There is always a lot of confusion and negative reaction when I discuss female intrasexual competition with lay people, especially women. Many feel the "female" is unnecessary and sexist or that it reduces all female disagreement down to the fight for mates. When I try to explain that the "sex" in intrasexual is a noun not a verb this rarely helps. There seems to be a taboo to even discussing female competition - even just admitting it exists. Women generally view it as negative even though competition can be healthy and is essential for cooperation. Understanding the mechanisms and anatomy of fic will also help women and girls by enabling us to target female bullying in schools and other institutions, where at the moment it flies under the radar.
I've been reading some research lately which differentiates FIC with female social competition (fsc) and discusses the pros and cons of using the different terms: fic for competition for mates and fsc for social competition. I'm not sure I see the utility as both are competition for fitness enhancing resources - BUT I also see substantial resistance by women in even discussing FIC at all.
Thanks
Paula
I do not have much to contribute, but I support the idea of honestly and scientifically dissecting the biologic-psychologic-social feelings and forces which guide not only human behavior in good and bad, but guide also the way how every child develops psychologically and socially.
I am in favor of the model Homo sapiens socialis or sovieticus, which means that human nature is not that what we see now.
But it evolves to better in the absence of poverty, wars, bullying in schools etc etc.
And not only naturally, but also by the help of human sciences which find more and more details and mechanisms which can direct humans to evolve to better or worse and offer models of intervention to be tested scientifically.
FIC versus FSC seems a valid scientific concept.
You can promote it by Your fellow female researchers that even if the major social problems like wars are more attributable to men's animal level behavior, there is no reason to why not to do research also on girls' very basic feelings and its role for training better educators and parents.
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