The show I chose to watch in order to observe similarities among primate behavior was Gilmore Girls. Even though the title of this shows implies that girls will be the main character of the show, there are equal amounts of men roles if not more. What I found interesting though, was that the women tend to stick together in packs and the men tend to tackle like more on their own. It could be due to a mother, daughter bond that is going on, but I am going to infer that women are more dependent on community and tend to stick together more than men do. Men like to belong to a group, but they don’t necessarily need to be amongst others at all times. Women tend to stick together more throughout the day than men do, therefore making women depend on …show more content…
Men want to protect their area of living so they reduce their competition by limiting the men they are surrounded by. Every time there was more guys in a scene than women, there was arguing about who should get what and why. For example, a guy set up a farmers market in the show right next to another man’s grocery store. The close proximity created competition between men and their areas. Just like when Dean was more protective of Rory when Jess moved into town. This behavior is similar midst the Gorillas. They tend to live with one adult male (even though they have been known to have more than one male in a group) and multiple females with their offspring (Cawthon). Male Gorillas are expected to leave their natal group, the group where an animal was born and raised, in order to keep the breeding selection diverse, but this also creates for a non-cohesive male group (Lewis, Jurmain, Kilgore 138). However, not ever monkey group operates like …show more content…
Nonetheless, even among these species, the females still form closer bonds. Affiliated behaviors such as grooming is more prominent among females or among females and their children that they form a more cohesive bond like the women in Gilmore Girls do when they help plan each other’s weddings or prepping them for an intense day (Lewis, Jurmain, Kilgore 154). It is just what women do. Another explanation why female monkeys and humans travel together and get along better is because of they have less pressure when it comes to hierarchy than men do. Females most definitely have a rank in the group, but the Gorilla’s, Bonobo’s, and Chimpanzee’s social groups all value the male dominant more than the female equivalent (Cawthorn). With the alpha spot generally being a male, it leaves less competition among the females allowing for a better environment to stick
A Primate’s Memoir, written by Robert Sapolsky, documents the author’s time in Kenya while he studied the various behaviors of a troop of baboons. One of the key aspects of the book was the social rank that developed within the troop. Female baboons have a social hierarchy that is fairly cut and dry. The eldest baboons in the troop are considered the higher-ranking females, and as the baboons get younger, so to follows the string of dominance. The ranking for males was essentially from the strongest baboons to the weakest baboons. The baboon at the top of the social hierarchy was considered the alpha male. This social rank has huge implications for the troop in regards to which baboons mated with each other. If another baboon wanted to become the alpha male, then he would have to challenge the current alpha male to a fight, and win. The baboon’s distinct personality mixed with their instincts are the primary factors for where one lands on the social hierarchy. Another key aspect of the book was the strategies that took place when the baboons wanted to mate with another baboon. Similar to humans, the baboon males tried to impress the female baboons in a way that would make them want to mate. The rank of the male is considered to be one of the greatest factors contributing to what mate they end up with, because there is nothing more impressive than becoming a high-ranking baboon. Also, there were instances of lower-ranking baboons strategizing and forming teams with other baboons to become a higher ranking baboon for the mating possibilities. The baboons in the group are considered a patch-work of different troops, as it is common for one baboon to move to different groups frequently.
To start, research shows that there are a striking number of similarities between humans and chimpanzees in context to their social behavior.
Harms, William. "Professor Finds That Nonhuman Primates Have Evolutionary Reason to Bond with Their Offspring." Professor Finds That Nonhuman Primates Have Evolutionary Reason to Bond with Their Offspring. The University of Chicago Chronicle, 12 July 2001. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
This is clearly not the case.”. She continues with, “Gender, like kinship, does have a biological referent, but beyond a universal recognition of male and female "packages," different cultures have chosen to associate very different behaviors, interactions, and statuses with men and women. Gender categories are arbitrary constructions of culture, and consequently, gender-appropriate behaviors vary widely from culture to culture.” (23). Gender roles are completely defined by the culture each person lives in.
