The Ecology and sociology of the Norway Rat

by John B. Calhoun

288 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1962

About the author

John B. Calhoun was an American ethologist and behavioral researcher noted for his studies of population density and its effects on behavior. He claimed that the bleak effects of overpopulation on rodents were a grim model for the future of the human race. During his studies, Calhoun coined the term "behavioral sink" to describe aberrant behaviors in overcrowded population density situations and "beautiful ones" to describe passive individuals who withdrew from all social interaction. His work gained world recognition. He spoke at conferences around the world and his opinion was sought by groups as diverse as NASA and the District of Columbia's Panel on overcrowding in local jails. Calhoun's rat studies were used as a basis in the development of Edward T. Hall's 1966 proxemics theories.

— Excerpt from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Marduk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating and mind-blowing study of the population dynamics and sociology of the Norway rat. If you think class societies, ghettoes, migrations, segregation, inceldom, diversity, homogeneity, overcrowding, an untouchable caste, a warrior caste, a boomer generation, social stress, body language, hell even gentrification, are purely human phenomena or at the very least not applicable to rats of all animals, you'd be wrong. And what better way to learn of such complex phenomena than to observe them in their simplest possible form? Is there any better way to get at the root of things? Removing the historical, political and emotional context from these issues provides an extremely rare insight into how they spring and function in humanity.

If I previously may have had some slight doubt as to Calhoun's scientific rigour - what with the mainstream vulgar take on the behavioral sink and his anthropomorphization of rats and mice, occasionally bordering sentimental - then this book reassured me of the meticulousness that goes with his work. This in turn gives more weight in my mind to his other, more famous studies.

[Leonardo]

Calhoun muestra que ratas hacinadas en espacios cerrados mostraron aumento de agresión y desorganización social, lo que llevó a la idea de que la alta densidad poblacional produce inevitablemente violencia. En esta clase, Sapolsky señala que el problema no era simplemente la cantidad de individuos por metro cuadrado, sino la falta de estructura social, control y posibilidad de escape. Es decir, no es la densidad en sí lo que genera colapso, sino el estrés crónico producido por la imprevisibilidad y la pérdida de regulación social.