The examples above clearly point to the negative aspects of AMS. Shamika Ravi, Rahul Ahluwalia, and Sofi Bergkvist Saturday, December 3, 2016 Presumably, having seen the praise that this person had received, he wanted to claim the same with a different initiative. Why? His successor apparently had other priorities. He ruefully admitted that it had ground to a halt. Some time after this meeting, I visited the district that he was now magistrate of, having shifted from the one in which he had set up the programme. He had received wide recognition and appreciation for a programme he had championed in his district, which brought women into a very effective self-help group framework, integrating production, selling and finance. However, one that exemplified it best for me was the experience of a district magistrate, whom I first met in a workshop on financial inclusion. The successor typically had his or her own set of priorities and the predecessor’s legacy was brushed aside, with no further interest being taken in it.ĭuring my term at the Reserve Bank of India, I came across several instances of this, both inside and outside, and undoubtedly indulged in some myself. On deeper examination, what appeared as a common feature across these projects was that the key person in the agency had changed. Some of these remained in suspended animation for years. One problem we had was an enormous number of projects on which the work was mostly complete but they were not signed off by the funder. Many years ago, I worked at a policy research institution, which carried out many projects funded by government agencies. But this article is not about female infanticide rather, it is about another context in which the alpha male behaviour towards the offspring of his predecessor, or what I would call the alpha male syndrome (AMS), is manifest: in the process of governance. Horrifyingly, infanticide is one of them. There are bound to be common behaviour traits across this order. In case we’ve forgotten, humans are primates too. Whatever the reason, there is a rich collection of primatological studies documenting such behaviour amongst gorillas, chimpanzees, baboons, langurs and others. ![]() This is based on the “genetic legacy” motivation each alpha wants to ensure the perpetuation of his genetic traits in the group. ![]() By terminating infants, he ends the lactation period of the females in the group, bringing their next ovulation cycle forward. This could be a way to speed up his reproductive initiation, in an attempt to maximise the number of offspring that he produces during his alpha tenure. One of the first things that the new alpha does is to kill all the infants in the group, who are clearly the offspring of his predecessor. When an incumbent alpha shows signs of weakening, he is challenged by one of the other males, sometimes in a fight until death. At any given time, one male dominates the group, which, among other things, gives him the exclusive right to reproduce. The institution of the alpha male is common to several species, including virtually all primates. Behaviour traits of primates can be positive or negative for governance
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |