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Abstract

Social science research demonstrates that the many manifestations of sexual proprietariness are among the most important predictors of male partner violence cross-culturally. However, evolutionary explanations for this manifestly male behavior continue to trouble many feminists. This article reflects on the enduring influence of Margo Wilson’s pioneering work with Martin Daly on the evolutionary origins of male partner violence with specific attention to large-scale population surveys. One of Margo Wilson’s many lasting contributions is an empirically based theoretical explanation for male sexual ownership over women that, it is argued, is not in opposition to feminist structural analysis or feminist political aims.

Keywords

evolutionary psychology sexual proprietariness feminist theory gender femicide intimate partner homicide

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When Feminism Meets Evolutionary Psychology

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