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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–3Cite as

Alloparenting and Grandparenting

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Definition

A system of parenting where people other than the parents act in a parental role and help raise children that are not necessarily their own.

Introduction

As the social animals we are, we have evolved in ways that promote cooperation because individuals who help each other are more likely to survive in threatening environments than those who do not cooperate. Additionally, because the end goal of evolution is not necessarily to survive but to reproduce and pass one’s genes on to future generations, we have evolved mechanisms that will increase the chances of survival of our offspring. One such mechanism involves having other members of the group aid in the rearing of a child, a term that is known as alloparenting. The following section describes how alloparenting works, and why people may willingly help raise a child that is not theirs.

Alloparenting

According to Bentley and Mace (2009), alloparenting is when children are cared after by individuals who are not their...

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References

  • Bentley, G. R., & Mace, R. (2009). Substitute parents: Biological and social perspective on alloparenting across human societies. New York: Berghahn Books.

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  • Hrdy, S. B. (2009). Mothers and others: The evolutionary origins of mutual understanding. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

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  • Szinovácz, M. (1998). Handbook on grandparenthood. Westport: Greenwood Press.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State University of New York at New Paltz, New Paltz, NY, USA

    Katrina Lippolt & Vania Rolon

Authors
  1. Katrina Lippolt
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  2. Vania Rolon
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katrina Lippolt .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, MI, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Dominican College, Orangeburg, NY, USA

    Haley Dillon

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© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

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Cite this entry

Lippolt, K., Rolon, V. (2018). Alloparenting and Grandparenting. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_327-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_327-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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