David W Lawson
@davidwlawson.bsky.social
Professor of Anthropology at UC Santa Barbara
Applied Evolutionary Anthropology Lab 🌍🌏🌎
Human Behavioral Ecology
Global Health, Family, Gender Norms 🏳️🌈
aea-lab.com
Applied Evolutionary Anthropology Lab 🌍🌏🌎
Human Behavioral Ecology
Global Health, Family, Gender Norms 🏳️🌈
aea-lab.com
Together, our findings demonstrate that men supporting women’s empowerment face heavy costs - but norms are mutable.
Policies that reduce structural barriers, address stigma around gender atypical behavior, and leverage emerging benefits can help accelerate gender-equitable change. 🎯 5/5
Policies that reduce structural barriers, address stigma around gender atypical behavior, and leverage emerging benefits can help accelerate gender-equitable change. 🎯 5/5
November 14, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Together, our findings demonstrate that men supporting women’s empowerment face heavy costs - but norms are mutable.
Policies that reduce structural barriers, address stigma around gender atypical behavior, and leverage emerging benefits can help accelerate gender-equitable change. 🎯 5/5
Policies that reduce structural barriers, address stigma around gender atypical behavior, and leverage emerging benefits can help accelerate gender-equitable change. 🎯 5/5
But there is good news, urbanization is creating novel incentives for men to increase support for women - including economic returns to women's work, and conforming to preferences of a new generation of young women... 4/5
November 14, 2025 at 6:45 PM
But there is good news, urbanization is creating novel incentives for men to increase support for women - including economic returns to women's work, and conforming to preferences of a new generation of young women... 4/5
Moreover, they face accusations about their sexual orientation (i.e. folks think they are gay) and virility, and are predicted to have unstable marriages with few children... 3/5
November 14, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Moreover, they face accusations about their sexual orientation (i.e. folks think they are gay) and virility, and are predicted to have unstable marriages with few children... 3/5
We find that "supportive men" risk substantial reputational damage, social exclusion and even physical violence... 2/5
November 14, 2025 at 6:45 PM
We find that "supportive men" risk substantial reputational damage, social exclusion and even physical violence... 2/5
Congratulations to the now Dr Joseph Kilgallen 🧑🎓🥂 - who give a wonderful defense talk yesterday! So proud of what he has achieved over the last 6 years - and excited for what is to come! Woo-hoo!
October 30, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Congratulations to the now Dr Joseph Kilgallen 🧑🎓🥂 - who give a wonderful defense talk yesterday! So proud of what he has achieved over the last 6 years - and excited for what is to come! Woo-hoo!
None of this means polygyny is NOT harmful to children or that it is beneficial of course (studies estimating positive or no impacts also suffer from poor causal inference). But my general sense is that forgone conclusions has led much of the literature on this to accept weak standards of evidence.
October 23, 2025 at 6:33 PM
None of this means polygyny is NOT harmful to children or that it is beneficial of course (studies estimating positive or no impacts also suffer from poor causal inference). But my general sense is that forgone conclusions has led much of the literature on this to accept weak standards of evidence.
Type 2 - large-scale multinational studies (so much scope for confounding!), but some do a more thoughtful job than others. Here, maybe a better example is the work of Smith-Greenaway & Trinitapoli, but I think they would agree causal inference is weak... pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC... 3/4
October 23, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Type 2 - large-scale multinational studies (so much scope for confounding!), but some do a more thoughtful job than others. Here, maybe a better example is the work of Smith-Greenaway & Trinitapoli, but I think they would agree causal inference is weak... pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC... 3/4
Type 1 - smaller-scale studies comparing families within a single population (ruling out confounding with socioeconomic marginalization of groups that practice polygyny) + often some supporting ethnography. Here, I would point to the work of Beverly Strassmann sites.lsa.umich.edu/bis/polygyny/ 2/4
October 23, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Type 1 - smaller-scale studies comparing families within a single population (ruling out confounding with socioeconomic marginalization of groups that practice polygyny) + often some supporting ethnography. Here, I would point to the work of Beverly Strassmann sites.lsa.umich.edu/bis/polygyny/ 2/4
⭐️ Negotiating Masculinity in a Changing World ⭐️
Grad student - and soon to be doctor - Joseph Kilgallen will be giving a public talk on his thesis on Wed Oct 29th 9am (California time).
Join us in person or on zoom (dm me and I’ll send you a link!). All welcome!
Grad student - and soon to be doctor - Joseph Kilgallen will be giving a public talk on his thesis on Wed Oct 29th 9am (California time).
