Lecture 28: Human Conflict

Front 1

What does conflict represent?

Back 1

a struggle for resources

Front 2

Among whom is conflict expected?

Back 2

those with the least to lose and most to gain

Front 3

What else can violence function as?

Back 3

a way of coercing behavior or deterring aggression (reputation of history of violence can scare people off)

Front 4

What's the "naturalitsic fallacy"

Back 4

equating "is" with "ought"

Front 5

Why are males so aggressive?

Back 5

in humans, the variance in male RS is greater than the variance in female RS. THe potential payoffs of risky strategies are greater for males than for females. THus, we can predict more risky behaviors and strategies coming from males.

Front 6

Talk about male-male homicides (least ambiguous thing to measure)

Back 6

1) vast majority of homicides involve male killers and male victims
2)peak age of male homicide = peak of male mating effort
3)These patterns appear to be universal
4)most often occur over relatively "trivial" disputes whicha are over status and reputation

Front 7

Give evidence for violence being more common among men who have less to lose

Back 7

1) unemployed men are more violent than employed men
2)married men commit fewer homicides than single men (including divorced and widowed)
3) increased inequity in a society is associated with increased homicide rates

Front 8

Talk about the male-female conflict (the reasons for it)

Back 8

1) conflict of interest b/w males and females--males may benefit from investing in mating opportunities (potential future offspring) and females may benefit from extra-pair copulations (EPCs) w/ higher quality males
2)males run risk of being cuckolded (raising kids that arent own) so they attempt to ensure paternity of offspring--internal motivator to prevent cuckolding = jealousy
3) males may try to control female sexuality by mate-guarding behavior or violence
4)younger, more fertile women more likely to suffer from coercive control

Front 9

What are 2 ways one can acquire resources?

Back 9

1) peacefully (nonviolence)- low risk, moderate payoff
2)high risk, bigger payoff