128th KUASS: KYOTO UNIVERSITY AFRICAN STUDIES SEMINAR (The 9th Colloquium of Ecological Future Making of Childrearing)
Women’s cooperation in foraging and childcare among the BaYaka hunter-gatherers in the Republic of the Congo
Summary
Cooperative foraging and breeding have been key to human adaptation in diverse environments as well as demographic success of our species. My research examines women’s cooperative relationships in foraging, childcare, and knowledge sharing, particularly among the BaYaka hunter-gatherers in the rainforests of the Republic of the Congo. Since 2015, I have conducted fieldwork in northern Congo, using mixed methods such as focal follows and interviews. My main findings are: (1) women’s mixed-age foraging groups allow flexible childcare sharing, with young BaYaka girls providing care while mothers forage, and (2) these group composition further facilitates social learning, enabling children to co-forage with both adults and peers. I further explore (3) how foraging skills and knowledge are transmitted within the BaYaka community, and how it compares to the transmission of food location information. A comparison of caregiving roles in village versus out-of-village settings also highlights the overlooked role of children as caregivers, providing a valuable complement to the grandmother hypothesis. This research offers an evolutionary perspective on women’s cooperation and its essential role in motherhood.
instructor
Haneul Jang(researcher. Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, France)
Date & Venue
16 January 2025（Thursday）
15:00-17:00 (JSP)
Hybrid Meeting On Site + Zoom (Online): #301 Room, 3F, Inamori Foundation Memorial Hall, Kyoto University
Language
English (no interpreter)Program
15:00~15:10 Akira Takada (Kyoto University, Japan) Introduction
15:10~16:30 Haneul Jang (Institute for Advanced Study in
Toulouse, France) “Women’s cooperation in foraging and childcare among the BaYaka hunter-gatherers in the Republic of the Congo”
16:30~17:00 Discussion
Eligibility
Everyone is welcome to attend.
Registration
Organized by
The Center for African Area Studies, Kyoto University
Co-hosted by
MEXT Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S) “Ecological future making of childrearing in contact zones between hunter-gatherers and agro-pastoralists in Africa”
https://www.cci.jambo.africa.kyoto-u.ac.jp/efm/en/
Contact
The Center for African Area Studies, Kyoto Universitycaaskyoto[at]gmail.com (please replace [at] with @)
Notes
There are no parking lots available. Please use public transport.
