Male Violence: A Sociological Analysis

Contemporary theories in the fields of biology, sociology, and individually specific theories indicate that the association between sex and assault victimisation is highly complex. Several different theories seek to explain this phenomenon each with their own unique variations. Of these, a highly prominent and respected perspective on male violence is explored through the evolutionary theory. This is a biological theory explaining male aggression (and thus the inclination to violence) as a genetic predisposition created through the evolutionary processes of natural selection and struggle for survival. The theory states male aggression can be explained by the increased physicality and aggressiveness once needed by ancestors to gain resources,

This is a sociological theory, famously explored by Messerschmidt in 1993, states that men with high masculinity are prone to violent altercations. The masculine male gender role promotes the stereotypical characteristics of physical strength, ‘toughness’, aggressiveness, dominance and the willingness to resort to violence to resolve conflict. This identity is socially constructed within society and learned through a socialisation process that represents the ideologies of masculinity. Unknowingly, this encourages males, from an early age, to be violent in order to be seen as a ‘man.’ Men are taught from a young age, as stated by Sutherland, to be “rough and tough”, suggesting violence is natural and acceptable form of behaviour in men. The characteristics of the masculine gender, when accepted by society, provide that the only way for a man to appropriately display his gender is to embody these qualities. The masculine identity is not what one is but essentially what one does. Therefore, the assertion of masculinity occurs through behaviour, whether criminal or legal. The use of criminal masculine assertion often arises through situations that threaten or question a man’s masculinity. This means, if legal means are not available, alternative, criminal resources will be used to accomplish masculine gender. The masculinity theory

Firstly, both theories are strongly supported and evidenced by statistics, from both the recent and distant past conferring credibility for their arguments. In addition, both theories apply to all demographics within society, that is, there are no documented discrepancies with age, socioeconomic class or ethnicity. A factor distinguishing the evolutionary theory from the masculinity theory is the field of study in which the theory is derived from. The evolutionary theory involves biological perspective whilst the masculinity theory takes a sociological standpoint. As a strength, both the masculinity and the evolutionary theory provide an explanation to fully understand the association between the male sex and violence. However, the masculinity theory accounts for, more comprehensibly, the phenomenon of men assaulting other men and provides an explanation for why some males may offend whilst others do not. In contrast, the evolutionary theory raises the issue of why some men offend and others do not, if biologically, all males, due to evolution are pathologically violent. Evidence of evolutionary processes and their outcomes have long been documented and evidenced, and as a result, the evolutionary theory, especially the aspects of male anatomy, are science-based. Masculinity theory,