ADDENDA
I. My years as a Behavioral Ecologist (1973----->)
1. The Science culture that I experienced 45 years ago might be called a "Brigade System" (or, rather, perhaps, an apprentice system)--hard-nosed, mostly male, rigid, rigorous--with obsessive attention to detail and no hand-holding. It was understood that many wouldn't survive the regime--we took this for granted--bad experiences were just part of the obstacle course. This system motivated me to be the best scientist I could be--emulating the work and standards of the premier Behavioral Ecologists of that time [especially, the early work of, John Hurrell Crook (birds, primates), Stephen C. Emlen (birds, humans, one of my professors), Jack Bradbury (mammals, one of my professors), Ruth Buskirk (spiders, baboons, one of my professors), & Sandy Vehrencamp (birds, bats, a fellow graduate student)].
2. Having said the above, we had mutual respect among all deserving parties, whatever their rank, and had a lot of fun.
3. A necessary and sufficient component of my own motivation was falling in love with fieldwork in 1973 [I was 30--a "late-bloomer"] after which nothing ever competed with my work/career. Another factor important to my progress was relieving myself of most caretaking responsibilities [in 1979].
4. At one point during my graduate training, I asked my undergraduate advisor, Harry Levin, what was necessary to be successful as a scientist. He replied, "Learn to cope with humiliation." Afterwards, it occurred to me that I would need to have a "thick skin." It was, also, clear that I would have to make it work for me, by myself, on my own, but on others' terms--the terms set by those at the top of my fields--Behavioral Ecology, Social Biology, Ethology, and, to a lesser degree, Behaviorism. Serious Scientists would let me know--straightforwardly--when they thought I was not "measuring up." I could leave Science, or, I would need to find a way to "measure up." Combined with the ability to "hear" critical and negative feedback, I, eventually, enjoyed the challenges inherent to intense competition. At another point--after completing my Ph.D.--my major advisor, Ethologist (birds), William C. Dilger, told me, "You have done less with more than any other graduate student I've had." This feedback shook me; however, the lesson was clear--it is very difficult, indeed, to earn the right to be taken seriously by a serious Scientist. Indeed, in graduate school, it was standard not to call ones-self "Scientist" until a recognized scientist had labeled you "Scientist." Dilger's comment reinforced that I needed to take myself and my aspirations seriously if I, and, more importantly, my work, were to earn the opportunity to be taken seriously. A consequence of this experience has been that I consider it a female's responsibility--to herself, more, even, than to others-- to find a way to develop her potential to the fullest, relative to the highest standards of her field[s]. These words of wisdom & feedback from two highly-regarded scientists were instrumental in motivating me to be my best while understanding realities of the academic/professional/research landscape. The path is difficult, and there are no guarantees.
5. When I found my path in Behavioral Ecology to be difficult, I reminded myself that, if I didn't find a way to make it work, there was always another female breathing down my back who was not defeated by trying or who was making it work.
6. It is central to who I am as a Scientist to view myself having a role comparable to a Judge of the Court. My colleagues and I, if taken seriously, get to "weigh in" on difficult decisions, using critical thinking, data, other components of scientific methods, and expertise.
7. It is important to me that I never used a sex/gender card, a race card, a class card, or a disability card.
8. I consider myself a feminist in the molds of Simone de Beauvoir and, especially, Francoise Giroud whose autobiography, I Give You My Word, which I read early in graduate school, changed my life forever. Everything changed after I read that book--combined with my first field season in 1973.
9. I free myself; others do not free me.
10. So-called "imposter syndrome" represented important, valid feedback to me that something needed to be corrected. I did not deny my gut and brain. I figured it out. I realized, there was/is always another female prepared to take my place. That female would have dealt with her sense of imposition, if she had such, and would have self-corrected.
11. As a woman of color (WOC) in Science, I ran away, rapidly, from anyone who wanted to treat me with kid gloves or treat me differently than the non-marginalized. This did not always work to my advantage or prove to be the shortest route to authenticity, but it preserved my self-respect.