Join us in person or on zoom (dm me and I’ll send you a link!). All welcome!
October 23, 2025 at 4:52 AM
⭐️ Negotiating Masculinity in a Changing World ⭐️
Grad student - and soon to be doctor - Joseph Kilgallen will be giving a public talk on his thesis on Wed Oct 29th 9am (California time).
Join us in person or on zoom (dm me and I’ll send you a link!). All welcome!
Grad student - and soon to be doctor - Joseph Kilgallen will be giving a public talk on his thesis on Wed Oct 29th 9am (California time).
Join us in person or on zoom (dm me and I’ll send you a link!). All welcome!
ps. - here are some pictures of my dog, Pietro.
September 18, 2025 at 12:18 AM
ps. - here are some pictures of my dog, Pietro.
And sadly, last year (May 26 2024), Kabosu passed away aged 18 years, after a long battle with leukemia and liver disease. Rest in peace, Kabosu. You were a cutie.
September 18, 2025 at 12:18 AM
And sadly, last year (May 26 2024), Kabosu passed away aged 18 years, after a long battle with leukemia and liver disease. Rest in peace, Kabosu. You were a cutie.
In 2023, Kabosu was honored by a monument in her hometown of Sakura, one I visited this summer.
The inscription reads "On Feb 13th, 2010, Kabosu graced in the internet, becoming the world's most beloved meme. She is wholesome, calm and accepting, inspiring her devotees to Do Only Good Everyday"!
The inscription reads "On Feb 13th, 2010, Kabosu graced in the internet, becoming the world's most beloved meme. She is wholesome, calm and accepting, inspiring her devotees to Do Only Good Everyday"!
September 18, 2025 at 12:18 AM
In 2023, Kabosu was honored by a monument in her hometown of Sakura, one I visited this summer.
The inscription reads "On Feb 13th, 2010, Kabosu graced in the internet, becoming the world's most beloved meme. She is wholesome, calm and accepting, inspiring her devotees to Do Only Good Everyday"!
The inscription reads "On Feb 13th, 2010, Kabosu graced in the internet, becoming the world's most beloved meme. She is wholesome, calm and accepting, inspiring her devotees to Do Only Good Everyday"!
In 2021, Sato sold a non-fungible token (NFT) version of the original Doge photo and netted a whopping $4,240,000!
The highest price ever paid for an NFT, and the fourth most expensive photo ever sold in the history of the world!
Much wow! So money!
The highest price ever paid for an NFT, and the fourth most expensive photo ever sold in the history of the world!
Much wow! So money!
September 18, 2025 at 12:18 AM
In 2021, Sato sold a non-fungible token (NFT) version of the original Doge photo and netted a whopping $4,240,000!
The highest price ever paid for an NFT, and the fourth most expensive photo ever sold in the history of the world!
Much wow! So money!
The highest price ever paid for an NFT, and the fourth most expensive photo ever sold in the history of the world!
Much wow! So money!
From here, popularity waxes and wanes - but Doge keeps popping up in remixed ways. In 2019, Doge wins an online poll for meme of the decade, beating the Real Housewives "woman yelling at cat" meme.
It's official - dogs are better than cats.
It's official - dogs are better than cats.
September 18, 2025 at 12:18 AM
From here, popularity waxes and wanes - but Doge keeps popping up in remixed ways. In 2019, Doge wins an online poll for meme of the decade, beating the Real Housewives "woman yelling at cat" meme.
It's official - dogs are better than cats.
It's official - dogs are better than cats.
Things spiral in the following years - not least because Kabosu is co-opted into "Dogecoin", a still popular and at times controversial cryptocurrency…. learn.swyftx.com/altcoins/wha...
September 18, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Things spiral in the following years - not least because Kabosu is co-opted into "Dogecoin", a still popular and at times controversial cryptocurrency…. learn.swyftx.com/altcoins/wha...
And the cute just keeping coming... I am a fan of this sticker set. Especially the "bread-doge" variant.
September 18, 2025 at 12:18 AM
And the cute just keeping coming... I am a fan of this sticker set. Especially the "bread-doge" variant.
Around 2013, variants of the Doge photo go truly viral, after someone combines Kabosu with sweet internal dialogue in broken English and comic sans font.
Much wow!
Much wow!
September 18, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Around 2013, variants of the Doge photo go truly viral, after someone combines Kabosu with sweet internal dialogue in broken English and comic sans font.
Much wow!
Much wow!
That same year, one of the images was shared on Reddit - the first known linkage of "Doge" to Kabosu... and argued origin point of Kabosu becoming a meme -
"LMBO (laughing my butt off) LOOK @ THIS FUKKEN DOGE".
