Jacob Freeman, Ph.D.

Field: Anthropology
Areas of Focus: Diversity, Natural Resources Management, Social Norms

Expertise

• Reorganization of economies
• Reorganization of politics
• Effects of diversity
• Effects of social norms
• Human population growth

Bio

Dr. Jacob Freeman studies the effects of diversity—whether species, institutions or cognitive traits—on the stability and transformation of human groups; specifically his Cognitive Styles and Collective Action project studies why some teams more effectively manage natural resources than others. The PEOPLE 3000 project studies the relationships between climate, population, and the diversity of farming systems to understand why some human societies responded to crisis more effectively than others over the last 3,000 years. Finally, the Territoriality on the Texas Coastal Plain project studies the development of property rights among prehistoric populations in Texas. All three projects provide insights into the factors that affect the ability of human groups to respond and adapt to novel or unexpected changes in their environment.