12. I think I have few, if, any, complaints as a WOC in Science because: [1] I almost always see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty; [2] I take almost nothing personally--what another person does or says reflects on them, not me; [3] I have an uncanny ability to focus without distraction; [4] I try, and, mostly, succeed, at not multitasking, [5] I have an uncanny ability to compartmentalize; [6] I chose, and, continue to choose, very, very carefully, whose critical feedback I weight heavily; and, [7] I, simply, kept my nose to the grindstone.
13. Now, getting back to Science: Every material outcome has a mathematical proof.
II. What Is "Behavioral Ecology"? A White Paper (by Clara B. Jones, 12/28/2017)
Definition of Behavioral Ecology: Variations in behavior relative to ecological [economic] factors, in particular, spatial & temporal dispersion [distribution & abundance] of limiting resources.
The organizing principle of this White Paper is that "Behavioral Ecology" is a sub-field of Ecology, not a sub-field of Animal Behavior, Comparative Psychology, Ethology, or Anthropology.
III. Brief CV
I. My years as a Behavioral Ecologist (1973----->)
1. The Science culture that I experienced 45 years ago might be called a "Brigade System" (or, rather, perhaps, an apprentice system)--hard-nosed, mostly male, rigid, rigorous--with obsessive attention to detail and no hand-holding. It was understood that many wouldn't survive the regime--we took this for granted--bad experiences were just part of the obstacle course. This system motivated me to be the best scientist I could be--emulating the work and standards of the premier Behavioral Ecologists of that time [especially, the early work of, John Hurrell Crook (birds, primates), Stephen C. Emlen (birds, humans, one of my professors), Jack Bradbury (mammals, one of my professors), Ruth Buskirk (spiders, baboons, one of my professors), & Sandy Vehrencamp (birds, bats, a fellow graduate student)].
2. Having said the above, we had mutual respect among all deserving parties, whatever their rank, and had a lot of fun.
3. A necessary and sufficient component of my own motivation was falling in love with fieldwork in 1973 [I was 30--a "late-bloomer"] after which nothing ever competed with my work/career. Another factor important to my progress was relieving myself of most caretaking responsibilities [in 1979].
4. At one point during my graduate training, I asked my undergraduate advisor, Harry Levin, what was necessary to be successful as a scientist. He replied, "Learn to cope with humiliation." Afterwards, it occurred to me that I would need to have a "thick skin." It was, also, clear that I would have to make it work for me, by myself, on my own, but on others' terms--the terms set by those at the top of my fields--Behavioral Ecology, Social Biology, Ethology, and, to a lesser degree, Behaviorism. Serious Scientists would let me know--straightforwardly--when they thought I was not "measuring up." I could leave Science, or, I would need to find a way to "measure up." Combined with the ability to "hear" critical and negative feedback, I, eventually, enjoyed the challenges inherent to intense competition. At another point--after completing my Ph.D.--my major advisor, Ethologist (birds), William C. Dilger, told me, "You have done less with more than any other graduate student I've had." This feedback shook me; however, the lesson was clear--it is very difficult, indeed, to earn the right to be taken seriously by a serious Scientist. Indeed, in graduate school, it was standard not to call ones-self "Scientist" until a recognized scientist had labeled you "Scientist." Dilger's comment reinforced that I needed to take myself and my aspirations seriously if I, and, more importantly, my work, were to earn the opportunity to be taken seriously. A consequence of this experience has been that I consider it a female's responsibility--to herself, more, even, than to others-- to find a way to develop her potential to the fullest, relative to the highest standards of her field[s]. These words of wisdom & feedback from two highly-regarded scientists were instrumental in motivating me to be my best while understanding realities of the academic/professional/research landscape. The path is difficult, and there are no guarantees.
5. When I found my path in Behavioral Ecology to be difficult, I reminded myself that, if I didn't find a way to make it work, there was always another female breathing down my back who was not defeated by trying or who was making it work.
