Essay on aggression in today’s society
To deal with the issue of aggression it has to be stated that aggression covers a wide range of behaviour.
First aggression is seen in the instinctiv behaviour of apes which already had three fundamental forms of aggression. A rigidly established hierarchy was modified when the ape became a hunter which means he had a fixed territory and a milder hierarchy as a conclusion to that.
Within the system each male defended his own home inside the general base.
The apes expressed aggression by defending their hierarchy and their territory , the leader defended his dominion. Even if this pattern of aggression is evoluntionarily determined it can be referred to today’s society. Concerning the ape society in which the origin of aggression can be found today the forms of aggression have multiplied.
In many cases it has got a negative connotation being defined as showing for instance anger, frustration, violence or brutality in a coexistential relatioship, one can also say it is an aspiration to power, as Alfred Adler said.
As an example to show the variety of this field one can mention Freud’s theory.
Freud related aggression to the death instinct which is inherent in the individual.
In his opinion it is a result of the id which consists of unconscious instincts and drives.
Verbal and physical signs of aggression are yelling at others or beating others.
In our society it is not impressive to live it up and to show one`s feelings in this way.
To act like this is a sign of a lack of self-control, impatience and inadequate mutual tolerance. Only friendly and polite behaviour is appreciated, to act in an aggressive way is definitely Rejected. Thus the individual’s instinct of aggression is suppressed and the individual has To learn to hide aggressive behaviour.
It is a paradox that all forms of aggression are shown in media, such as on TV , in Videogames, in books , even in parts of rock music and in special types of sports.
Aggression has become a means to entertain people. It is a fact that newspapers which Inform people of sensational reports, especially of violence, have the highest circulation.
This gives rise to reflect on a new topic, which is the ambivalence of aggression.
On the one hand people are faced with it on TV every day but on the other hand society forces Them to hide it.
It is also interesting to have a closer look at the individual and the way it shows aggression To see what the basis of aggression is.
As mentioned before aggression and rage are not accepted in nowadays‘ society.
One theory of psychologists is that an aggressive person consequently has to apologize for Behaving in this way. In a quarrel this Person could say it was very vivacious or impetuous and this special form of aggression was in this way Part of his or her character. This is a self-deception because it has to be seen as a weakness and a fear.
It is the result of a wrong upbringing as a child, characterized by surpression and a lack of Understanding. As a consequence he or she imitates the aggressive traits to suppress others in a despotic way and to hide fear and to Assert him-herself in everyday life.
In order to pinpoint one can say that this special pattern is a very defensive and hostile view of life and can Result in isolation from society.
Not only the rejection of it, the fact that it is shown in media and a basic fear as a Result of wrong education trigger off aggression.
A very important contribution to this is a continously widening clash in society.
Consequences o this are increasing social injustices. Especially Poorer people are concerned being faced with the riches of others.
This can lead to inferior feelings, resignation and, in extremer forms, to aggression as a Response to frustration. In many cases values like confidence, an inner balance and Friendship don’t exist anymore. An example of this which is very up-to-date is The discrimation against minorities being also a result of aggression. The Church once was an institution to bring people together but our pluralistic society With a variety of religions doesn’t support a community of this kind anymore.
In this wide spectrum there aggression can also be seen having a positive connotation. As Anthony Storr says it is only a response to frustration but it can be the basis Of intellectual achievement, of the attainment of independence and of proper pride.
When a little children rebels against his mother this indicated a striving for independence In my opinion this only another interpretation of the main heading aggression.
On the one hand it is good to enrich oneself by aggression but on the other hand This behaviour restricts and damages others.
A very positive form of aggression is to use it in a quarrel in a constructive Way instead of in a destructive , for instance by talking to each others instead of By yelling at each others.
As a conclusion one can say that it will be very difficult to completely eliminate aggression from media. Many children watch TV several hours per day and it is necessary that parents select the
Programs carefully according to the age of the children It is also utmost important that people lear how to cope with aggression and don`t have to hide it, but use it in a positive way which could help to bring people together.
Preguntas frecuentes
¿De qué trata el ensayo "Essay on aggression in today’s society"?
El ensayo explora la naturaleza de la agresión en la sociedad actual, examinando sus orígenes instintivos, sus diversas manifestaciones (tanto negativas como positivas), y su relación con factores sociales, psicológicos y culturales.
¿Cómo define el ensayo la agresión?
El ensayo define la agresión como un amplio rango de comportamiento, desde los instintos primarios de los simios hasta expresiones más complejas como la ira, la frustración, la violencia y la búsqueda de poder. También incluye la defensa del territorio y la jerarquía.
¿Cómo relaciona el ensayo el comportamiento agresivo de los simios con la sociedad actual?
El ensayo sugiere que los patrones de agresión observados en las sociedades de simios, como la defensa del territorio y la jerarquía, tienen ecos en la sociedad humana contemporánea, aunque las formas de agresión se han multiplicado y diversificado.
¿Cómo aborda el ensayo la relación entre la agresión y los medios de comunicación?
El ensayo destaca la paradoja de que la sociedad reprime la expresión directa de la agresión, pero al mismo tiempo, los medios de comunicación (TV, videojuegos, libros, música, deportes) la utilizan como forma de entretenimiento. Se menciona que los periódicos con informes sensacionalistas sobre violencia tienen la mayor circulación.
¿Qué dice el ensayo sobre las causas psicológicas de la agresión?
El ensayo explora la idea de que la agresión puede ser el resultado de una educación represiva y una falta de comprensión durante la infancia. Esto puede llevar a que un individuo imite rasgos agresivos para ocultar el miedo y afirmarse, lo que resulta en una visión defensiva y hostil de la vida y, potencialmente, aislamiento social.
¿Cómo influyen las injusticias sociales en la agresión, según el ensayo?
El ensayo argumenta que la creciente desigualdad social, especialmente la disparidad entre ricos y pobres, puede generar sentimientos de inferioridad, resignación y, en casos extremos, agresión como respuesta a la frustración. La discriminación contra las minorías también se presenta como un resultado de la agresión.
¿Existe alguna connotación positiva de la agresión en el ensayo?
Sí, el ensayo reconoce que la agresión, según Anthony Storr, no solo es una respuesta a la frustración, sino también la base del logro intelectual, la independencia y el orgullo legítimo. Se menciona la rebelión de un niño contra su madre como una manifestación de la búsqueda de independencia.
¿Cómo se puede utilizar la agresión de manera constructiva, según el ensayo?
El ensayo sugiere que una forma positiva de utilizar la agresión es en una discusión constructiva en lugar de destructiva, por ejemplo, hablando en lugar de gritarse.
¿Qué soluciones propone el ensayo para abordar el problema de la agresión en la sociedad?
El ensayo propone que los padres seleccionen cuidadosamente los programas de televisión para sus hijos según su edad y que las personas aprendan a lidiar con la agresión de manera positiva. También sugiere cursos para padres que tienen dificultades para manejar la agresión, para que puedan criar a sus hijos de una manera mejor.
- Quote paper
- Timm Seng (Author), 2000, Aggression in society, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/102878
