Aggression is built into most of the animal population. This includes the human population where aggression is programmed into our nature. We talked in class about whether humans are innately aggressive in nature and I agree that while aggression is in our nature it is not the nature of humans. We have aggression to help with competition and use it as a reason to actually try and do better. Aggression fuels competition, maybe not as much today but definitely back in our more primitive times it was how our ancestors survived.
Today while aggression does not rule our everyday lives it does help in the capitalistic society as it helps to fuel the competitive nature of business as our country has been set up. Not every human shows aggressive tendencies and many are completely passive. This is neither a good or bad thing it just helps us to need one another. If we were all aggressive by nature then we would either not have gotten this far with technology or we would have used technology in a way that destroyed us all. Overall aggression is a useful tool in many environments but a lack of aggressiveness means nothing as to the quality of that human therefore aggression is not the nature to describe human nature.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Evolution
Humans are beings of nature. After we are born how much we change our features through medicines, plastic surgery, wheelchairs, crutches etc. we are still created through the combination of the male and female DNA. Every time that a sperm meets and egg there is variation that occurs and makes that new life special. We all have unique combinations of DNA and are all vessels through which new traits can arise. No we do not allow the weak to die as they would in a less technological society. We have people with traits that would be undesirable in the 'wild' but we can still overcome it. Maybe this is making us more susceptible than were we to allow nature to kill off people with traits that are not useful in traditional sense but we have brought ourselves up on this pedestal so as long as we have the technology we will try and save every life we can.
Evolution still happens whenever there is an exchange of genetic material to create a new life. Until we are able to create life without the help of organic genetic material we will be subject to evolution. It may be different from Darwin's perspective of evolution but it is still happening. Evolution is a very slow process and many suggest we are drawing from the same pool of genes as our ancestors were, dating back to just before the agricultural revolution.
Evolution still happens whenever there is an exchange of genetic material to create a new life. Until we are able to create life without the help of organic genetic material we will be subject to evolution. It may be different from Darwin's perspective of evolution but it is still happening. Evolution is a very slow process and many suggest we are drawing from the same pool of genes as our ancestors were, dating back to just before the agricultural revolution.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Stereotypes
If our biology was what influenced our characteristics, whether we are meek or out spoken, strong, timid and other gender associated traits, then every girl would be the stereotypical female and every guy the stereotypical manly man. More and more we are seeing both genders breaking from these roles and many men are nurses, secretaries and teachers and many women are truck drivers, high up business executives and construction workers. This leads me to believe that whether or not our biology originally had a say in these traits they are more a culturally acquired taste.
Anyone who says that a woman needs to get in the kitchen because that is what she was born to do is outrageously mistaken. The only reason that gender roles are even around is because as we look around the world our brains comprehend it by putting different people into categories. This is how prejudice, racism and sexism starts. We see a couple women who are good at taking care of children so we assign women that quality. We see a young black man stealing and assume they are all trouble makers. We see a couple Mexicans gardening and say that that is all that Mexicans can do. We are not biologically programed to fit into stereotypes, we are socialized to and this causes the stereotypes to persist.
Anyone who says that a woman needs to get in the kitchen because that is what she was born to do is outrageously mistaken. The only reason that gender roles are even around is because as we look around the world our brains comprehend it by putting different people into categories. This is how prejudice, racism and sexism starts. We see a couple women who are good at taking care of children so we assign women that quality. We see a young black man stealing and assume they are all trouble makers. We see a couple Mexicans gardening and say that that is all that Mexicans can do. We are not biologically programed to fit into stereotypes, we are socialized to and this causes the stereotypes to persist.
Gender Roles
We talked about the gender roles and whether they are generated buy nature or nurture. The gender roles as we see them are specific to western industrial cultures. There are native cultures that have changed little since their creation. They have gender roles that are switched compared to our ideas of gender roles. This suggests that nurture is more the reason for effeminate and masculine traits. The interesting thing about the other cultures that have switched roles is that the men of the culture are still the dominate sex.
Another curious case about gender roles in our culture are the effeminate guys and masculine girls. While these traits are associated with the gay community there are effeminate guys and masculine girls who do not identify as being attracted to the same sex. No matter what biological 'inclinations' we have towards each set of traits there are many cases where the traits are seen in the 'wrong' sex.
