The Human Peacock
The Human Peacock
Body Ornamentation and Artistic Behavior from Tribal Society to Modern Primitives
Chapter 5 focuses on the human need for embellishment and artistic expression through song, dance, and music. Why do we do these things? Is it due to sexually selected behavioral traits, whereby those who stand out and flaunt their special qualities are selected as partners and thus further their genetic heritage because the artistic energy they exhibit is reliable evidence of fitness, which lets the world know that these are good, strong genes exactly like the peacock’s tail? Or is it, rather, that we must understand these exertions through their collective value as social markers that unite us and inform the world that we are dealing with a close-knit group united by a shared mind-set? None of these functions need be mutually exclusive.
Keywords: body ornaments, dance, fitness indicator, group cohesion, modern primitives, music, piercings and tattoos, scarification, semiotics, sexual selection
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