“Outline and evaluate evolutionary explanations of
gender roles”
A01 –
DIVISION OF LABOUR
Traditionally men = hunter and females = domesticated
This role division may have occurred because women would have spent
most of their adult life either pregnant or producing milk – if a woman was
to hunt instead this would reduce the groups reproductive success
Women could contribute to providing food by growing veg, milling grain
etc. – this complementary division of labour enhances reproductive
success and avoids starvation
MATING CHOICE
Men look for partners who are physically attractive, women are
additionally interested in the resources a partner may provide
Evolutionary explanation for this is to maximise reproductive success
Males select young females because they are more fertile and healthy
Females also seek signs of fertility and health in their partner but are more
concerned that they can provide resources
COGNITIVE STYLE
E-S Theory
Research shows women are better at empathising, men are better at
systematising
May be result of selection pressure for males (who develop better hunting
strategies) and females (who are focused on rearing children)
Tend and Befriend
Women may also be more focused on interpersonal concerns
(relationships between people) – may be result of different challenges
faced by men and women when dealing with stress in the EEA
(environment of evolutionary adaption)
Women are more likely to ‘tend and befriend’ in times of stress whereas
men are more likely to become defensive
A02 –
RESEARCH 1 – Waynforth and Dunbar
POINT – provides support for evolutionary explanations of gender roles
EVIDENCE – used personal adverts to assess what men and women were
seeking and what they were advertising. Found 44% of males sought physically
attractive partners compared with 22% of women (half). 50% of women offered
attractiveness whereas only 34% of males did.
EXPLAIN – supports the mate choice aspect of evolutionary explanations of
gender roles because it shows how there are different characteristics that
different gender look for
EVALUATE – strength – used real adverts – high mundane realism and ecological
validity – strengthens research support
gender roles”
A01 –
DIVISION OF LABOUR
Traditionally men = hunter and females = domesticated
This role division may have occurred because women would have spent
most of their adult life either pregnant or producing milk – if a woman was
to hunt instead this would reduce the groups reproductive success
Women could contribute to providing food by growing veg, milling grain
etc. – this complementary division of labour enhances reproductive
success and avoids starvation
MATING CHOICE
Men look for partners who are physically attractive, women are
additionally interested in the resources a partner may provide
Evolutionary explanation for this is to maximise reproductive success
Males select young females because they are more fertile and healthy
Females also seek signs of fertility and health in their partner but are more
concerned that they can provide resources
COGNITIVE STYLE
E-S Theory
Research shows women are better at empathising, men are better at
systematising
May be result of selection pressure for males (who develop better hunting
strategies) and females (who are focused on rearing children)
Tend and Befriend
Women may also be more focused on interpersonal concerns
(relationships between people) – may be result of different challenges
faced by men and women when dealing with stress in the EEA
(environment of evolutionary adaption)
Women are more likely to ‘tend and befriend’ in times of stress whereas
men are more likely to become defensive
A02 –
RESEARCH 1 – Waynforth and Dunbar
POINT – provides support for evolutionary explanations of gender roles
EVIDENCE – used personal adverts to assess what men and women were
seeking and what they were advertising. Found 44% of males sought physically
attractive partners compared with 22% of women (half). 50% of women offered
attractiveness whereas only 34% of males did.
EXPLAIN – supports the mate choice aspect of evolutionary explanations of
gender roles because it shows how there are different characteristics that
different gender look for
EVALUATE – strength – used real adverts – high mundane realism and ecological
validity – strengthens research support
