BETA MALES/ WORKING PAPER

Beta males are a term referring to all males that by temperament will generally be less aggressive than Alpha males. All of this is borrowed from evolutionary psychology and the likes of Steven Pinker and Helen Fischer. Evolutionary psychology is a form of psychology and sociology that sees that the fundamental reason for a species to exist is their ability to carry on to the next generation. Further, living creatures survive because they are continually adapting to changes in the environment.

Much of their work is based on the premise that hominids have a great deal in common.

Chimps, guerillas and related are strongly tied to Homo sapiens or humans.

However, humans have culture (share values and beliefs) that make them vary from apes.

Beta males are really part of a larger hierarchy of all humans and therefore will be discussed in that context. This essay is oversimplified and over generalizes because the author is trying to introduce this wing of sociology and psychology. Along with biochemical sociology, cell sociology, and structure functionalism, this field is the most biological of the social sciences. As this field is explained, I will progress through a number of topics of which Beta males is but one part.

HUMANS

According to the psychobiological or evolutionary pscyhological perspective, humans share a great deal with other hominids. The humans that survive write the history and generate new generations. People are selfish, but not entirely evil. We live in a Hobbesian world of dog eat dog, but culture and customs provide a strategy to improve human behavior. Religion is also a force to improve people. However, individuals can not be forced or manipulated to be good. The brains of people can contemplate and counter manipulate the social forces that are about them. Their brains are active and not blank. About a third of their behavior is genetic and the other part is learned. Folks are not naturally good, but have the potential to be good if it is in their self interest. Many humans live under authoritarian governments and nearly all have market societies. Democracy is a less authoritarian form of the few governing the many.

FEMALES

Females are in constant quest for resources for their young or other females. As the males fight, females network to create society. Nearly all social interaction weaves itself through the female networks. Males are sought for social resources. Males have short term strength and spend much of their time in isolation. They are likely to die earlier and take numerous risks of which the females avoid to see that the next generation survives. Females can move over into male roles and behavior if they have an education and birth control. In the global information society, females are now thought to be the best CEO’s and now are thoroughly represented in law and medicine. Women are smaller and therefore their behavior is coy to outsmart males.

MALES

Males begin to struggle for territory and access to females. They want to spread their sperm. Males will create customs and norms to control females. The most successful males will spread their genes and write history. There is a constant struggle among males and those on top spend the most time staying there and have the most sex and money.

Besides money, they may have power and prestige. Much of philosophy is based on males with an afterthought to females. Most of the philosophers have been male.

Evolutionary psychologists believe that Social Darwinism is the best explanation for survival thus only the most adaptable and strongest survive and rule. Life is a constant struggle.

However, more recently this field has had an emergence of Left Darwinians. They believe that it is the best interest of humans to help other humans within limits of the ruling groups self interest. Humans partially free and filled with ambition and intellect appear to create successful societies.

In the mean time, the power of women has been thoroughly overlooked; women control and succeed through indirect aggression and successful bonding with other females and sympathetic males. It becomes a common interest of the two sexes to moderate alpha males. The bonding also includes andrognists and gays.

ALPHA MALES

By birth, training, temperament, aggression, alpha males struggle to get to the top and stay there.

There is a constant interplay between the males that have most of everything and all others. Through force, cunning, and out right aggression they are able to stay on top.

They then create the consciousness of the others about what is good and right and why others should support them. A social construction of society emerges from the alliance of alpha males. Other males are under their control to carry out the work of society.

ALPHA FEMALES

Alpha females and females in general have been oddities in history. Without control of their bodies and with controls over them by force and rape, females have been in bondage for thousands of years. At least, that is what appears in history written by alphas or their minions.

Alpha females are extremely strong and have very aggressive personalities that strike fear in males and other females. Their sharp tongue and quick manipulation make them more equal than other females. Female social networks are not leaderless; alpha females run them indirectly so that it appears that there is a more supportive and cohesive bonding.

Countless alphas have worked their verbal ability and cunning to get part of the largess of the money, power, and privilege.

It is only become known recently, the power women played before women outwardly gained privilege, domination, and honor. The old adage that you don’t argue with these alphas is salient. They may temporarily lose, only to get more organized to struggle for another day.

BETA FEMALES

To succeed in survival, beta females work with and for the alpha females and males in general. Their most successful strategies are indirect aggression and bonding with other betas. There are numerous silent revolutions within organizations as women quietly and secretly make changes or enforce the current rules. Males in their struggles are oblivious to these changes. Females chase males and struggle over them for resources. Latest research in the states suggests that females are just as likely to be involved in extramarital affairs as are men. Females are also involved in numerous roles not before allowed.

Both alpha and beta females also make alliances with gays and straight beta males.

BETA MALES

Along with females and gays, beta males are the backbone of society. Beta males arrange strategies to survive by bonding with other beta males. In so many ways, betas play similar roles as females and in prison settings; they must provide sex for alpha males.

They can live in constant inner psychic turmoil as they work to please the alphas and struggle/co-operate with others. Alphas are outwardly hostile; betas keep their calm or have to keep their calm to survive. They will suffer during their life time numerous indignities and humiliation and not show outward emotion. By bonding with non-alphas they are able to survive.

Numerous betas are likely to be in salaried positions and even in middle management. Their major strength is internal and their ability to manipulate others non-aggressively, but assertively is the essence of their existence.

Alpha males and females are likely to climb to the top or end up in prison industries.

This is less likely for the betas of both sexes.

HUMAN SOCIETIES

According to this perspective, human societies prevail and are similar to other hominids.

However, humans also have language and learning is roughly half of human behavior.

To this school, progress theory is now null and void. The human condition will continue on. However, some technology and medicine may make life less painful.  Letting strategies that allow folks to accidentally enjoy themselves and others makes life more enjoyable.

Religion provides a sense that a person is now in existence for a reason and that life’s struggles becomes life’s lessons to salvation or a better incarnation.