Dr. Zelman Shows How Understanding Our Origins Can Help Us Move Beyond Tribalism Toward Common Goals

In our prehistoric past, our ancestors succeeded as a species by cooperating with each other. The sense of groupness that energized their working together led to their spread around the world and domination of its other life forms. But the negative effects of this same groupness—the “us-vs-them” tribalism—is backfiring in today’s crowded, interconnected world. Here and now, we have new and different challenges. As top predators on earth, we depend on a living network of other human societies and other living creatures, plants, and microbes.
 
In the last two chapters of her thought-provoking book, Dr. Zelman describes strategies for moving beyond tribalism and increasing our chances for thriving on our finite planet. These include modifying habits of thinking, feeling, and behaving, and nudging institutions away from win-lose and toward win-win strategies and goals. Surviving and thriving in this century depends on recognizing that fighting each other is a lose-lose proposition. None of us is perfect, and none of us has all the answers. Destruction is quick, but sound construction is slow, requiring careful thought and planning. Our home planet gives us life, but it will continue to support us only if we recognize the problems we face and pool our talents to explore solutions. We became human by gradually widening our knowledge, concerns, and horizons as we adapted to the formidable challenges of ancient times.
 
“Our Beleaguered Species: Beyond Tribalism” earned positive reviews on Amazon, where the book is classified as Politics and Social Sciences, Anthropology, Morality and Ethics, and Evolution. “Her wisdom offers us a lens with which to look at our collective behaviors with clarity and guidance to make a difference by employing our hearts as well as our heads,” said one reviewer. Another reviewer noted: “This watershed book…analyses in depth our genetic and cultural heritage and adopts a perspective which extends over several million years into our past and which encompasses all human groups on our planet. Readers will…acquire a better understanding of themselves and of human institutions. The broad territory in space and time covered by Elizabeth Zelman’s book is part of the evolutionary approach to discussing many vital issues, especially the question of war and peace.”
 
Elizabeth Crouch Zelman’s “Our Beleaguered Species: Beyond Tribalism” will be displayed in the upcoming 2018 New York Rights Fair which will be happening on May 30, 2018.
 
Our Beleaguered Species: Beyond Tribalism
Written by: Elizabeth Crouch Zelman
Published by: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published date: February 4, 2015; Added Prologue, February 4, 2018.
Paperback price: $15.99
 
About the Author
The author, Elizabeth Crouch Zelman, is a retired anthropologist, writer, and educator (Ph.D., Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1974). “Our Beleaguered Species: Beyond Tribalism” reflects her lifelong quest to understand the world and our place in it. Our evolutionary journey has brought us to a turning point. For our children and grandchildren to survive and thrive, we must awaken and change course.

Through her work, Dr. Zelman challenges readers to widen their horizons and gain a better understanding of themselves.

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