Paternity Uncertainty - Publications - Faculty & Research

July 2025
Article

On the Economic Origins of Concerns Over Women’s Chastity

This paper studies the origins and function of customs and norms that intend to keep women from being promiscuous. Using large-scale survey data from more than 100 countries, I test the anthropological theory that a particular form of preindustrial... View Details

Keywords: Infibulation; Female Sexuality; Paternity Uncertainty; Concern About Women's Chastity; Pastoralism; Economic Anthropology; History; Gender; Social Issues; Culture

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Publications - Faculty & Research

Paternity Uncertainty ; Concern About Women's Chastity ; Pastoralism ; Economic Anthropology ; History ; Gender ; Social Issues ; Culture Citation Find at Harvard Purchase Related Becker, Anke. "On the... View Details

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Entrepreneurial Management - Faculty & Research

and norms. Pastoralism was characterized by heightened paternity uncertainty due to frequent and often extended periods of male absence from the settlement, implying difficulties in monitoring women's... View Details

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Human Behavior & Decision-Making - Faculty & Research

the adoption of such customs and norms. Pastoralism was characterized by heightened paternity uncertainty due to frequent and often extended periods of male absence from the settlement, implying difficulties... View Details

21 May 2019
Blog Post

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at HBS

for shades in between, or for me. This uncertainty led me to disengage. I shied away from the Asian student groups, not knowing which of these communities would relate to and accept me. But over time, I missed accessing the ‘Asian’ parts... View Details

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