Another curious case about gender roles in our culture are the effeminate guys and masculine girls. While these traits are associated with the gay community there are effeminate guys and masculine girls who do not identify as being attracted to the same sex. No matter what biological 'inclinations' we have towards each set of traits there are many cases where the traits are seen in the 'wrong' sex.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Evolution
Darwin said that evolution, is the change of features and adaptions in creatures based on a progression and in a way that betters the creature to it's environment. A key component is not that evolution creates the best of the ultimate creature but that it makes better creatures than the one before and if this creature is the best adapted and nothing changes in it's environment then evolution will pause. Man is creating creatures that have to evolve in a way that is beneficial in one way and not so much in another. There is a species of elephant that has evolved to have a recessive gene for tusklessness. The reason behind this is that poachers will not kill an elephant that has no tusks, they are not worth anything. This is a good defense against poachers yet is not a good in the terms of the fitness of an elephant. Tusks are a sign of strength to potential mates and are used in fighting other elephants for food, territory etc. Is this really an evolutionary trait if it is brought on by something not in their natural environment? I would say yes because whether or not humans should be in the African jungles and shooting elephants, they are, and if the elephants can find a way of defense,then good for them. Is this however something we as humans, should allow to happen? Should we let our power hunger and want for dominance destroy the rest of the Earth, no. As much as we choose to ignore that we are cut from the same cloth as all living things, it is not something we will get rid of anytime soon.
Changes
We talk about nature and the world we live in as two separate things. Quotes like, "I'm going to go bond with nature" or "Let's take a trip to the wilderness this weekend". The truth however is that there are few areas of the world where man has not been and these areas are the few that are still completely wild. Counting out of course areas that man cannot go because of biological and technological restraints everything is effected by man. You go in a walk in your back yard and may appear to be surrounded by the forest but can hear cars rolling by on the nearby highway. Even reserved areas where man is not allowed to go, it has only retained it's original habitat due to the interference from man.
If we think about the number of species we have captured, domesticated or simply tried to preserve in captivity, this number exceeds imagination. All of these creatures have been directly affected by man, but what about the indirect effects we have. We emit pollutants and allow pounds of debris to fall into streams and rivers that lead to the ocean. This then leads to changes among species that are irreversible. My question from these observation is, How has man changed the process of evolution and can mutations that are for the better yet caused by our interventions still be considered Darwin's evolution.
If we think about the number of species we have captured, domesticated or simply tried to preserve in captivity, this number exceeds imagination. All of these creatures have been directly affected by man, but what about the indirect effects we have. We emit pollutants and allow pounds of debris to fall into streams and rivers that lead to the ocean. This then leads to changes among species that are irreversible. My question from these observation is, How has man changed the process of evolution and can mutations that are for the better yet caused by our interventions still be considered Darwin's evolution.
Survival
Survival of the fittest. Interesting concept, the fittest survive. Not the one who is able to outsmart the system, the one who is the nicest, the one who is the best. The fittest. What is fittest really though? Nowadays it is the person who can live the longest, have the most money and be able to get whatever they want. This is the fittest person especially in a capitalist society where the goal is to get all the money. Then we look towards nature. The fittest is the creature who can hunt and forage and usually work with their pack, unless we are talking about lone creatures. This is where we started out. As hunters and foragers who relied on each other to survive. We still rely on each other and some still hunt and forage, but the number who produce and the number who consume are drastically different. Hardly anyone is self sufficient or even sufficient within their community. We have tried and tried to separate ourselves from nature but that's not the way to go. Nature can teach u so much yet we have decided to use and abuse it. Without a full knowledge we have taken species, changed landscapes and altered habitats. Why have we not embraced that side of ourselves and learned from them?
Many cultures worship spirits that have to do with nature. The water god, the god of fertility and the god of death. These societies are seen as primitive yet they are probably better off. They do not have constant communication with the world or running water or any luxuries that we have yet they are more in touch with each other and know how to fend for themselves. Who is really better in this situation? If tomorrow all of the technology was gone and we all had to fend for ourselves and live off of the land like we once did who would survive?
Many cultures worship spirits that have to do with nature. The water god, the god of fertility and the god of death. These societies are seen as primitive yet they are probably better off. They do not have constant communication with the world or running water or any luxuries that we have yet they are more in touch with each other and know how to fend for themselves. Who is really better in this situation? If tomorrow all of the technology was gone and we all had to fend for ourselves and live off of the land like we once did who would survive?
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