This study examines the relationship between political participation and warfare, suggesting that checks on power, removal of leaders, extent of political participation, and absence of fission will be negatively associated with the frequency of warfare. This hypothesis was supported with empirical analysis.

Explores 109 traits relating primarily to physical habitat, economy, political and social organization, and religion, to see how they relate to the role and treatment of the aged. General patterns were sought. Numerous ethnographic examples are given.

This is an exploratory study comparing disaster exposure to the presence of exclusionary and corporate political leadership spanning over a 25-year focal period within each of 26 societies. Exclusionary political strategies involves the exclusion of individuals from organized societal benefits based on their relationship with the leader and the tendency to rely heavily on outside alliances for resources. Corporate political strategy tends to seek solutions from within the society and place more emphasis on collectivism. The authors' found support for their hypothesis that increased food-destroying disasters will predict with increased exclusionary leadership presence. These preliminary findings are consistent with previous research on the political adaptation during food-destroying events and the authors hope to continue to expand upon this topic.

This study tests the hypotheses that games of strategy will be more prevalent in societies where political power is based on a "network strategy" and that network societies place more value on the enculturation of obedience in children. Both hypotheses are supported.

Given that research on female political representation tends to be overlooked across many societies, this study investigates whether historical female political leadership influences contemporary female political representation in Africa. The authors hypothesize that precolonial traditions of women in leadership persist in shaping present-day representation. Using two original datasets—one from cross-cultural samples and one from previous elections—they find that ethnic groups with histories of female leaders have more women elected today, with results also show that many institutional factors have shaped women’s traditional political roles, and that the effects of historical colonialism have reversed much of their influence. The conclusion is that historical female leadership continues to affect modern representation, though shaped by institutional change.

The authors examine correlations between slavery and variables that can potentially be detected archaeologically. The authors do not test specific hypotheses, but aim to explore the variables in a broader sense. As such, the authors use a grounded theory approach to data analysis in order to examine trends that emerge from the data itself.

How have ethnopolitical landscapes transformed across Africa? The authors of this article analyze how ethnic identities have been influenced by two major socioeconomic revolutions of 19th and 20th century sub-Saharan Africa: cash crops and print technologies. They found that ethnic identities, through the means of politicization and boundary-making, had become more salient and politically relevant in communities where cash crops and print technologies were present. Furthermore, areas with cash crops and subsequent agricultural zones were found to have stricter ethnic boundaries and less interethnic marriage than areas with more print publications.

The purpose of the present study is to provide insight on the debate concerning how best to organize societies: with more freedom (looseness) or with more constraint (tightness). In a comparison of 32 nations, Harrington, Boski, and Gelfand examine the relationship between tightness/looseness and three dimensions of societal well-being: psychosocial, health, and political/economic outcomes. Findings indicate that excessive constraint and/or freedom contribute to poorer psychosocial, health, and economic/political outcomes, as well as overall national-level well-being. These results suggest that a balance of freedom and constraint is associated with optimal societal well-being.

This paper proposes that the socio-cultural values of countries may be associated with increased mortality due to COVID-19. Using results from the World Values survey, the author assessed which values had the strongest association with a change in COVID-19 mortality in datasets consisting of all countries, upper-middle and high income economies, upper-middle income economies, high income economies, and advanced economies. The author also sought to determine whether the WVS values that were associated with COVID-19 mortality were also associated with general life expectancy. The results showed that COVID-19 mortality was increased in countries that placed a higher value on freedom of speech, political participation, religion, technocracy, post-materialism, social tolerance, law and order, and acceptance of authority. On the other hand, mortality was decreased in countries with high trust in major companies and institutions and that endorsed maintenance of order as a goal for a country. The author also found that values related to COVID-19 mortality did not predict general health outcomes, and that some values that predicted increased COVID-19 mortality actually predicted decreased mortality from other outcomes.

Although research has been conducted on individual social and psychological factors on suicide rates, there has yet to be any exploration into the role of civil society participation. This article investigates whether civil society participation influences suicide rates cross-nationally. The study hypothesizes that both political and non-political participation can reduce suicide rates by providing social and psychological benefits. Using data from 2000 to 2019 across 156 countries, as well as controlling standard variables and endogeneity, they find that both political and non-political civil society participation have a negative and statistically significant effect on suicide rates. The conclusion is that engagement in civil society, whether political or non-political, may help lower suicide rates nationally.