The evolutionary approach suggests that our behaviour is determined through natural selection; therefore it is coded into our genes through how we have adapted. It is a biological approach and states nature over nurture. A criticism of this approach is that it is determinist as it suggests that the way we behave is dictated through natural selection, for example in gender roles men being strong hunters and wanting a younger female partner. It ignores other suggestions, such as how we are brought up and our environment playing a part in how we behave.
A traditional view is that men are hunters and women the gatherers and domestic, this is true for humans. If this role had changed then it could reduce their chances of survival. Kuhn and Stiner suggest that this division may explain why Homo sapiens survived while Neanderthals did not. Neanderthal diet was provided by both men and women hunters and there was no suggestion that they were farmers. Therefore if hunting was unsuccessful groups starved, and may have been a reason in which humans are here today, and not Neanderthals. Some common criticisms of evolutionary explanations are that they are determinist and ignore social explanations. There is also the suggestion that they don’t have a strong factual basis, for example they may have plausible explanations of gender roles through Neanderthals but have no direct evidence. Other explanations are just as plausible for their disappearance such as climate change during the time.
The Term Paper on Men Are From Mars Women Are From Venus Gender Differences In Communication
Men are From Mars, Women are from venus, gender differences in communication "MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS: GENDER DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNICATION" Men and women typically use different discourse strategies in communication, and, in general, women's linguistic behavior is disadvantageous compared to men's. This paper will attempt to demonstrate this fact, through the many stereotypes ...
A key to adaptive behaviour is reproductive success, for example Mate Choice. Men look for partners who are physically attractive and women are more interested in resources a partner could provide. This may be due to a male selecting a woman who is healthier and therefore more fertile, the healthier the woman the more attractive she seems. While women seek signs of fertility and heath in a partner they are more concerned about resources, for example wealth, intelligence and strength. Women therefor seek to enhance their looks and men advertise their status. This is confirmed by Waynforth and Dunbar who used ads to assess what men and women seek and advertise. They found that 44% of men seek a physically attractive partner compared to 22% of women.
The E-S theory by Baron-Cohen is the theory which shows that women are stronger at emphasising and men better at systemising. This is a result of selection in which men developed better hunting skills and females focus of rearing children. He also suggested that men who were able to systemise had an evolutionary advantage. Women are better at emphasising and also are focus on interpersonal concerns. Taylor et al suggests that this may be due to challenges faced by men and women when dealing with stress. For example if a man is threatened he would choose whether to fight or flee, while a woman would protect themselves and their young, leading to the ‘tend and befriend’ response. Ennis et al conducted a natural experiment to test this by sampling levels of cortisol a week before students take an exam and immediately before the exam. The cortisol levels increased in male participants and decreased in female participants therefor supporting the difference in response to stress between genders. Taylor et al’s research also suggested that in women oxytocin levels increased with stress – which reduced anxiety and made them for sociable.
Support for the evolutionary perspective is the meat-sharing hypothesis. When humans changed from a purely vegetarian diet to include meat, men became hunters. Men used this as a way to attract female interest and this is also true for modern hunter-gatherer societies. Other support found by Baron-Cohen suggest that Autism is an example of an extreme male brain as research found that they excel at systemising and lack the ability to emphasise. But support found can also be criticised due to the fact that they are mainly historical records, observations and questionnaires as people may represent themselves differently or may represent others differently, therefor lowering the validity of the study. While much of the studies have cultural variations, many studies done in other cultures are questionnaires and those taking part may misinterpret questions or misunderstand them.
The Term Paper on Regarded As A Girl And Not An Equal Women Men Work Man
1. Articulate what you have learned this semester about dispelling the myth of 'Man the Hunter and Woman the Gatherer', which flourished under the patriarchal influence in archaeology of the early to mid twentieth century. Give a few examples of ways that women contributed in prehistoric societies or contribute in modern tribal societies which were largely overlooked by archaeologists in the past. ...
To conclude there is much evidence that would suggest that the evolutionary approach is plausible to explain gender roles. Though there may be other reasons to explain gender roles as the evolutionary approach is seen as determinist such as how a person I brought up. But the evolutionary approach has considerably larger amounts of research done to explain gender roles despite some criticism.
