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==Criticism== | ==Criticism== | ||
[[File:Erh.jpg|thumb | [[File:Erh.jpg|thumb]] | ||
There have been various criticisms of an overall dominance hierarchy in humans, with critics saying applying such animalistic concepts to humans is pseudo-science.<ref>https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0165025407084054</ref> | |||
However, while there is nothing pseudo-scientific or non-obvious about the fact that men differ in their social, romantic and material success, critics say that the platonic ideal of an 'alpha' is dubious due to the sheer number of social domains in which humans can or do engage in their lives, unlike less intelligent animals. For example, a D&D champ may be the alpha in a board game shop, but not in the lacrosse field. Critics may have a hard time denying, however, that there exist people who exert control over entire populations, as well as those who are submissive to nearly everyone, due to their social status. Critics often point to these positions as temporary [[Social constructionism|social constructions]], and not as fixed as dominance hierarchy theorists often imply | |||
===Adam Conover=== | |||
U.S. comedian and TV host [[Adam Conover]] famously claimed "alpha males do not exist" and insinuated that the notion of an alpha male wasn't referenced in academia.<ref>''Adam Ruins Everything - Alpha Males Do Not Exist | truTV.'' 953,882 views (as of Fri 25 2019), Aug 4, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ti86veZBjU</ref> | |||
The term "alpha" is indeed used sporadically in academia to genuinely describe humans, not just non-human animals.<ref>https://www.academia.edu/14471033/Reproductive_strategies_and_relationship_preferences_associated_with_prestigious_and_dominant_men</ref><ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0003347277900148</ref><ref>https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychiatric-bulletin/article/disorders-of-mental-handicap-institutions/C3CF1EA30CCCB729332110B44218F1EB</ref><ref>https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10818-012-9140-6</ref><ref>https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-04852-038</ref><ref>https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=pMwk3haZhioC&oi=fnd&pg=PA375&dq=%22alpha+male%22+human&ots=SrKjMFBExF&sig=6tZfzkttgDXS6ccZa_7_bRnrAKM#v=onepage&q=%22alpha%20male%22%20&f=false</ref><ref>http://www.successfulexecutive.com.au/files/r0405c-pdf-eng.pdf</ref><ref>https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1097184X07313357</ref><ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886907000955</ref> | |||
High-ranking males, such as kings or other leaders have been considered as alpha males in academic publications,<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Denise_Cummins/publication/228380735_Dominance_status_and_social_hierarchies/links/0c9605272d5c4810c5000000/Dominance-status-and-social-hierarchies.pdf</ref> | High-ranking males, such as kings or other leaders have been considered as alpha males in academic publications,<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Denise_Cummins/publication/228380735_Dominance_status_and_social_hierarchies/links/0c9605272d5c4810c5000000/Dominance-status-and-social-hierarchies.pdf</ref> | ||
as well as males with high sexual success.<ref>https://www.academia.edu/14471033/Reproductive_strategies_and_relationship_preferences_associated_with_prestigious_and_dominant_men</ref> | as well as males with high sexual success.<ref>https://www.academia.edu/14471033/Reproductive_strategies_and_relationship_preferences_associated_with_prestigious_and_dominant_men</ref> | ||
Sometimes ''alpha traits'' refer to traits associated with human male sexual success such as masculinity and extroversion.<ref>https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/697086v1.abstract</ref> | Sometimes ''alpha traits'' refer to traits associated with human male sexual success such as masculinity and extroversion.<ref>https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/697086v1.abstract</ref> | ||
==="Alpha wolf" retraction=== | |||
While the notion of a human alpha male is grounded in a sporadic amount of academia, the concept is much more rooted in [[PUA]] figures such as [[RooshV]] and [[Vox Day]], making it dubious to those who think [[PUA]]s are wrong. Critics of dominance hierarchy theory in humans point usually point to the person who coined the term, "Alpha", scientist David Mech, who said that his initial framing of an, "alpha wolf", was inaccurate due to further research and analysis.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20151023133410/http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2014/sep/24/my-bad-alpha-wolf-term-outmoded/</ref> David insists that "alpha wolves" didn't actually become alpha through male competition, but instead through non-competitive mating, and using their offspring as social currency and social support instead of 'male subordinates born from mating competition".<ref>Scientist David Mech addresses readers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNtFgdwTsbU</ref> | |||
===Incel criticism=== | |||
Some have argued that the Alpha/Beta/Omega hierarchy is illegitimate, in that it bases sexual success too much upon behavior and status instead of looks. [[Lookism]] theorists suggest using the Slayer/Incel hierarchy instead. Still the terminology could as well be used for social hierarchies that are primarily based on looks. | Some have argued that the Alpha/Beta/Omega hierarchy is illegitimate, in that it bases sexual success too much upon behavior and status instead of looks. [[Lookism]] theorists suggest using the Slayer/Incel hierarchy instead. Still the terminology could as well be used for social hierarchies that are primarily based on looks. | ||