Socio-evolutionary explanations often come off as ad hoc rationalizations anyway. Where's the causal link? Isn't adaptability supposed to be a key strength of the human species?
Actually, they can be tested just like any other hypotheses. There are many examples of species changing behavior and even progenys' physical attributes in response to social stimuli. One of the best known is the change in locusts from sedentary individuals to mass migrating clouds.
Useful and practical information and devices for the prevention of unwanted pregnancy dates back at least to 1850 BC (Kahun Papyrus),
Infanticide and war/executions were the two main means of birth control throughout history. Birth control is one of those "socio-evolutionary" practices that has deep roots in "survival." You can starve and die or you can kill some or all of your kids - or kill your neighbors and take their stuff. The use of infanticide among the Innuit, for example, is well documented. Scarcity in tribal societies almost always led to organized total war - and the evidence of "genocide" is deep in the paleo-archeological record across all societies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infanticide... all because of a Victorian style moral code, which traces its roots to a medieval Europe suffering catastrophic population loss.
Medieval Europe was nearly destroyed by a series of political crises, followed by famine due to the start of the little ice age, and then the plague. This did completely destroy the social fabric and almost wiped out the Church. "Morals" went out the window.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Distant_Mirrorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_of_the_Late_Middle_AgesMany significant cultures recognized the sexes as equals, and had relaxed views about sexuality, even to the point of incorporating sex into their religious observances. But history is written by the victors, and that's not the information the Texas school board wants you to see.
Which "significant" cultures are those? I can't think of any. Rearing kids imposes huge costs and task specialization is required to ensure survival.
Everyone likes to talk about relaxed views about sex until a 300 lb jealous husband is sitting on you doing the ground and pound. Or you get a disease. Or feelings get hurt. Or a jealous wife expels another woman from the group or a "homebreaker" does the reverse - causing great discord. Or the kids get hurt.
There is extensive, quantitative research on "socio-biology" and human social organization.
http://personal.lse.ac.uk/sear/pdfs/who%20keeps.pdf
