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Social and economic Essay Aka fathers spend a high degree (almost half of their time) with their infants due to the cultural acceptance of this and the bond that is already in place with the mother. It is socially acceptable in this tribe and since the Aka do not hunt, the men have more time available to them. So economically, it is smart for the men to care for their children while women forage and farm to keep a strong symbiotic relationship with other tribes around them. Since, the men do not hunt and engage in more parenting than other tribes, they are not out competing with these other tribes and do not have any enemies for this reason, there is no warring or aggressiveness displayed by Aka fathers, because it would be detrimental to their survival. Other tribes are engaged in more aggressive behavior and this is dangerous, as the Aka (with their foraging through the jungle) are cited to be at a very high risk for the Ebola virus, so these fathers pay strong attention to the safety and closeness of their offspring. Describe the differences between father-infant bonding between the Aka and Americans. What are some of the cultural explanations for these differences? Parenting in any group is contingent upon money, time, and perceived power. Americans believe that fathers have more power in the family and that child-bonding is something that a mother can more powerfully achieve, while fathers are entitled to what is believed to be more important than bonding and that is providing monetarily. This power structure is strongly embedded in the American culture and is in direct contrast with the Akas. The Akas believe that caring for children is an equal enterprise between loving, bonded parents. There are no cultural sanctions on the fathers for spending time with their children (time that many American fathers do not have do to working outside the home). American fathers, if they do find time to bond to a high degree with their children, may find themselves labeled as feminine and this does not happen with Aka fathers. It is fair to say that the American culture overall is masculine in nature while they Akas are more androgynous.