Group Aggression Essay Research Paper What happens

Group Aggression Essay, Research Paper

What happens when people come together and express emotions of aggression as gangs or groups? Items such as plays, magazine articles and scientific journals all suggest that each individual s emotions of aggression are increased and this ultimately leads to a dramatic exhibition of aggressive emotions. In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, characters such as Mercutio and Tybalt are undoubtfully devoted to honoring their family s name, and are not hesitant in using violence to do so. This particular devotion is also seen in the article in the Bulletin titled Bondi, Beirut and the big lie published on page 30 where young Lebanese gangs are being blamed for a series of attacks and brawls. Also, with the age of technology advancing, scientists such as Konrad Lorenz are now able to prove the connection between intense aggression and groups of people, through particular experiments such as that of the rats.

When Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet four hundred years ago, he gave no or little consideration to the future. However, what he did not realize was that the aggressive attacks displayed by the Montague s and the Capulets in the seventeenth century would span generations, to encompass youths of the contemporary worlds and their behaviours. As Tybalt, a violently fierce character, said to Mercutio what, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. (Act I scene I) Tybalt s own aggression fuelled the aggression of the whole Capulet family, which resulted in various outbreaks of violence. Therefore, it is obvious to see how one character s aggression can encourage others to become aggressive also, as seen in Mercutio s response to Tybalt s aggression And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something; make it a word and a blow. (Act III scene I)

The text that I have studied during the course of this unit also shows aggression is the poem Friendly Match by Edward Dyson. This poem displays aggression in the form of racism, in the sense of two different teams coming together for a friendly game of football, The Dingoes and the Gyp s Diggings we were challenged by the Dingoes to a friendly game of football on the flat of Devil s Trap. Although the poet uses the word friendly , he does not mean it as it sounds, but in a way of sarcasm meaning something else. We had Chang, and Tucker Hogan, and the man who licked the plug, and Peter Scott the pug. The man who licked the plug signifying toughness with in the team, for somebody to be able to lick oil that is well over 100 degrees, also the pug, other words the fighter. So it is evident that this text displays aggression. Fitzpatrick tipped McDougal in a handy patch of mud, and the hero rose up, chewing dirt, and famishing for blood. This quote meaning that the player that was tripped over by the opposition rises seeking for revenge in a violent way, a thirst for blood. Therefore violence is beginning to become an issue arising from aggression. The relation between this poem and the play Romeo and Juliet is that they both deal with racism and tend to lead to violence. An example of this is the fight between Tybalt and Mercutio, which occurs as a result of the household grudge. As a Capulet, Tybalt feels the need to upload his family s name and protect his honor: what, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. (Act I scene I) This quote reflects Tybalt s aggressive nature and the way in which his irrational behaviour leads him to provoke fights. A similar case occurs in the poem where a fellow footballer trips his opposition into a patch of mud on purpose, leading to violence.

Group aggression is not an instinctual occurrence, but rather something that develops through the aggressive feelings of other individuals.

The article Bondi, Beirut and the big lie also provides evidence that when people come together, their aggression is increased. It does this by stating that groups of young Lebanese males were behaving quite aggressively, and were very assertive about their identity. This article, by Catherine Lumby, claims: a series of attacks and brawls to wider antisocial behaviour by groups of younger Lebanese men. As they form groups. Each individual brings with them their own aggression whether it be psychological, physical, or even verbal. As this aggression increases. It creates a foundation on which to build a very unstable and dangerous relationship. Gang violence, particularly if it involves guns, is a matter of grave concern.

The connotations associated with gang are automatically thought of as being violence, aggression, dangerous, brutal, and other such words. It is fair to assume such words because it is evident that group aggression is much more significant than individual aggression.

Similarly, Konrad Lorenz was able to provide scientific evidence which proved that groups were much more aggressive. In a discussion about animal behaviour, Lorenz claimed that rival fights are necessary to select the strongest individuals to be the parents. However, what was most important was the experiment he conducted with the groups of rats. Even though they were wary at first, the rats later bonded together to protect their territory, and in order to do this, they had to be very aggressive towards others. It was a matter of honor , where the rats, which were