"The Caveman Mystique" - A Review Book Review by Nicky
"The Caveman Mystique" - A Review
Analysis of Martha McCaughey's book "The Caveman mystique: Pop- Darwinism and the Debates over Sex, Violence, and Science."
# 146741
| 1,437 words
| 1 source
| APA
| 2011
| 
Published
on Jan 14, 2011
in
African-American Studies
(Racism)
, Anthropology
(General)
, Sociology
(General)
, Women Studies
(Women and Society)
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Description:
This paper reviews and analyzes several key concepts as presented in Martha McCaughey's book "The Caveman mystique: Pop- Darwinism and the Debates over Sex, Violence, and Science." In particular, the paper examines McCaughey's views on social Darwinism and how easily they can justify pre-existing gender norms, such as men being aggressive and women being passive. Additionally, by placing Darwinism in its historical context, McCaughey shows how evolutionary theory can be twisted to 'prove' any prejudice the individual might possess. The paper concludes by stating that after reading this book, one can see how science can be used and misused to justify racial and gender-based prejudices.
From the Paper:
"The most notable example of this phenomenon is Social Darwinism, which suggests a 'struggle for the fittest' determines what races would survive and which will be dominated by other races. Darwinism has also been used to justify pre-existing gender norms through the 'caveman mystique' which perpetuates the notion that evolution proves that men are innately aggressive, because natural selection determines that such men will survive and propagate their offspring--even through violent sexual means. This theory also suggests that women are chosen by aggressive men, not because they are strong but because they are sensual and passive. Evolutionary selection demonstrates that women must be valued based upon their hip to waist ratio rather than their IQ, and there is nothing any of us can do about this."Sample of Sources Used:
- McCaughey, Martha. (2008). The caveman mystique: Pop- Darwinism and the debates over sex, violence, and science. New York and London: Routledge.
Cite this Book Review:
APA Format
"The Caveman Mystique" - A Review (2011, January 14)
Retrieved November 28, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/book-review/the-caveman-mystique-a-review-146741/
MLA Format
""The Caveman Mystique" - A Review" 14 January 2011.
Web. 28 November. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/book-review/the-caveman-mystique-a-review-146741/>