Sociology 2233 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Relative Deprivation, Amygdala, David Buss
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What is aggression: an intentional action aimed at doing harm or causing pain it may be physical or verbal (causing psychological pain) Ex: in a hockey game, an hockey player may use aggression to put off the other team this is instrumental aggression. If, however, the hockey player thought that the other opponent was playing dirty, he might get angry and hurt the other player even if it doesn"t help towards the game this is hostile aggression. Freud believed that humans are born with an instinct toward life, called eros, and an equally powerful death instinct, called thanatos. Thanatos leads us to aggressive actions: aggressive energy must come out somehow, before it builds up and produces illness in our bodies. Society performs an essential function in regulating this instinct and in helping people sublimate it. To turn the destructive energy into useful or acceptable behaviour.