Biosociology of dominance and deference /

For humans, as social animals, understanding dominance and deference in relationships is critically important. In this study, Mazur (sociology, Syracuse Univ.) "seeks a middle road, avoiding the strong genetic and selectionist assumptions of classical ethology and sociobiology, while rejecting as well the biologically immaculate view of contemporary sociology." He does not seek in vain. As a biologist (albeit one interested in psychology), this reviewer was prepared to be disappointed by a simplistic portrayal of genetic and physiological principles but instead found himself thoroughly impressed by Mazur's succinct summaries of relevant materials. Mazur's overview of the broad evolutionary context of dominance and deference and his account of primate phylogeny and associated behavioral trends are especially well done, and his discussion of his own facial-dominance studies and his speculations regarding rank allocation are intriguing. But perhaps most compelling, in contemporary context, is Mazur's appendix on stress-induced coalitions. The explicit and testable hypotheses presented here are a model of scientific inquiry. This is a wonderfully stimulating and accessible read, but reader beware: it will make you want to go out and rent Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. ^BSumming Up: Essential. All readers; all collections. D. P. Siems Bemidji State University