12/25/2023 0 Comments Alpha omega beta orderThen there are packs consisting entirely of Alphas, which confuses the issue even further… It’s also been used in plenty of werewolf media, like the 2014 film Wolves where Jason Mamoa plays a typically brutal and controlling “Alpha.” In the MTV series version of Teen Wolf, the designations are used but are a little more confused, with Alphas and Betas existing in a pack structure (complete with Alphas being typically depicted as controlling and violent, and also blessed with additional physical attributes that make them more powerful), but Omega is a term used for werewolves who don’t have a pack at all. The paranormal romance genre has developed its own little sub-tropes around the framework of Alphas, Betas, and Omegas in werewolf packs, so they’re not always drawing directly on these terms as they’ve been applied to wolf packs, but it’s definitely still one of the most common versions you’ll see of werewolf society depicted in fiction. It’s probably best not to look to Teen Wolf as a good example of effective worldbuilding. Alphas have red eyes, Betas have yellow eyes, and there’s a weird thing about blue eyes meaning you’ve killed an innocent. Teen Wolf’s werewolves also have helpfully color-coordinated eyes. This idea of social structure has become incredibly popular and almost ubiquitous among authors writing werewolf groups, as well. In the paranormal romance genre in particular, there are a lot of Alpha werewolves who are powerful, virile, charismatic figures who are irresistible when they’re in pursuit of their “mates.” (There are a lot of problems with how these particular romance tropes are applied - such as the fact that the Alphas in these stories are almost always single males in pursuit of women whose behavior is often framed as romantic when it ought to be downright scary - but maybe we’ll save that for a future post, so I don’t hit you with too many rants at once.) The idea is that the Alphas are the most dominant, powerful individuals that the Betas are their subordinates, like lieutenants and the “Omega” is the lowest-ranking wolf, the pack punching bag, who is submissive to everyone else and whose job is to take their abuse, and also to cajole the pack into play. Societal conditioning and a rational mind don't completely outweigh millions of years of evolution.Alpha, Beta, and Omega, particularly in the context of wolves, are early scientific descriptions of social status or rank. If it seems animalistic, it's because it is due to the fact that we're ultimately animals. ![]() Moreover, this is a simplification of male roles in our species based solely off of how the females of our species view them rather than them as actual people. This is just a generalization of human behavior one which can also be observed in chimpanzees, our closest genetic relatives. Some women don't prioritize physical attraction at all, and some really do only have sex with and children with their reliable mate. So, in short, there is validity to the alpha/beta dichotomy that you'll often see mentioned online, but you're also right that things aren't that simple. They may raise her kids she brought with, may breed with the beta, or, in an unknown number of cases, will commit paternity fraud and force the man to raise another, more appealing man's children that she conceived in secret. She will then settle for a less appealing, but more reliable man (the beta) to have a family unit with. They will largely ignore less appealing men until they are older and have either had children with a more appealing man, or desire to have children. This has been an easily observable phenomenon since the sexual liberation, since women will prioritize sex ("breeding", even if no actual children result due to birth control) with more appealing men. Breed with the alpha, and have the beta provide for and protect her and the children. Now, evolutionarily, women would shoot for the best of both worlds. In exchange, she will have sex with him and there will be the possibility of him also getting some children from the association. He will be the provider and protector of the women and the children. Thus, it is also in the he woman's best interests to find a man that is less physically appealing, but much more likely to commit (the beta) due to his limited options. However, that man is likely to have many women willing to breed with them, and will be unlikely to commit to providing for and protecting this woman. ![]() Women want to breed with the most physically attractive man (the "alpha") they can so they can have healthy babies. It'd be much more accurate to describe it as breeder/provider dichotomy from an evolutionary point of view. ![]() It's pretty accurate, though you're mistaking it for a wolf parallel when it is not.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |