A Ripple Effect

Violence is considered a common feature in most societies. It’s mainly recognized as a male characteristic, specifically illustrated within the media. It is often wondered why men behave the way they do. It’s obvious, beyond words that men have more testosterone in their bodies than women, and that men are the more aggressive ones.

Although it may be likely that intense degrees of testosterone affect a tendency towards male violence, it does not mean that all men are violent naturally; it’s how males are nurtured in their environments, along with the effects of the media that accounts for male violence.

Causes of male violence have a lot to do with how males are socialized. In David Barash’s “Evolution, Males, and Violence,” published in “The Chronicle of Higher Education,” Barash emphasizes that violence is predominantly male, while discussing the evolution of men and women. Throughout his argument, Barash refers to evolutionary biology and quotes credible figures in the world of science. In “The He Hormone,” published in “The New York Times,” Andrew Sullivan tells of the ups and downs of testosterone, presenting specific examples of gender differences. Jackson Katz’s documentary, “Tough Guise” Katz addresses the issue of violence in the media, emphasizing that society’s attitudes about masculinity are harmful to men and boys in a variety of ways, as well as being oppressive to women and children.

Violence is considered to be predominantly male. Male predominance can often be overwhelming. Barash supports his statement that “violence is male” by providing specific examples, some referring to natural selection.

“When it comes to sperm makers, success is likely to crown those who
out compete their rivals, and so, in species after species, it is the males who are
larger, nastier, more likely to be armed with lethal weaponry and a violent
disposition to match. Natural selection has outfitted males with the tools for
success in male-male competition, much of it violent.”(2)

Here, Barash discusses the physical consequences of being a “sperm maker,” such as size and strength. Another physical consequence presented here includes how more successful fighters in the male kingdom pass their genes on. Relating back to animals, Barash discusses how male violence in the animal world perpetuates a species sexual reproduction.

There has been much controversy pertaining to the role of male hormones in aggression. Some argue that testosterone predisposes men to aggression. Testosterone plays a role in a male’s demeanor, but it’s not what determines it. Actually it’s nurture that clearly determines a male’s demeanor. Males that are subjected to violence regularly as an adolescent, especially domestic violence, are more prone to violence, than males who are raised in stable environments.