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<p>Nick -</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Nice thought, but I would have to ride on
the bumper. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What a time!</p>
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<br>
<p>FWIW... you have referenced your own choice of clique-formation
as a "pod" which I believe exclusively? describes the second level
of whale (at least Orca) social organization. (matriline ->
pod -> clan -> community). Other whales (and porpoises?)
also form pods I think, but I'm not so sure if we ascribe (or
recognize) larger clans for them?<br>
</p>
<p>I'm wondering if from an evolutionary psychologist point of view
if there is a "natural" way ( evidenced in
ethnographic/anthropological precedent) for us to form multi-scale
clique structures which can dissociate quickly as-needed during
times such as this pandemic. Terrorist or deep-cover spy
cell-networks seem to have this sorted fairly well?<br>
</p>
<p>It seems natural (obviously) for a family group living under one
roof to form such a first order grouping... and in your case if I
read your circumstance right, you have formed a 3 generation "pod"
with one of your children and spouse, and a grandchild who you may
or may not live under the same roof, but have chosen to "share the
risk"? <br>
</p>
<p>I've seen any number of opportunities *lost* to form such larger
pods (my sister's family separating into one couple and 3
singletons who do not mix)... but I suspect that there are
plenty of examples along the lines of extended families... where
for example, a group of siblings choose to maintain contact and
support/allow contact among their children (first cousins) in
groups therefore of 5 or 10 or even as large as 30 or 40, with
some group-pressure to remain isolated *outside* of that group...
possibly even assign as small of a number as 2 or 3 who are
trusted to go out in the world and forage at the grocery or
hardware... possibly those with the best discipline around social
distance, PPE, etc.</p>
<p>I don't know how close the "clan structure" of Orcas is to that
of various (usually matrilineal?) first-nations clans, and if
there is any kind of useful parallel. From my limited
anthropology background, I seem to remember that clan-structures
provide a kind of formula for how to "weave a community" of
individuals without too much risk of creating bad-blood (socially
as well as genetically)?<br>
</p>
<p>This is perhaps thinner ice, but my own experience within my
social circles is that "the decider" (regarding style and level of
isolation) in most "pods" I know of is a woman... not always the
eldest, but one who has significant dominance outside of such a
pandemic... a thought leader in nuclear or extended family or
perhaps neighborhood. <br>
</p>
<p>One of my social-circle groups consists of a modestly isolated
"country-lane" of about 6 households of retirees and empty
nesters. So roughly 12 individuals with roughly 3 in the
high-age-risk (>80) category and 1 > 70 with acute
preexisting conditions. The 3 high-risk are men, and are
supported in self-isolation by their (younger) partners (2 women,
one man), and there are two significantly dominant women in the
group who alternatively trigger social events among this larger
pod normally but have taken on a "policing" role amongst their
neighbors, making sure everyone has what they need but also
shaming anyone who considers what they believe to be "risky
behaviour". A less assertive woman is also a practicing
(semi-retired) nurse who seems to decline to try to "manage" the
rest of the lane even though she seems to be more technically
competent in this context. One couple are Native American
(Picuris/Dine) and they have mostly left the pod/lane to rejoin
the Dine family-pod which I believe needs their influence/help in
these times. They remain friendly but non-contacting with the
lane when they are there ( a few days ever week or two). We are
normally considered part of their "clan" but have declined
virtually all in-person contact, allowing for a few
socially-distanced meetups in the backyard with one of the couples
(BYOEverything). The "lane" has a good dozen other
orbiters/clan-members like us who seem to have the same
relationship to that "pod"... <br>
</p>
<p>Another of my extended social circle is an organic farm-complex
that consisted of 2 women in their early 60s, each with their own
home/aspect-of-farming and a full time tenant in a casita and a
rotating medley of temporary farm-help who either live for weeks
or months *on* the farm, or are CSA-trade workers who come in for
a few hours here and there to help with acute things like
harvest/clean for market-day. The primary *farmer* recently
took on a young couple (30ish) to whom she is sharecropping...
giving them her house and the fields she has built over the last
10 years to "make what they will" of it with fresh ideas and
energy. They were on their way here from Michigan when the
pandemic got hot... they had "day jobs" on two other organic
farms in the area but after arriving self-isolated on the farm
rather than risk bringing something with them... once past the
two weeks (which was a good time to start the farm-hand-off) they
began to go to their respective farms 5 days a week, social
distancing/etc. while there, but mixing it up more than the two
women who own the farm. The tenant is a CNA who has only one
(elderly woman) client. What they have formed is something of an
Orca-like Pod it seems... with two matrilines, one being much
larger than the other. The martiarch of the smaller matriline is
a retired nurse and is acutely careful about mixing... she is
effectively isolated *within* the larger pod as a unit of one.
The more prolific matriarch has visited us a few times (to bring
farm produce/plantings and share a little socially distant palaver
and a sanitized beer while sitting >6 feet away in the
sunlight. <br>
</p>
<p>My own daughters live far enough away (Portland OR, Denver) that
I have not opportunity to "pod up" with them, but would very
likely do precisely that if they were closer. Forming a pod of
about 13 with 3 matrilines... though it would get tricky if Mary's
family (3 children and spouses and grandchildren) were closer as
she/they would expect/want the same... and perhaps true to form,
her sons might polyp off to join their wives pod/clan?</p>
- Steve<br>
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