Evolutionary Psychology and Feminism

This article provides a historical context of evolutionary psychology and feminism, and evaluates the contributions to this
special issue of Sex Roles within that context. We briefly outline the basic tenets of evolutionary psychology and articulate its meta-theory of the
origins of gender similarities and differences. The article then evaluates the specific contributions: Sexual Strategies Theory
and the desire for sexual variety; evolved standards of beauty; hypothesized adaptations to ovulation; the appeal of risk
taking in human mating; understanding the causes of sexual victimization; and the role of studies of lesbian mate preferences
in evaluating the framework of evolutionary psychology. Discussion focuses on the importance of social and cultural context,
human behavioral flexibility, and the evidentiary status of specific evolutionary psychological hypotheses. We conclude by
examining the potential role of evolutionary psychology in addressing social problems identified by feminist agendas.