Induced Altruism in the Maintenance of Institutionalized Celibacy

276 Pages·2017·10.14 MB·English

by  Hector N. Qirko

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Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School
5-1998
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Hector N. Qirko
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss
Part of the Anthropology Commons
RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn
Qirko, Hector N., "Induced Altruism in the Maintenance of Institutionalized Celibacy. " PhD diss., University
of Tennessee, 1998.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/4056
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To the Graduate Council:
I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Hector N. Qirko entitled "Induced Altruism in
the Maintenance of Institutionalized Celibacy." I have examined the final electronic copy of this
dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Anthropology.
Michael H. Logan, Major Professor
We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance:
Benita Howell, Jan Simek, Gordon Burghardt
Accepted for the Council:
Carolyn R. Hodges
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
(Original signatures are on file with official student records.)
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Anthropology.
Weh arveeta hddi iss sertation
anrde comimtaescn cde ptance:
Accefoprtt ehCdeo uncil:
AssoVciiCcahet aen caenldl or
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INDUCEDA LT RUIISNMT HE
MAINTENAONFC E
INSTITUTIOCNEALLIIBZAECDY
AD issertation
Presfeonthrte e d
DocotfPo hri losophy
Degree
ThUen iveorTfse intnyeK snsoexev,i lle
HecNtaokrQo i rko
May1 998

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In preparing this dissertation, I benefited greatly from the assistance of many
individuals and organizations. Michael H. Logan, as Dissertation Committee Chair,
reviewed numerous drafts and provided thoughtful criticism, patient editing, and
continued encouragement. Committee members Gordon Burghardt, Benita Howell, and
Jan Simek, through their detailed comments, much improved the final version. Bruce
Tomaso and Gerald R. Landon assisted me with their editorial and statistical skills,
respectively. The Inter-Library Services staff of the University of Tennessee library
system gave me access to a large number of otherwise unavailable sources. I received
generous financial support from the University of Tennessee Department of
Anthropology and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Finally, I owe special thanks to Sarah Sherwood for her help in formatting and
editing portions of this work, and above all for her support and encouragement
throughout.
ABSTRACT
Celibacy is an altruistic act when it involves an individual's sacrifice of lifelong
reproduction for the benefit of others. Where this occurs for the primary benefit of non­
kin, as in many institutions which demand celibacy of their members, it will often be
difficult to maintain. This dissertation explores the institutionalized maintenance and
reinforcement of celibacy vows through the concept of induced altruism. Because
humans generally recognize kin only by means of indirect cues, these cues may be
manipulated so that individuals behave altruistically for the benefit of non-kin. Human
kinship-recognition cues include association, phenotypic similarity, and the use of kinship
terms and symbols. Additional factors which can aid kinship manipulation include young
developmental age of potential altruists and their separation from true kin. A central
prediction stemming from this model is that the manipulation of these kinship recognition
cues and associated factors should be present in celibate institutions whose members are
unlikely to be close genetic relatives. An appraisal of historical sources on major
religions that exhibit institutionalized celibacy, as well as a comparative analysis of
ethnographic data drawn from the Sample of Cross-Cultural Societies, support this
prediction.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
INTRODUCTION 1
1.
THEORETICAL PERSPECTNES . . . .. . .. . .. . . . . . .. . .. . .. .. 11
2.
"Standard social science" models .. . ............ ... ... ........ 12
Interactionist models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 18
Darwinian models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Evolutionary psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 24
CELIBACY AS ALTRUISM ................................. 26
3.
Altruism . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Biological altruism . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . 28
Psychological altruism . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . 32
Celibacy and manipulated altruism ............ ... ............ 35
Kinship recognition mechanisms and
human cognition . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . 45
Research model . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . .. 54
HISTORICAL DATA .......................................... 60
4.
Christianrty . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. ... .. . 60
Buddhism . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . 67
Hinduism ......................................................... 77
. . .
0the r re1 1. g1ous organizations .................................. 85
Jainism .......................................................... 85
Islamic dervish groups ........................................ 88
Protestant celibate sects ...................................... 90
Support for predictions .......................................... 94
5. CROSS-CULTURAL DATA.................................. 108
Methodology . .. . .. . .. . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . 108
Celibacy absent . . . .. . .. .. . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . 113
Non-institutionalized celibacy .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . 116
Unlikely institutionalized celibacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . 120
Institutionalized celibacy.. . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 127
Individual contexts . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . .. . .. . . . . .. . .. 129
Kin contexts .. . ............... ... .... ... ........ ... ... . ........ 135
Non-kin contexts............................................... 141
Support for predictions . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . 168
6. DISCUSSION .................................................... 181
7. CONCLUSIONS ................................................ 198
BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................... 205
APPENDICES............................................................. 244
Appendix A . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . . . .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . . . . . .. 245
Appendix B . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . . .. .. . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . .. 256
VITA....................................................................... 264