Reproduction Lecture

      I found the lecture on reproduction to be very interesting and informative. Many ideas presented in the lecture, including mate value was very fascinating to me. I think it is common for people to either underestimate or overestimate the value of specific traits when looking for a mate. Despite the fact that some characteristics are more favorable than others, I think it is important to recognize that there are many aspects that come into play when selecting a mate. Prior to viewing this lecture, I did not realize the innate characteristics that people look for when selecting a mate. For instance, I learned that women often look for mates who have financial security and are ambitious, while men tend to look for mate based upon attractiveness. This is due to the fact that women generally pick mates that take into account the optimal chance of survival for their offspring and men look for mates in order to produce more offspring.

     I was also very interested by the Structural powerless hypothesis that suggested that the reason that women look for financial stability is the fact that they have less economic opportunity. However, I wonder if as equal opportunities between men and women increase, that idea will stay the same. In a link provided in the lecture entitled “Beauty Check,” it presents the notion that what is considered a beautiful figure for women has changed over time. It uses the example that being over-weight at one point was considered a status symbol. Thus, the more over-weight you were, the richer you were perceived to be since only the rich could afford to eat well. Nevertheless, in modern times in developed countries at-least, the case is the exact opposite as poorer people tend to eat more fast food which is linked to obesity. I found this information to be very significant especially when comparing it to the structural powerless hypothesis because I believe it suggests that some aspects of mate selection can be subject to change based upon societal conditions and the time period.