Two responses to power
I am a member of the Zoo New England Advisory Council. The reason I am committed to supporting Zoo New England and other zoos because I love animals and have spent some of the happiest days of my life walking though zoos with my husband, Bruce. Zoos are wonderful parks, a great place for families to learn together, and a destination that transcends class. People of all ages and economic levels can enjoy and learn from observing animals.
Friday afternoon, May 27, I toured Franklin Park Zoo with John Linehan, Zoo New England president, and three other Advisory Council members. The purpose of our zoo "walkabout" was to enhance team spirit among Advisory Council members and to identify projects we could adopt or transform.
As we passed an exhibit of a family (mother, father and baby) of large apes, John Linehan commented that the male member of this family usually exhibits aggressive behavior when he sees John. I was curious to learn more details. John's theory was that the family's "father" is an Alpha male and he can tell that John, as senior executive of the zoo, is also an Alpha male. I asked how he could know this, and John said he assumed that it must have something to do with body language.
At this point, Sari, one of the other Advisory Council members said to John "I'll never forget the day we were touring the zoo, and the female ape acted so seductively towards you".
It was one of those light-bulb-going-off, "aha" glimpses of insight. Could it be that at a core, primal, subliminal level, one male instinctive response to male power- Alpha males - is aggression and one female response to Alpha males is seduction? If this hypothesis is true, is it possible that "civilized" men and women exhibit these aggressive and seductive responses in very subtle ways, through body language, eye contact or eye pupil dilation or changes in body odor?
If there is any validity these gender-specific-response-to-power theory, aggression maintains the power and independence of the bigger, stronger male, and seductive behavior potentially creates an opening or invitation for two to continue exploring connection.
Friday afternoon, May 27, I toured Franklin Park Zoo with John Linehan, Zoo New England president, and three other Advisory Council members. The purpose of our zoo "walkabout" was to enhance team spirit among Advisory Council members and to identify projects we could adopt or transform.
As we passed an exhibit of a family (mother, father and baby) of large apes, John Linehan commented that the male member of this family usually exhibits aggressive behavior when he sees John. I was curious to learn more details. John's theory was that the family's "father" is an Alpha male and he can tell that John, as senior executive of the zoo, is also an Alpha male. I asked how he could know this, and John said he assumed that it must have something to do with body language.
At this point, Sari, one of the other Advisory Council members said to John "I'll never forget the day we were touring the zoo, and the female ape acted so seductively towards you".
It was one of those light-bulb-going-off, "aha" glimpses of insight. Could it be that at a core, primal, subliminal level, one male instinctive response to male power- Alpha males - is aggression and one female response to Alpha males is seduction? If this hypothesis is true, is it possible that "civilized" men and women exhibit these aggressive and seductive responses in very subtle ways, through body language, eye contact or eye pupil dilation or changes in body odor?
If there is any validity these gender-specific-response-to-power theory, aggression maintains the power and independence of the bigger, stronger male, and seductive behavior potentially creates an opening or invitation for two to continue exploring connection.
posted by Donna Denio at 6:05 PM
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