6. It is central to who I am as a Scientist to view myself having a role comparable to a Judge of the Court. My colleagues and I, if taken seriously, get to "weigh in" on difficult decisions, using critical thinking, data, other components of scientific methods, and expertise.
7. It is important to me that I never used a sex/gender card, a race card, a class card, or a disability card.
8. I consider myself a feminist in the molds of Simone de Beauvoir and, especially, Francoise Giroud whose autobiography, I Give You My Word, which I read early in graduate school, changed my life forever. Everything changed after I read that book--combined with my first field season in 1973.
9. I free myself; others do not free me.
10. So-called "imposter syndrome" represented important, valid feedback to me that something needed to be corrected. I did not deny my gut and brain. I figured it out. I realized, there was/is always another female prepared to take my place. That female would have dealt with her sense of imposition, if she had such, and would have self-corrected.
11. As a woman of color (WOC) in Science, I ran away, rapidly, from anyone who wanted to treat me with kid gloves or treat me differently than the non-marginalized. This did not always work to my advantage or prove to be the shortest route to authenticity, but it preserved my self-respect.
12. I think I have few, if, any, complaints as a WOC in Science because: [1] I almost always see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty; [2] I take almost nothing personally--what another person does or says reflects on them, not me; [3] I have an uncanny ability to focus without distraction; [4] I try, and, mostly, succeed, at not multitasking, [5] I have an uncanny ability to compartmentalize; [6] I chose, and, continue to choose, very, very carefully, whose critical feedback I weight heavily; and, [7] I, simply, kept my nose to the grindstone.
13. Now, getting back to Science: Every material outcome has a mathematical proof.
II. What Is "Behavioral Ecology"? A White Paper (by Clara B. Jones, 12/28/2017)
Definition of Behavioral Ecology: Variations in behavior relative to ecological [economic] factors, in particular, spatial & temporal dispersion [distribution & abundance] of limiting resources.
As such, Behavioral Ecologists will study behavioral, including, social*, traits as they operate/function at population, community, and ecosystem levels, incorporating concerns for scale, mechanisms, development, tradeoffs, mediating factors, and filtering, among other related issues.
Students of Behavioral Ecology will demonstrate an awareness of the roots of their field, including, but, not limited to, the early work of John Eisenberg, John Hurrell Crook, Stephen Emlen, Jack Bradbury, and Sandy Vehrencamp.
Students of Behavioral Ecology will demonstrate an awareness of the roots of their field, including, but, not limited to, the early work of John Eisenberg, John Hurrell Crook, Stephen Emlen, Jack Bradbury, and Sandy Vehrencamp.
Many of the traits of interest to Behavioral Ecologists will be genetically correlated; thus, genetic and genomic studies will be employed to identify genes, gene complexes, and/or circuits underlying behavioral, including, social*, traits--relative to abiotic and biotic environmental factors and interactions.
The journal, Behavioral Ecology, will be viewed as an Ecology journal on par with the journals, Functional Ecology, Journal of Animal Ecology, Ecology and Evolution, and Journal of Applied Animal Ecology.
Behavioral Ecology will reflect the intimate links between Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EcoEvo)**.
Behavioral Ecology will become a predictive discipline, not only a project of descriptive work. As such, a truly predictive Behavioral Ecology will be a hypothetico-deductive enterprise based on First Principles.
Like its parent discipline, Ecology, Behavioral Ecology methodology will incorporate modeling and simulation, as well as, field and laboratory experiments. Practitioners can conduct experiments with agent-based [individual-based] methods.
Behavioral Ecologists will be trained by Ecologists and Evolutionary Biologists (EcoEvo) from Departments of Ecology and Evolution. Students of Behavioral Ecology will, also, study Ethology, Animal Behavior & Population Genetics with specialists in those fields.
Behavioral Ecology will be characterized by strong theory, and students will be trained in quantitative methods, at minimum, statistics, biostatistics, coding, calculus, agent-based [individual-based] modeling. Higher-order skills might include Fisher's Fundamental Equation, the Price Equation, inclusive fitness ("kin selection") & Hamilton's Rule, as well as, the Nash Equilibrium. As in other sub-fields of Ecology, theory will take the form of Mathematics, though, verbal formulations will often be a starting point.
