Report on Intrasexual Competition and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Competition, Gender, and Global Goals

An analysis of intrasexual competition—competition between same-sex individuals for resources—reveals significant implications for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The differing competitive strategies between genders, driven by evolutionary pressures, directly intersect with modern challenges addressed by the SDGs, particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing policies that foster equitable and sustainable societies.

Gender-Differentiated Strategies and SDG 5: Gender Equality

Sexual selection theory posits that competitive behaviors vary by sex due to different investment in offspring and reproductive risks. These ingrained patterns highlight systemic challenges central to achieving SDG 5.

Male Competitive Patterns and Social Structures

Male competition is often characterized by direct and aggressive contests for status and dominance. This behavior is linked to:

• Demonstrating genetic fitness and the ability to provide protection.
• A lower perceived risk from physical confrontation.
• A focus on attaining high status, which enhances mating success.

This framework can perpetuate societal norms that reward aggression and dominance, creating barriers to the inclusive and equitable leadership models promoted by SDG 5.

Female Competition and the Unseen Burden of Care

Female competition is typically more indirect and focused on securing long-term resources essential for offspring care. This form of competition is:

• Centered on acquiring resources like healthy food, safe environments, and social support networks.
• Less observable but potentially more persistent and fierce due to the high stakes of ensuring offspring survival.
• Reflective of the disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care and domestic work placed on women, a key area of concern for SDG 5, which aims to recognize and value such contributions.

Resource Asymmetry and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

A 2023 study published in Nature provides empirical evidence of how resource disparity fuels intrasexual competition, offering a psychological lens on the importance of SDG 10.

Study Methodology and Design

The research involved 596 married parents from three countries, who were asked to estimate the reactions of same-sex individuals to scenarios involving resource advantages. This design aimed to capture authentic competitive sentiment while mitigating self-report bias.

Key Findings on Perceived Inequality

The results demonstrate a significant link between resource asymmetry and negative social reactions, particularly among women.

1. Heightened Female Intrasexual Competition: Female participants reported that women would react more negatively to another woman possessing a valuable resource than male participants reported for men in the same situation.
2. Broad Scope of Resources: This heightened negativity applied across a wide range of assets critical to well-being and social standing, including a powerful work position, physical attractiveness, good health, a supportive spouse, and quality housing. This directly relates to the multi-faceted nature of inequality that SDG 10 seeks to address.
3. Specificity of Competition: Women did not show the same negativity towards men with resources; in fact, men were generally more negative toward opposite-sex targets. This indicates that the fierce competition is concentrated among women, suggesting that resource scarcity and inequality may pit women against each other, undermining female solidarity and collective empowerment—a crucial element for achieving SDG 5.

Broader Implications for Sustainable Development

The dynamics of intrasexual competition have far-reaching consequences for several SDGs beyond gender and inequality.

Economic Empowerment and Well-being (SDG 8, SDG 3, SDG 1)

Competition for a “powerful position at work” and “excellent health” connects directly to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). The negative psychological impact of resource asymmetry undermines well-being. Creating equitable access to economic opportunities and healthcare can mitigate this destructive competition, fostering environments where individuals can thrive, thereby supporting SDG 1 (No Poverty) by ensuring access to fundamental resources.

Social Cohesion and Inclusive Societies (SDG 16)

The study’s conclusion that women are more competitive with each other over resources but less competitive with men may explain why they are often perceived as the “less competitive” sex overall. This misunderstanding can obscure the intense pressures they face. By addressing the root cause—inequitable resource distribution—societies can reduce negative competition and build the peaceful, just, and inclusive institutions envisioned in SDG 16. Fostering cooperation over conflict is essential for sustainable social cohesion.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Based on the article’s discussion of competition for various life resources, several SDGs can be seen as relevant, primarily through the lens of gender dynamics and resource inequality at an interpersonal level.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The article is fundamentally about the different competitive strategies between men and women. It explores how women compete for resources, including those related to economic and social power, such as having “a powerful position at work.” This connects to the goal of achieving gender equality in economic and public life.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The central concept of “resource asymmetry” discussed in the article directly relates to inequality. The research focuses on how individuals react negatively to others possessing resources they lack, which is a micro-level examination of the social and psychological impacts of inequality that SDG 10 aims to reduce on a macro scale.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article explicitly lists “excellent health” as a resource that provokes competitive and negative feelings among women towards their peers. This highlights health as a valued and unequally distributed asset, connecting to the core mission of SDG 3 to ensure healthy lives for all.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The study presented in the article uses “having a powerful position at work” as a key resource that elicits competitive reactions. This directly links to the SDG 8 goal of promoting full, productive, and decent work for all.

2. Specific Targets Identified

The article’s content points toward specific targets within the identified SDGs by describing the exact resources that are objects of competition.

1. Target 5.5: “Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” The article’s finding that women react negatively to same-sex peers with “a powerful position at work” or who are an “influential member of the community” highlights a potential social barrier to this target. It suggests that intrasexual competition could undermine the solidarity needed to advance female leadership.
2. Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex…” The article explores the negative feelings arising from “resource asymmetry,” where individuals feel negatively toward peers who have a “beautiful house,” “supportive spouse,” or community influence. This reflects the social-psychological dimension of exclusion based on economic and social status, which this target seeks to eliminate.
3. Target 3.8: “Achieve universal health coverage…and access to quality essential health-care services…” The article identifies being in “excellent health” as a key resource. The competitive feelings it generates imply that good health is not universal, and its possession by some can lead to negative social comparisons. This underscores the importance of universal access to health, which is the goal of this target.
4. Target 8.5: “By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men…and equal pay for work of equal value.” The competition observed over “a powerful position at work” is directly related to the sphere of employment and career advancement addressed by this target.

3. Mentioned or Implied Indicators

The article does not mention official SDG indicators, but the study’s design implies metrics that could be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

• Implied Indicator for Target 5.5: The study measures how participants estimate women would “feel negatively towards women who had” a resource like a powerful job. This suggests an indicator such as: “Proportion of women reporting negative sentiment towards female peers in leadership positions.” This could be used to gauge social barriers to female leadership.
• Implied Indicator for Target 10.2: The research quantifies negative reactions to a peer having a “beautiful house” or being an “influential member of the community.” This implies an indicator like: “Level of reported negative social comparison based on material and social resource asymmetry among peers.”
• Implied Indicator for Target 3.d (Strengthen capacity for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks): While the article connects more broadly to SDG 3’s theme, the measurement of reactions to a peer’s “excellent health” implies an indicator related to the social perception of health disparities: “Prevalence of negative sentiment related to perceived health inequalities among peers.”
• Implied Indicator for Target 8.5: The study’s focus on reactions to a peer with a “powerful position at work” directly implies an indicator for workplace dynamics: “Measured intensity of intrasexual competition for professional advancement and status.”

4. Summary Table of Findings

Source: psychologytoday.com