When Men in Groups was first published in l969, the New York Times
daily critic titled his review "The Disturbing Rediscovery of the
Obvious." What was so obvious was male bonding, a phrase that entered
the language. The links between males in groups Tiger describes extend
through many other primate species, through our evolution as
hunters/gatherers, and cross-culturally.
Male bonding characterizes human groups as varied as the Vatican
Council, the New York Yankees, the Elks and Masons the secret societies
of Sierra Leone and Kenya.The power of Tiger's book is its
identification of the powerful links between men and the impact of
females and families on essentially male groups. While the world has
changed much, the argument of the book and its new introduction by the
author suggest that a species-specific pattern ofamale bonding continues
to be part of the human default system. Perhaps one day concrete
evidence of its location will emerge from the startling work on the
human genome, just as the elaborate and consequential sex differences to
which Men in Groups drew such pioneering attention have already become
part of the common wisdom. Meanwhile, Men in Groups remains a measured
andaresponsibleabut intrepid inspection of a major aspect of human
social organization and personal behavior. The book was controversial
when it first appeared, and often foolishly and unduly scorned. But it
has remained a fundamental contribution to the emerging synthesis
between the social and natural sciences.
