Summary Of The Myth Of The Alpha Male By Scott Barry Kaufman

“The Myth of the Alpha Male” by Scott Barry Kaufman highlights the historical distinction between the two types of men, ‘alpha’ and ‘beta,’ in order to debunk the ‘persistent myth’ between these dichotomies. Kaufman draws attentions to males and the male societal expectations in a way that challenges the male stereotypes in order to develop a commentary on the cultural paradigm and introduce the concept of the prestigious male. In this piece, Kaufman presents drastic ideas, challenging the two categories of perceived males, ‘alpha’ and ‘beta.’ This is done in order to draw attention to the societal expectations of males and highlight the stereotypes of males. One way in which Kaufman does this is through his presentation of the role of masculinity.

WIthin the cultural paradigm there is a fascination with alpha males. This cultural fascination leads to the imposition of stereotypes on males despite the fact that this may ‘grossly underestimate’ a man. The acknowledgement of this cultural paradigm is essential as the paradigm dictates the ‘sexual attractiveness of the dominant male over the submissive beta male’ despite the combination of kindness, a characteristic of the beta male, and assertiveness, a characteristic of the dominant male, maybe the ‘most attractive pairing.’ While the cultural paradigm is obsessed with the alpha male at the same time there is a degradation of beta males. These males are portrayed as undesirable since, ‘no woman wanted a submissive male,’ they are viewed as ‘guys who are low status.’ This cultural paradigm leads to the elevation of some males while the marginalization of others. This cultural paradigm has a negative impact through the implementation of the two types of males because there is a failure to ‘embrace a much more multidimensional concept of masculinity’ which is detrimental to men. The traditional stereotypes of alpha and beta are ‘misleading to men’ and are not ‘conducive to attracting and sustaining healthy and enjoyable relationships with women, or finding success in other areas of life.’ There is the regrettable loss of ‘the most attractive male’ who is a ‘blend of characteristics’ which is the ‘most attractive pairing.’ Thus, the cultural paradigm has a negative influence on society and is detrimental to