How does the use of corporal punishment or physical discipline of children vary across hunter-gatherer and agro-pastoralist societies? Through a comparative analysis of 139 egalitarian and agrarian cultures, the author finds that 1. The use of corporal punishment against children is higher in agrarian societies than in hunter-gatherer societies, where it is absent or infrequently practiced, and 2. This difference in the use of corporal punishment is correlated with cultural parental attitudes, such as affection towards children, indulgence in children’s behavior, responsiveness to children’s needs, children’s autonomy, and father involvement. Low corporal punishment generally is related to more affection, higher indulgence, more autonomy of children, and higher father presence. The relationships are much stronger in agrarian societies.

This article tests various explainations for corporal punishment of children, including social complexity, a societal culture of violence, and whether help in child rearing is available. Analysis suggests that corporal punishment may be a parent's way to prepare children for societal power inequality.

This article tests various explainations for corporal punishment of children, including social complexity, a societal culture of violence, and whether help in child rearing is available. Analysis suggests that corporal punishment may be a parent's way to prepare children for societal power inequality.

This article tests various explainations for corporal punishment of children, including social complexity, a societal culture of violence, and whether help in child rearing is available. Analysis suggests that corporal punishment may be a parent's way to prepare children for societal power inequality.

This article tests various explainations for corporal punishment of children, including social complexity, a societal culture of violence, and whether help in child rearing is available. Analysis suggests that corporal punishment may be a parent's way to prepare children for societal power inequality.

This article tests various explainations for corporal punishment of children, including social complexity, a societal culture of violence, and whether help in child rearing is available. Analysis suggests that corporal punishment may be a parent's way to prepare children for societal power inequality.

This article focuses on the relationship between the use of physical punishment during child socialization and the amount of supervision that adults experience. The authors analyze data using a path analysis which suggests that the greater the valuation of conformity relative to self-reliance, the greater the use of physical punishment during child socialization. Precursors of conformity are also suggested.

An existing body of research has, based on Kohn's (1977) theory of values of conformity vs. self-reliance in children of blue -collar vs. white-collar working families, suggested that socialization which emphasizes conformity is more likely to employ coercive rather than inductive methods. However, the researchers' tests for correlation of emphasis on conformity with coercive, inductive, and overall parental control indicate that parents in societies which emphasize conformity utilize both methods equally, and exert more control overall over their children than those in societies which emphasize self-reliance. The authors also test for predictors of conformity and present path models of direct and indirect effects.

This paper supports Beatrice B. Whiting's (1965) sex-identity conflict hypothesis which suggests a relationship between males' early identification with their mothers and male violence. Authors find that, in addition to socialization aggression, frequency of homicide/assault is significantly related to father-infant sleeping distance, particularly when residence is not matrilocal and/or warfare is more than occasional.

This article builds upon gender inequality theory to examine childhood gender inequality in preindustrial societies. Multivariate and cluster analysis are used.