"LMBO (laughing my butt off) LOOK @ THIS FUKKEN DOGE".
September 18, 2025 at 12:18 AM
That same year, one of the images was shared on Reddit - the first known linkage of "Doge" to Kabosu... and argued origin point of Kabosu becoming a meme -
"LMBO (laughing my butt off) LOOK @ THIS FUKKEN DOGE".
"LMBO (laughing my butt off) LOOK @ THIS FUKKEN DOGE".
Back in 2010, Japanese kindergarten teacher Atsuko Sato posted images of her sweet Shiba Inu, Kabosu on her personal blog...
September 18, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Back in 2010, Japanese kindergarten teacher Atsuko Sato posted images of her sweet Shiba Inu, Kabosu on her personal blog...
Can we all forget the Department of Government Efficiency... but remember Kabosu - who inspired her devotes to "Do Only Good Everyday"... a brief history of one VERY cute dog(e).
September 18, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Can we all forget the Department of Government Efficiency... but remember Kabosu - who inspired her devotes to "Do Only Good Everyday"... a brief history of one VERY cute dog(e).
Very sad to hear about the passing of the great Jane Lancaster.
I remember doing my 1st review for Human Nature as a grad student - back when you got mailed the paper & mailed back the review… I’ve kept the card she put in the envelope on my wall ever since…
anthropology.unm.edu/news-events/...
I remember doing my 1st review for Human Nature as a grad student - back when you got mailed the paper & mailed back the review… I’ve kept the card she put in the envelope on my wall ever since…
anthropology.unm.edu/news-events/...
August 5, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Very sad to hear about the passing of the great Jane Lancaster.
I remember doing my 1st review for Human Nature as a grad student - back when you got mailed the paper & mailed back the review… I’ve kept the card she put in the envelope on my wall ever since…
anthropology.unm.edu/news-events/...
I remember doing my 1st review for Human Nature as a grad student - back when you got mailed the paper & mailed back the review… I’ve kept the card she put in the envelope on my wall ever since…
anthropology.unm.edu/news-events/...
‘Prestige and gender role ideology: A study of young Tanzanian men’
New paper on the social learning of gender norms led by Alex Ishungisa out today in early view.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
New paper on the social learning of gender norms led by Alex Ishungisa out today in early view.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
February 14, 2025 at 8:16 PM
‘Prestige and gender role ideology: A study of young Tanzanian men’
New paper on the social learning of gender norms led by Alex Ishungisa out today in early view.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
New paper on the social learning of gender norms led by Alex Ishungisa out today in early view.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
⭐️Our lab is recruiting new grad students for Fall 2025 (deadline Dec 1st 2024)!⭐️
Ideal for those interested in evolutionary anthropological perspectives on family relationships, gender and/or global health...
Please share.
For more info: aea-lab.com/opportunities
Ideal for those interested in evolutionary anthropological perspectives on family relationships, gender and/or global health...
Please share.
For more info: aea-lab.com/opportunities
September 28, 2024 at 4:55 PM
⭐️Our lab is recruiting new grad students for Fall 2025 (deadline Dec 1st 2024)!⭐️
Ideal for those interested in evolutionary anthropological perspectives on family relationships, gender and/or global health...
Please share.
For more info: aea-lab.com/opportunities
Ideal for those interested in evolutionary anthropological perspectives on family relationships, gender and/or global health...
Please share.
For more info: aea-lab.com/opportunities
Another highlight from #CES2024 - Dr Alex Ishungisa winning ‘best talk addressing equity, diversity and inclusion’ @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social
Alex presented his recent paper on the social learning of gender roles in Tanzania - see here t.co/vISg5ELT57
Alex presented his recent paper on the social learning of gender roles in Tanzania - see here t.co/vISg5ELT57
September 17, 2024 at 4:07 PM
Another highlight from #CES2024 - Dr Alex Ishungisa winning ‘best talk addressing equity, diversity and inclusion’ @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social
Alex presented his recent paper on the social learning of gender roles in Tanzania - see here t.co/vISg5ELT57
Alex presented his recent paper on the social learning of gender roles in Tanzania - see here t.co/vISg5ELT57
Personal highlight of #CES2024Durham so far was the great presentation & Q&A today on the ethics of documentary film making with indigenous communities led by Jigar Ganatra!
September 9, 2024 at 8:48 PM
Personal highlight of #CES2024Durham so far was the great presentation & Q&A today on the ethics of documentary film making with indigenous communities led by Jigar Ganatra!