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David Myers 11e Chapter 5: Social Influence Genes, Culture, and Gender -How we influence one another 1 How Are We Influenced by Human Nature and Cultural Diversity? What is your belief/affect response to Jan and Tomoko? Genes, Evolution, and Behavior Natural selection Heritable traits that best enable organisms to survive and reproduce are passed to ensuing generations Social animals Join, conform, recognize social status Social as well as biological evolution occurs (still does) Such as trust, disapproval, punishment, altruism, morality Social behavior genetics are harder to see because they interact (happens along with) cultural changes Evolutionary psychology Study of the evolution of cognition and behavior based on principles of natural selection There has been enough time for variance in genes Variation has been recent , copious, and regional (N.Wade) 2 How Are We Influenced by Human Nature and Cultural Diversity? Culture and Behavior Culture Enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next Cultural diversity Our behavior is socially programmed Could it also be influenced by genes? One in eight Americans is an immigrant 3 How Are We Influenced by Human Nature and Cultural Diversity? Culture and Behavior Norms: Expected behavior by the group Norms (implicit rules for getting along) Standards for accepted and expected behavior Expressiveness - German v. Greeks? Punctuality - U.S. v. Caribbean ? Jamaica? Rule Breaking – a social norm for rule breaking? what’s the benefit of that? Personal Space – prison inmates v. us • Buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies Eye contact –when is it appropriate? How long? a “stare (creepy)” v. “he’s looking at me” 4 How Are We Influenced by Human Nature and Cultural Diversity? Culture and Behavior Cultural similarity What is a ‘theory of mind’? Universal friendship norms Universal trait dimensions CANOE Universal social belief dimensions Cynicism, social complexity, reward for hard work, spirituality, fate control Universal status norms (R. Brown) Intimacy (you must call me “professor”!!) Incest taboo –why is this universal? Norms of war –except for Iraq and a few others 5 How Are Males and Females Alike and Different? Gender Characteristics, whether biological or socially influenced, by which people define male and female Females: 70% more fat, shorter, weigh less More sensitive to smells and sounds More vulnerable to anxiety disorders, depression Males: Slower to reach puberty, die younger ADHD!!!! Commit suicide (more women try but don’t succeed) 6 How Are Males and Females Alike and Different? Women Men Describe themselves in more Focus on tasks and on relational terms Experience more relationship-linked emotions More empathetic Gravitate toward jobs that reduce inequalities connections with large groups Respond to stress with “fight or flight” response Gravitate toward jobs that enhance inequalities 7 How Are Males and Females Alike and Different? Social Dominance (when is it better to be socially dominant?) Men are socially dominant Women’s wages in industrial countries average 77 percent of men’s Men tend to be more autocratic; women more democratic Men take more risks 8 How Are Males and Females Alike and Different? Aggression Physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone In the U.S., the arrest ratio of male to female is 9 to 1 When provocation occurs the gender gap shrinks Women are slightly more likely to commit indirect aggressive acts Spreading malicious gossip 9 How Are Males and Females Alike and Different? Sexuality Men: More often think about and initiate sex Women: Are more inspired by emotional passion 10 Evolution and Gender: Doing What Comes Naturally? Gender and Mating Preferences Men seek out quantity (reproduce widely) Spreading genes widely Women seek out quality (wisely choose) Protecting and nurturing of offspring 11 Evolution and Gender: Doing What Comes Naturally? Reflections on Evolutionary Psychology Evolutionary psychologists sometimes start with an effect and work backward to construct an explanation Way to overcome the “hindsight bias” is to imagine things turning out otherwise. (find the function it provides) Evolutionary psychologists disagree with this theory Same criticism for “cultural theories” Their opponents worry that accepting genetically driven differences reinforces gender stereotypes. Is evolution genetic determinism? Or can we adapt to different environments? 12 Sample Predictions Derived from Evolutionary Psychology 13 Evolution and Gender: Doing What Comes Naturally? Gender and Hormones Gender gap in aggression seems influenced by testosterone As humans age they become more androgynous Mixing both masculine and feminine characteristics 14 Culture and Gender: Doing as the Culture Says? Gender Role Set of behavior expectations (norms) for males and females Confess: did culture form you develop “roots” or “wings”? Discuss: Is gender role “inequality” good or bad? Gender roles vary over culture Should both spouses work and share child care? 41 of 44 countries prefer sharing What are the implications for each option? Gender roles vary over time Evolution and biology do not fix them. 15 Culture and Gender: Doing as the Culture Says? Peer-Transmitted Culture 50% of personality (and predisposition to respond) is inherited 0 -10% percent of individual variations in personality traits is by parental nurturing The other 40 -50 % is peer influence! On values/ preferences What are some that you learned /adopted? What are the implications for values and behaviors having the boy/girl scout v. gang group influence? Extremism Islamist v. other religious influence? Change comes from the youth. Some examples? 16 What Can We Conclude about Genes, Culture, and Gender? Biology and Culture Biology and experience interact when biological traits influence how the environment reacts Epigenetics – environment triggers biological gene expression E.g. diet, drugs stress But some stress is good for us (at cellular level and for physical development) E.g. Hostility of cop killers in Bronx and Jihad John Great truths: B = f (p * e) – Power of the situation Power of the person interaction (*) plays a big role A social situation affects different people differently People often choose their situation People often create their situations 17
