TY - JOUR
T1 - Toward peace
T2 - Foreign arms and indigenous institutions in a Papua New Guinea Society
AU - Wiessner, Polly
AU - Pupu, Nitze
PY - 2012/9/28
Y1 - 2012/9/28
N2 - In 1990, shotguns and M-16s were adopted into Enga warfare, setting off some 15 years of devastation as youths (∼17 to 28) took charge of interclan warfare. In response, people called on elder leaders to adapt customary institutions to restore peace; subsequently, war deaths and the frequency of war declined radically. Data from precolonial warfare, 501 recent wars, and 129 customary court sessions allow us to consider (i) the principles and values behind customary institutions for peace, (ii) their effectiveness, (iii) how they interact with and compare to state institutions of today, and (iv) how such institutions might have shaped our human behavioral repertoire to make life in state societies possible.
AB - In 1990, shotguns and M-16s were adopted into Enga warfare, setting off some 15 years of devastation as youths (∼17 to 28) took charge of interclan warfare. In response, people called on elder leaders to adapt customary institutions to restore peace; subsequently, war deaths and the frequency of war declined radically. Data from precolonial warfare, 501 recent wars, and 129 customary court sessions allow us to consider (i) the principles and values behind customary institutions for peace, (ii) their effectiveness, (iii) how they interact with and compare to state institutions of today, and (iv) how such institutions might have shaped our human behavioral repertoire to make life in state societies possible.
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U2 - 10.1126/science.1221685
DO - 10.1126/science.1221685
M3 - Article
C2 - 23019648
AN - SCOPUS:84866752954
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 337
SP - 1651
EP - 1654
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 6102
ER -