There are four social psychology perspectives that can be used to explain gender differences in aggression. These are the sociocultural, social cognitive, social learning, and the evolutionary theories. This paper considers these theories under the assumption that men are more aggressive than women.
The sociocultural perspective is based on the cultural training. Boys, and men, in many cultures are expected to be aggressive and exhibit characteristics such as courage and strength. They are trained to be aggressive in getting what they want and rewarded when they exhibit such and associated tendencies. Aggression is rewarded with respect while those who are not as aggressive are ridiculed. Girls, on the contrary, are taught to be submissive and obedient. Men with aggressive traits are considered desirable and respectable.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
It is generally assumed that males are more aggressive than women, and that one of the ways that people learn is through observation. The social learning and the social cognitive perspectives are founded on this assumption. The social learning perspective would explain higher male aggression through the observation, modeling and imitation of behavior. Boys would be more aggressive because it is what they see and learn from older men. Girls would be less aggressive since that is what they see in older women. When used to explain more aggression in males, the social cognitive perspective would assert that males are more aggressive because that is what they observe from older males in their experiences and interactions as they grow.
The evolutionary perspective would explain this phenomenon through the idea that men inherited aggressive behaviors from their evolutionary ancestors who had to hunt, fight, and win, as well as protect their families, acts which accorded them societal status and economic resources. This evolutionary aspect of aggression emphasizes the role of sexual selection, a component through which men developed characteristics such as larger body size and weaponry, so that males are commonly more aggressive than women. It would assert that aggression is embedded in the male gene.
The sociocultural perspective best explains the gender difference in aggression. In explaining this relationship, this theory would make a few assumptions. First it would assume that aggression is not genetically inherited. Secondly, it would overlook the idea that man can evolve to acquire certain characteristics such as aggression. Thirdly, it would assume that aggression can be trained and learnt.
The four social psychology perspectives can be used to explain gender differences in aggression. It is however not easy to choose one over another since they all have a basis for their arguments. The idea that men are more aggressive than women is also arguable.
