Outline #1

Outline: Introduction to Evolutionary Sociology  

I. Introduction 

 II. Evolved tendencies vs. the blank slate view of human nature

 III. Problems to be Solved in the Evolutionary Environment

1.    Problems of survival and growth

2.    Problems of mating

3.    Problems of parenting

4.    Problems of aiding genetic relatives.  

IV. Evolved Predispositions

 V. Common misunderstandings about evolutionary theory

1.    Human behavior is genetically determined.

2.    If it's evolutionary, we can't change it. 

3.    Evolutionary theory requires improbable computational abilities of organisms.

4.    Current mechanisms are optimally designed.

5.    Evolutionary theory implies a motivation to maximize gene reproduction.

VI. About this class

Outline #2

Outline: Gender and evolution

I. Natural Selection and Selfish Genes

   A. Inclusive fitness

III. Sexual reproduction

A. Why sex?

B. What sex means: different initial fixed investments in offspring by moms and dads

IV. Evolutionary implications of different reproductive roles

A. Moms, dads and cads

B. More choosy females, less choosy males

 Outline #3

Outline: Women's long term mating strategies - What did women evolve to want?

I. Introduction

II. Love and commitment cues

III. Dependability and stability

IV. Positive interactions with children

V. Selecting a mate who is compatible

VI. Selecting a mate who is able to invest

A. Good “provider” prospects

B. Industriousness

C. Social status

D. Older age

VII. Selecting a mate who is able to physically protect self and children.

VIII. Selecting a mate with good genes

IX. Conclusion

Outline: Men's Long-term Mating Strategies

 I.                   Intro

II.                Primary criteria in selecting a long-term mate

A. Youth

B. Beauty

1.    Symmetry is beautiful

2.    Do gentlemen prefer blondes? Why?

2.  Sex difference in the importance of physical appearance

III.             Fidelity and the problem of paternity uncertainty

A.   Promotes a preference for premarital chastity

B.   Promotes a preference for postmarital fidelity

C.   Promotes a preference for love

D.   Forcible control

IV.            Dependability, stability, compatibility, important but not as important as for females.

V.               Good provider prospects not very important.

Outline #5: What is Beauty? Why do we want it?

I. Introduction

II. Effects of beauty

A. Beauty is power, especially for women

III. The evolutionary psychology of beauty

Why do we like it? Why is it so important for women?

IV. What is beauty?

A.   Baby beauty

B. Adult beauty - good skin and hair, youthful facial proportions, symmetry

C. Body beauty - the importance of proportion

          1. Breasts

2. The Waist to hip ratio

3. Weight – we evolved to like the stone age average

V. Even babies like beauty

VI. Standards of beauty are consistent across cultures

VII. Conclusion

Outline #6: Evolved Short term Mating Strategies

I. Introduction

II. Costs of short term mating for males

III. Adaptive problems to be solved

IV. Evidence for an evolved short term mating psychology in males

A. Desire for a variety of sex partners

B. Time elapsed before seeking sex

C. The lowering of standards in short-term mating

                    1) The closing time phenomenon

D. Men's and women's fantasy lives

V. Behavioral evidence of men's short term mating

          A. Extra marital affairs

          B. Prostitution

VI. Women’s short term mating

A. Adaptive benefits of short term mating for women.

VII. Costs for women of short term mating

VIII.  Physiological evidence of short term mating by women

IX. Behavioral evidence of women’s short term mating

        Outline #7: Are women weaker?

I. Introduction

II. Differences in stature, strength, speed and looks

A. Why are women smaller than men?

B. Why are men stronger?

          C. Why are men faster than women?

D. Why do women and men have different facial features?

III. Physiological differences

          A. Sensory differences - taste, smell, hearing.

IV. Men and women and sport

A. Why do women have more endurance?

V. Endurance over the long haul - why do women live longer?

          A. Why are there risks in childbirth?  

Lecture Outline #8: Is there a female brain? 

I. Introduction

II. Social reasons for gender differences

III. Gender differences in brain function

IV. Gender differences on aptitude tests and other findings

A. IQ

B. Verbal skills.

C. Math skills         

D. Spatial skills

E. Field dependence/independence

V. The sexual division of labor cross-culturally

Outline #9: Sex differences over the life course 

I. Introduction

II. Childhood

III. Puberty

A. Problems in adolescence

          B. Girls and Menstruation

IV. Young adulthood

A.   Pregnancy in women

B.   Infanticide

V. Parenting: Why do mothers provide more parental care than fathers?

A.   Different responses to infants

B.   The Kibbutz

C.   Two hypotheses for amount of paternal care provided

VI. Menopause for women

Outline #10: Gender differences in aggression and criminality

I. Introduction

II. Adaptive problems in the EE solved by aggressive behavior:

III. Why are men more violently aggressive than women?

IV. Empirical evidence for sex differences in same sex aggression

A. Homicide

B. Bullying

C. The Young Male Syndrome

V. Contexts promoting male/male aggression

A. Marital and employment status

B. Threats to Status and Reputation

C. Sexual jealousy and intrasexual rivalry

VI. Contexts triggering female/female aggression

A. Intrasexual rivalry

VII. Contexts triggering male aggression against females

A. Sexual jealousy

VIII. Contexts triggering female aggression against males

IX. The Evolutionary Psychology of Warfare

X.  Evidence of psychological adaptations for warfare among men  

Outline #11: Gender Differences in Status Striving

 I. The universal concern with status

II.  Are men higher in status striving?

III. Biochemical bases of dominance - Testosterone and serotonin

IV. Evolutionary explanations of sex differences in status striving

V. Empirical evidence of the reproductive success of high status men

Outline #12: Gender and Emotion

 I. Are women more emotional?

 II. Smiling, Crying

III. Identifying emotions

IV. Social reasons for gender differences

V. Mental Illness: Effects men more than women, except depression and anxiety.

A. Depression. Why are women more likely to become depressed?

B. Anxiety. Why are women more likely to be anxious?  

  Outline #13:  Patriarchy through the ages

I.    Are men united to oppress women?

         A. Short answer: No

II.    Is the beauty industry a capitalist plot to oppress women?

         A. Short Answer: No 

III.    Why does it sometimes look like males are united to oppress women?

A.        Answer:  Men own and run the place.

B.       Why do men have control over resources?

C.     Men make the rules

E.g. Adultery laws

D.      Many cultures have informal rules saying that males and typical male behaviors are superior

IV.      Why don't women join together to fight male control of resources?

A. Often it isn’t in their genetic interests

B. Parental collusion in patriarchy

E.g. Female circumcision

 C. The contribution made by women’s lower self-esteem

Outline #14: Parental strategies - Gender differences in investment and socialization

 I. Parent/child conflict

II. Evidence of parental/child conflict

A. Mother/child conflict over resources starts in the womb

B. Parent/child conflict at later ages

III. Evidence of sibling rivalry

IV. Socialization to ameliorate conflicts

V. Differential investment in children

A. Neglect of children with disabilities

B. Differences in investment by gender: The Trivers-Willard hypothesis

          C. Gender differences in socialization by parents

  Outline #15: Boys and Girls in School