The practitioner of Behavioral Ecology will study virtually any topic investigated by other Ecologists. A good exercise is to peruse the contents of the journals mentioned above, interpolating and/or reframing most any paper into a study of Behavioral Ecology, including, Social* Biology. Once the practitioner gets the knack of doing this, s/he/they can advance to other topics generated by books such as The Princeton Guide To Ecology or any good Ecology textbook. In 2013, the British Ecological Society identified "100 fundamental questions in Ecology" that can be re-framed as questions for research in Behavioral Ecology and Social Biology: https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1365-2745.12025
Behavioral Ecology will include a new sub-field, Applied Behavioral Ecology, that may be of particular interest to students of Human Behavior and Conservation Biology.***
Behavioral Ecology will embrace a new sub-field, Behavioral MacroEcology, that will, in part, investigate ecosystem, regional, and global patterns of diversity in Behavioral Ecological factors and traits (including Sociobiological* factors and traits) and that may require assembly of large databases (as per a new sub-field, Computational Behavioral Ecology).
Behavioral Ecology will include a new sub-field, Applied Behavioral Ecology, that may be of particular interest to students of Human Behavior and Conservation Biology.***
Behavioral Ecology will embrace a new sub-field, Behavioral MacroEcology, that will, in part, investigate ecosystem, regional, and global patterns of diversity in Behavioral Ecological factors and traits (including Sociobiological* factors and traits) and that may require assembly of large databases (as per a new sub-field, Computational Behavioral Ecology).
Behavioral Ecology will be an active special interest group of ESA****.
*Group-formation, Group-maintenance, Group-living, Intraspecific/Interspecific interactions, Cooperative and/or Altruistic traits, Facilitation, and Co-existence. Intraindividual traits ["behavioral syndromes"] will be studied as they may influence group and/or population effects.
**"...tending, in the course of generations, to modify organic structures in accordance with external circumstances, as food, the nature of the habitat, and the meteoric agencies...." Charles Darwin, Origin of Species, 1861 (3rd Edition)
***See, for example, Palkovacs EP, Moritsch MM, Contolini GM, Pelletier F (2018) Ecology of harvest-driven trait changes and implications for ecosystem management. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 16(1): 20-28, doi: 10.1002/fee.1743
****An organism's use of energy (E) is the essence of Behavioral ECOLOGY. Similarly, a group-living organism's use of energy (E) is the essence of Social Biology [a sub-field of Behavioral ECOLOGY]. All Behaviors [action patterns, motor patterns] are a function of the laws of thermodynamics--1st Principles of Ecology= Acquisition, Consumption, Allocation [e.g., to Behavior]...Addendum 2/19/2020: All Biological phenomena reduce to Q [Heat], Physics, and Mathematics...Events may vary by chance alone [CB Jones, 2005]...On balance, we will observe--over Time and Space, "regression to the mean."
***See, for example, Palkovacs EP, Moritsch MM, Contolini GM, Pelletier F (2018) Ecology of harvest-driven trait changes and implications for ecosystem management. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 16(1): 20-28, doi: 10.1002/fee.1743
****An organism's use of energy (E) is the essence of Behavioral ECOLOGY. Similarly, a group-living organism's use of energy (E) is the essence of Social Biology [a sub-field of Behavioral ECOLOGY]. All Behaviors [action patterns, motor patterns] are a function of the laws of thermodynamics--1st Principles of Ecology= Acquisition, Consumption, Allocation [e.g., to Behavior]...Addendum 2/19/2020: All Biological phenomena reduce to Q [Heat], Physics, and Mathematics...Events may vary by chance alone [CB Jones, 2005]...On balance, we will observe--over Time and Space, "regression to the mean."
III. Brief CV
CLARA B. JONES [DOB: 8/12/1943-]: Brief CV
https://vertebratesocialbehavior.blogspot.com/2012/
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