Particular behaviour and traits are attached with a specified gender. Due to this, the social learning and classification founded on gender are swiftly imbibed into by an individual. Children become aware of the distinction between male and female and definite social responsibility that each gender has to perform in society (Blakemore & hill 2008 , and Goffman 1977 ). Women are often viewed as tender and subtle and men are regarded as more competent to bear pain and rough and tough. Therefore, women are considered as weaker sex. In relationship, the women are the end and men are supposed to be follower or chaser. Women are physically weak and smaller compared to men and physical strength is vested with male realm (Goffman 1977
Quiatt, D., & Reynolds, V. (1993). Primate behaviour: information, social knowledge, and the evolution of culture. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press].
...socially directed hormonal instructions which specify that females will want to have children and will therefore find themselves relatively helpless and dependent on males for support and protection. The schema claims that males are innately aggressive and competitive and therefore will dominate over females. The social hegemony of this ideology ensures that we are all raised to practice gender roles which will confirm this vision of the nature of the sexes. Fortunately, our training to gender roles is neither complete nor uniform. As a result, it is possible to point to multitudinous exceptions to, and variations on, these themes. Biological evidence is equivocal about the source of gender roles; psychological androgyny is a widely accepted concept. It seems most likely that gender roles are the result of systematic power imbalances based on gender discrimination.9
As Carol Brady said, “You mustn’t let the boys upset you.” The establishment of groups, in the society, occurred since the civilization began. Some examples of the groups formed are groups of men and women, rich and poor, and between coworkers. However, the common differences occur between the groups of men and women. Individuals of the society define masculinity and femininity as what they were taught while growing up, either by their family, friends, or television.
Women and men are allocated to a gender role and we all must act out the masculine or feminine behavior as arranged by our society and our culture. Femininity is usually associated with traits such as emotionality, cautiousness, collaboration, common sense, and fulfillment.
Our earliest ancestors are primates. They are our closest relatives which is why we can see our behavior’s and practices in them. If we observe them we can get a better understanding of them and us, human beings. But unfortunately we all don’t get the chance to see a Primate right in our backdoor. So the best thing I could do for my observation was to visit them at the zoo.
As stated in the article, “each ape’s social success depends on what other group members are up to, natural selection has favored the capacity for social maneuvers and [superior intelligence]” (2). Natural selection also favors apes because they are not ones to dwell or hold grudges on other apes when they get into feuds. Frans de Waal, a primatologist at the Arnheim Zoo in the Netherlands, shows how natural selection has also promoted the ability to strengthen the relationships of others. In his example, he gives an account of Mama, the most influential female in the colony, who would reconcile other apes after they got into
Chimpanzees (Figure 1) are the closest living relatives to us, and they share 99 percent of our DNA (1). Chimpanzees have distinct group territoriality. Male chimpanzees “patrol” near the boundary between the two ranges, at that time they move very carefully and quietly, and they can cease to listen and observe the range of their neighbors. Patrolling individuals are likely to face cruel and violent attacks, injuries, and even deaths. Intense excitement and aggressive display can occur if the two parties of two communities encounter each other. Usually, the larger group holds its ground, and interaction between different chimpanzees communities may also lead to gang attack. Expanding the community range is necessary to their social organizations, the males cooperation can defend the territory and increase the reproductive rates of the resident females by excluding female and male competitors. Body contact is common in their social life such as grooming (1). Usually, chimpanzees groom each other as a way to show harmony and solidarity in their society (Figure 2). Grooming each other demonstrates the deep bonds and close relationship between them. In addition, they can even hug, hold hands, touch, kiss each other as a way of emotional expression (2).
The same concept was expressed by Edward O. Wilson (1992), father of sociobiology at Harvard University. According to him, females tend to be better equipped in characteristics like verbal and social skills, security needs and empathy than their counterpart. In the other, Males tend to be better in spatial ...
Gender roles are an important part of the culture and social structure of every society. Their power to influence behavior derives from their essential quality, appearing to reflect inherent attributes of women and men and from the related tendency to be relatively consensual and for people to be aware of this consensus. Femininity and masculinity are gender roles that are routinely conceptualized with regard to the totality of gender traits or characteristics that one possesses regardless of gender (Bem, 1974). Because gender roles are shared, people correctly believe that others are likely to react more approvingly to behavior that is consistent rather than inconsistent with these roles. Therefore, the most likely route to a smoothly functioning social interaction is to behave consistently with one’s gender role or at least to avoid strongly deviating from it (Wood and Eagly, 2010).
Judith lorber describes how the roles of male and female differ and how societies hold each