Anthropology Defined

1.

Articulate what you have learned this semester about dispelling the myth of "Man the Hunter and Woman the Gatherer", which flourished under the patriarchal influence in archaeology of the early to mid twentieth century. Give a few examples of ways that women contributed in prehistoric societies or contribute in modern tribal societies which were largely overlooked by archaeologists in the past.

Your Answer:

According to our main source of Gender in Cross Cultural Perspective the book along with lecture gave us many examples of barriers and preconditioned notions of man's work or woman's work and how these barriers and outlines have been broken and rewritten over the course of time and throughout the years.

Women have been proven to have made tools as well as keep a home and family together. We saw examples of women who also did meat and animal gathering for the family. It was not solely left up to the man and his troops. It has also been founded that much of the art work and record keeping was not men but done by women. Women today are in charge of family and providing. They are in charge of food providing as well as keeping the house together. Women in today's tribes are the center of their sole existence.

In present day women are contributing and active more than ever. The only difference now from then is that they are archeologically as well as locally recognized as having more to do with the whole scheme of family and provision than that of before. It is more known and accepted decisions and traditions. They not only keep the ways of their tribes but they also have enabled and provided their families to be more well rounded leaving both genders to participate in all necessary activities. The lines have seemed to diminish and a more well oiled machine of family and providing has taken place.



2.

In your opinion and based on what you learned this semester, what are the three (3) most important global issues facing women today? (500 word essay with supporting information for your choices).

Your Answer:

In their lives too many women are abuse for such petty reasons and in all sorts of abuse, Sexual division of labor and gender expectations and a unheard and still disrespected voice.

Abuse of all sorts is a common and to overly populated problematic. Whether it be domestic or under the guise of religious practice, abuse to women and females of all ages wide spread. There are no boundaries to the horrible forms of acts.

Abuse domestically is so profound and I personally find it insane that it does not have a certain grouping. All and any are subject to this abuse, no matter race, color, creed, social status, or religion. Women themselves are targets for all sorts of men that feel they are in charge or should be the final say so. Abuse does not have to be physical, it can be emotional, mental and sexually. There seems to be no real outline to that of who are abused or why. It is usually a crime of disrespect and generated by a need for power of one human over another.

Globally as well as locally sexual divisions of labor are still in place even in this year of 2005. How sad that women is still not recognized for her talents and gifts to offer but even when utilized for these very ideas she is still not compensated in a same and fair manner as that of a man. Women are still seen as a common little housemaid that is a fetch and tote put here for that to the use of men. All over the world women are not regarded or deemed as important figures in society and or useful to all around them. Even here in the U.S. women are not given the same resulting jobs or status in jobs or socially unless she fights and claws her way to the top, then she is deemed a "B" or some other fabulous name for working her rear off. Sad. Even when a women is given a equal position she is still regarded as a "girl" and not an equal. Women are consistently either not given credit or dismissed as being less than men in the same workforce or setting. In my personal opinion this is only the result of men being afraid and feeling threatened by that of a female. It is a known fact that men cannot endure the duress or function with multitasking like that of a woman. If I were a man I would be in fear also, for that of my job and my social status, especially if I could easily be replaced with a human machine known as woman.

The last travesty that I feel is a threat and increasingly dangerous issue to women is that of having the same valued voice and respect as a man holds. Most crimes against and to women are stemmed from that of another person mainly men not valuing women and understanding simplicities such as No means No and understanding that women should be value and not abused nor treated as sexual toys. If women were more valued in opinion and status as an equal, I think that they would be less damaged and taken advantage of. If women were received as a partner and not a man servant the world might take a calmer and much nicer tone.



3.

Do you agree with Leacock that colonialism, capitalism, Christianity , and any other patriarchal institution, historically made the lot of women worse? Why or why not? Support your position.

Your Answer:

I do think that the position put upon women by a patriarchal society has made things more rough in the idea that all of the above titles have caused and created individual sexual separation making mankind two men kinds. Each of the institutions as described above have cause secular partitions of each stage of development and hierarchy. By utilizing these topics men have made elite positions for each of themselves, devising that women are still to take a lower pole of decree and validity. Even in such a place as church where all are created equal and should be regarded as even and one, man has made it a boys club. Women are not allowed to address a sermon or stand behind a pulpit and preach. How is it that men are higher then women even in church, a house where God as said in his words we are one in the same and to regard each as we want to be regarded. It seems ridiculous to me that even in the highest areas of demanded respect there is none.

I think once again that if man was to treat women as equals there would be a lot of changes in degree of respect and regard as they