Evolution, Gender, and Rape

by Cheryl Brown Travis (Editor)

Multidisciplinary critiques of the notion of rape as an evolutionary adaptation. Are women and men biologically destined to be in perpetual conflict? Does evolutionary genetics adequately explain sexual aggression? Such questions have been much debated in both the media and academia. In particular, the notion that rape is an evolutionary adaptation, put forth by Randy Thornhill and Craig T. Palmer in their book A Natural History of Rap e (MIT Press, 2000), vaulted the debate into national prominence. This book assesses Thornhill and Palmer's ideas, as well as the critical responses to their work. Drawing on theory and data from anthropology, behavioral ecology, evolutionary biology, primatology, psychology, and sociology, the essays explain the flaws and limitations of a strictly biological model of rape. They argue that traditionally stereotyped gender roles are grounded more in culture than in differing biological reproductive roles.The book is divided into three parts. The first part, "Evolutionary Models and Gender," addresses broad theoretical and methodological issues of evolutionary theory and sociobiology. Part 2, "Critiquing Evolutionary Models of Rape," addresses specific propositions of Thornhill and Palmer, making explicit their unexamined assumptions and challenging the scientific bases for their conclusions. It also considers other studies on biological gender differences. Part 3, "Integrative Cultural Models of Gender and Rape," offers alternative models of rape, which incorporate psychology and cultural systems, as well as a broader interpretation of evolutionary theory.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Feminism, Sexuality, Gender, Evolution, Anthropology

472 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2003

Reviews

[J. Z. Kelley]

The authors set out to prove that rape is not an effective evolutionary strategy and suggest a number of alternative reasons for the global and historic prevalence of sexual assault. They suggest that those who posit rape as a method for increasing viable offspring fail to understand the true nature of rape. However, the essays in Evolution, Gender, and Rape suffer from a similar weakness: In assuming that the only way for rape to be an effective evolutionary strategy is for the victim to birth and care for the perpetrator's offspring, the authors fail to grapple with the very explanation of rape that they themselves posit--that is, that rape is a way of asserting power and dominance.

Some of the essays are insightful in their own way, but overall I found the book to be oversimplified, unevenly written, and ineffective. Disappointing.

[Emtiaj · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Evolution, Gender, and Rape anthropologists, evolutionary biologists, ecologists, philosophers, primatologists, psychologists, sociologists, and women’s studies scholars respond to Randy Thornhill and Craig Palmer’s book, A Natural History of Rape: Biological Bases of Sexual Coercion, published in 2000.

এই বইটা ঐ বইয়েরই সমালোচনামূলক বই। সহজ কথায় ঐ বইয়ে ধর্ষণকে জাস্টিফাই করা হয়েছে, বিজ্ঞানের চেয়ে অপবিজ্ঞান বেশি আছে ওটায়। পড়ার তালিকায় ছিল, কিন্তু খুব শীঘ্রই পড়ার ইচ্ছে আর নেই।

[Lau Lau · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent response to Palmer and Thornhill's book, and also to evolutionary psychology more generally (more or less by implication, since Palmer and Thornhill's book is an example of a problematic theory within this field).

La psychologie évolutionniste présente des thèses qui peuvent être erronées ou du moins contestables. Elle ne peut pas entièrement expliquer les causes de tous nos rapports et problèmes interpersonnels sans tomber dans des erreurs de raisonnement ou dans des thèses aux implications problématiques, tant d’un point de vue féministe et philosophique que scientifique, et que c’est pour cette raison que, bien que la place du féminisme et de la philosophie soit remise en question dans ces discussions il est au contraire nécessaire que ces points de vues, féministe, philosophique et scientifique coopèrent afin de permettre aux connaissances scientifiques d’évoluer dans un cadre éthique et socialement responsable. Comme l'expriment très justement Ethel Tobach et Rachel Reed,

Il n'y a pas de contradiction entre être féministe et scientifique. Le meilleur scientifique est socialement et scientifiquement responsable du travail effectué au nom de la science. Être socialement responsable engage le scientifique à prendre conscience de l'équité pour tous les humains.