Can We Create A Village In A Competitive Culture? Reimagining And Rebuilding With The Evolved Nest And Partnerism
A Powerful Conversation with Riane Eisler and Darcia Narvaez
Learn more on Kindred: kindredmedia.org/2025/05/can-we-c…etitive-culture/
In this powerful conversation, Riane Eisler and Darcia Narvaez explore the synergy between Eisler’s Partnerism framework and Narvaez’s Evolved Nest model. Narvaez’s and Eisler’s lifelong scholarly works intersect in their call for a shift towards nurturing, relational, and balanced models of existence that revalue the feminine and kinship bonds, seeing these as essential for creating a sustainable, compassionate future. Their work advocates for a profound cultural transformation, grounded in the rediscovery of ancient values and practices that honor interconnectedness and the sacredness of all life.
In defining the complimentary relationship between the Evolved Nest and Partnerism, Riane points out in the video below that alloparenting, one of nine key components of our Evolved Nest, isn’t possible without economic shifts toward gender parity and valuing caregiving. Her insight provides critical guidance for cultural creatives and Nesting Ambassadors who may risk burnout in an effort to create a modern village based on a Cycle of Cooperative Companionship in a decaying culture based on a Cycle of Competitive Detachment. While Narvaez’s work restores our baselines for typical species wellbeing, Eisler’s work expands practical guidance/insights that protect activists from entering into draining Hamster Wheel Activism (acting unconsciously from the Dominant Worldview to engender social change).
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Can We Create A Village In A Competitive Culture? Reimagining And Rebuilding With The Evolved Nest And Partnerism
A Powerful Conversation with Riane Eisler and Darcia Narvaez
Learn more on Kindred: kindredmedia.org/2025/05/can-we-c…etitive-culture/
In this powerful conversation, Riane Eisler and Darcia Narvaez explore the synergy between Eisler’s Partnerism framework and Narvaez’s Evolved Nest model. Narvaez’s and Eisler’s lifelong scholarly works intersect in their call for a shift towards nurturing, relational, and balanced models of existence that revalue the feminine and kinship bonds, seeing these as essential for creating a sustainable, compassionate future. Their work advocates for a profound cultural transformation, grounded in the rediscovery of ancient values and practices that honor interconnectedness and the sacredness of all life.
In defining the complimentary relationship between the Evolved Nest and Partnerism, Riane points out in the video below that alloparenting, one of nine key components of our Evolved Nest, isn’t possible without economic shifts toward gender parity and valuing caregiving. Her insight provides critical guidance for cultural creatives and Nesting Ambassadors who may risk burnout in an effort to create a modern village based on a Cycle of Cooperative Companionship in a decaying culture based on a Cycle of Competitive Detachment. While Narvaez’s work restores our baselines for typical species wellbeing, Eisler’s work expands practical guidance/insights that protect activists from entering into draining Hamster Wheel Activism (acting unconsciously from the Dominant Worldview to engender social change).
DESCRIPTION: Being disconnected from nature can lead to negative outcomes. Learn how to reconnect with the living world around you.
Listen to award-winning neuroscience researcher, Darcia Narvaez, PhD, share foundational insights into the Evolved Nest.
Visit the nonprofit initiative at www.EvolvedNest.org.
About Darcia Narvaez, PhD
Darcia Narvaez is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame. Her prior careers include professional musician, classroom music teacher, business owner, seminarian and middle school Spanish teacher. Dr. Narvaez’s current research explores how early life experience influences societal culture, wellbeing and sociomoral character in children and adults. She integrates neurobiological, clinical, developmental and education sciences in her theories and research about human nature and human development.
She publishes extensively on moral development, parenting and education. Recently she has been studying the Evolved Nest and how it influences wellbeing, sociality and morality.
She hosts interdisciplinary conferences at the University of Notre Dame regarding early experience and human development (the talks and/or powerpoints are available online). In 2016, she organized a conference on Sustainable Wisdom: Integrating Indigenous KnowHow for Global Flourishing (talks available online).
She is the author or editor of numerous books and articles. Read her bio and blogs here: kindredmedia.org/author/darcia-narvaez-phd/
About the Evolved Nest
Every animal has a nest for its young that matches up with the maturational schedule of the offspring (Gottlieb, 1997). Humans too! The Evolved Nest (or Evolved Developmental Niche; EDN) refers to the nest for young children that humans inherit from their ancestors. It's one of our adaptations, meaning that it helped our ancestors survive. Most characteristics of the evolved nest emerged with social mammals more than 30 million years ago.
Humans are distinctive in that babies are born highly immature (only 25% of adult-sized brain at full-term birth) and should be in the womb another 18 months to even resemble newborns of other species! As a result, the brain/body of a child is highly influenced by early life experience.
Multiple epigenetic effects occur in the first months and years based on the timing and type of early experience. Humanity's evolved nest was first identified by Melvin Konner (2005) as the "hunter-gatherer childhood model" and includes breastfeeding 2-5 years, nearly constant touch, responsiveness to baby's needs, multiple responsive adult caregivers, free play with multiple-aged playmates, positive social support for mom and baby.
Calling these components the Evolved Nest or Evolved Developmental Niche, Narvaez and colleagues add to the list soothing perinatal experience (before, during, after birth) and a positive, welcoming social climate. All these are characteristic of the type of environment in which the human genus lived for 99% of its existence. Below are publications and a powerpoint about the evolved nest.
Why does the evolved nest matter? Early years are when virtually all neurobiological systems are completing their development. They form the foundation for the rest of life, including getting along with others, sociality and morality.
nature deficit disorderneuroscienceevolved nest Darcia Narvaezevolved nestDarcia Narvaeznature
The Evolved Nest
Can We Create A Village In A Competitive Culture? Reimagining And Rebuilding With The Evolved Nest And Partnerism
A Powerful Conversation with Riane Eisler and Darcia Narvaez
Learn more on Kindred: kindredmedia.org/2025/05/can-we-c…etitive-culture/
In this powerful conversation, Riane Eisler and Darcia Narvaez explore the synergy between Eisler’s Partnerism framework and Narvaez’s Evolved Nest model. Narvaez’s and Eisler’s lifelong scholarly works intersect in their call for a shift towards nurturing, relational, and balanced models of existence that revalue the feminine and kinship bonds, seeing these as essential for creating a sustainable, compassionate future. Their work advocates for a profound cultural transformation, grounded in the rediscovery of ancient values and practices that honor interconnectedness and the sacredness of all life.
In defining the complimentary relationship between the Evolved Nest and Partnerism, Riane points out in the video below that alloparenting, one of nine key components of our Evolved Nest, isn’t possible without economic shifts toward gender parity and valuing caregiving. Her insight provides critical guidance for cultural creatives and Nesting Ambassadors who may risk burnout in an effort to create a modern village based on a Cycle of Cooperative Companionship in a decaying culture based on a Cycle of Competitive Detachment. While Narvaez’s work restores our baselines for typical species wellbeing, Eisler’s work expands practical guidance/insights that protect activists from entering into draining Hamster Wheel Activism (acting unconsciously from the Dominant Worldview to engender social change).
