The Human ZooHow does city life change the way we act? What accounts for the increasing prevalence of violence and anxiety in our world? In this new edition of his controversial 1969 bestseller, The Human Zoo, renowned zoologist Desmond Morris argues that many of the social instabilities we face are largely a product of the artificial, impersonal confines of our urban surroundings. Indeed, our behavior often startlingly resembles that of captive animals, and our developed and urbane environment seems not so much a concrete jungle as it does a human zoo. Animals do not normally exhibit stress, random violence, and erratic behavioruntil they are confined. Similarly, the human propensity toward antisocial and sociopathic behavior is intensified in todays cities. Morris argues that we are biologically still tribal and ill-equipped to thrive in the impersonal urban sprawl. As important and meaningful today as it was a quarter-century ago, The Human Zoo sounds an urgent warning and provides startling insight into our increasingly complex lives. |
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 7 |
THREE SEX AND SUPERSEX | 79 |
FOUR INGROUPS AND OUTGROUPS | 124 |
Copyright | |
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adult aggression ancient animal zoo apes artificial baboon basic became become biological brain breeding cage captive animal chimpanzees colour complex copulation costume creative cultures Desmond Morris develop device display dominance environment example experience exploration exploratory extreme fact female function genitals green-haired homosexual human animal human leader human zoo hunting imprinting in-group individual indulge inventiveness isolated kind living mal-imprinting male masturbate mate modern monkey Naked Ape natural Negro normal occur out-group pair-bond pair-forming parents patterns pelvic thrusts penis persistent phallic phallic symbols play polygenists population powerful pressures problem pseudo-penis pseudo-tribal re-directed rewarding ritual role sexual activities sexual behaviour sexual fetish sexual imprinting simple situation social society Status Sex Stimulus Struggle strong sub-group sub-species subordinates suicide super super-normal stimuli super-status super-tribal condition super-tribesman survival symbolic threat tion tribal tribe urban urge violence wear wild young zoo animals