:01n02:n:s0219525911003372. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Tai Tone Lim (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.worldscinet.com/acs/acs.shtml .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.