Gender
Gender
 1930’s
Margaret Mead
– Is masculine/feminine idea of gender
universal?
– Three groups in New Guinea
– Gender patterned by culture
Sex and Gender
 Sex
is biological
 Gender is cultural
– Social, cultural, psychological
expectations a culture has of members
of each sex
– At least two sexes and genders,
sometimes more
Sex and Gender
 Cultural
construction of gender
– 1970’s feminist anthropology studies
gender roles focusing on women’s lives
– History, impact of colonialism,
industrialization
Sex and Gender
 Many
cultures recognize alternatives
– Nandi of Kenya, female husband
– Oman of Saudi Arabia, xanith
– Native American, two-spirit role
– Tahiti, mahu
– India, hijra
Cultural variation in sexual behavior
 Acceptable
sexual behavior varies by
culture
 What is erotic?
– Kissing
– sniffing(Tahitians)
– grooming(Trobrianders)
Cultural variation in sexual behavior
 Acceptable
sexual behavior varies by
culture
 Is homosexuality acceptable?
– Stigma
– Period of homosexuality part of process
of becoming a man (Sambia of New
Guinea)
Cultural variation in sexual behavior
 Acceptable
sexual behavior varies by
culture
 What role does sexuality play in
culture?
– The Irish of Inis Beag
 Not
discussed, not mature until 40’s, little sex
– Polynesians of Mangaia
 Sex
is private, but much public joking
Cultural variation in sexual behavior
 Acceptable
sexual behavior varies by
culture
 How does power influence sexuality?
– Covering the body, seclusion, honor and
shame
– Marriage, divorce, adultery controlled by
one part of society, church, colonial power
– Female circumcision (to control sexuality,
prove marriageability), Chinese
footbinding, sati (widow joins funeral pyre)
Rites of Passage
 In
the US, adolescence is transition
between childhood and adulthood
 In many cultures passage into
adulthood marked by ritual
– Announces transition to community
– Transmission of culture
– Reduces trauma of transition
Rites of Passage
 Male
initiation
– Separation from family, often traumatic
and prolonged
– Often in cultures where boys have
strong connection with mother
Rites of Passage
 Female
initiation
– May be public or private, long process
or quick ceremony
– Often in cultures where woman lives
with mother in adulthood
Gender Roles
A
culture’s expectations of men and
women
– What kind of jobs
– Personality traits
– Acceptable behavior
Gender Roles
 Gender
hierarchy
– Ways in which gendered activities and
qualities are valued differently
– Different distribution of resources,
power, and prestige
Gender Roles
 Private/public
dichotomy
– Gender system in which women have
low status because they are at home
with children while men are identified
with public, prestigious, political and
economic roles
Gender Relations - Foraging
 Women
gather food and hunt
 Tlingit, NW Coast
– Egalitarian gender relations
– Men and women equal access to status
by trade and by becoming a shaman
– Women held positions- head of clan
– History has carried on, today Tlingit
women hold high offices, are
encouraged to pursue education and
professional careers
Gender Relations - Horticultural
 Wide
range of gender relationships
 Segregation of sexes
– Men’s house, ritual, secrecy
– Women’s strong bonds to female kin
through shared work harvesting swamp
taro
Gender Relations - Horticultural
 Example
of change over time –
Nukumanu, Polynesian atoll
– Horticulture and fishing, male and
female roles equally valued
– 1880’s colonialism, coconut production
commercial foods bought with wages
replaced taro that had been produced
by women
Gender Relations - Agricultural
 Women
work more in home, raising
more children, status declines
 Men produce product for market and
food for family, status increases
Gender Relations - Industrial
 Use
of machinery and wage labor
often increases gender inequality
Gender Relations
 Development
projects should
consider the impact on gender
relations
 Do not want to create gender
inequality as this may increase
conflict within society