Gender Roles and Descent - Essay Example

? Gender Roles and Descent In brief, the video on arranged marriage, which is Saheri’s Choice, showcases a brief overview of arranged marriage in India. As young as 10 years old, Saheri was already married under the customs and traditions of the Hindus. Saheri, now 17 years old, is being sent to live with her husband and his family. Unfortunately, Saheri has already found another man to love and is given the freedom to choose. However, this is not the case for all of the young and arranged marriages in India. This is depicted by the situation of Shakuntla, who had suffered from hysteria due to the unfavorable circumstances she had been experiencing with her husband. In another light, this type of arranged marriage does not only occur in the lowers caste system, but the film also shows this arrangement in the Agarwal caste. With this on hand, the paper will anchor on the importance of gender roles in the society, as well as the importance of the reproductive roles of women, and how this results in the establishment of kinship. On the other hand, according to Stone (1997), there is a considerable difference between the sexual and reproductive roles of men and women in relation to time and location. Furthermore, Stone (1997) believes that the role of gender is culturally and socially constructed; therefore, the roles of men and women must be studied in a manner of understanding the sexuality and reproductive capacity of women. In the case study, Neur and Brahman societies, likewise, conceived the role of men as the head of the society. This patriarchal designation stems from their religious and cultural beliefs that men develop stability within the community (Stone, 1997). Hinduism teaches a significant gender and reproductive decision especially among women by encouraging a female child to be married before her first menstruation. Obviously, Indian females do not have the luxury to choose their own partners because it is assumed that parents are the ones responsible and more knowledgeable in choosing their daughters’ partner. This belief is actually a shared pattern among primates that highly emphasize on alliance and descent principles when it comes to marriage. These relational principles merely suggest that choosing a husband, as part of the many facets and aspects of gender roles, is actually not a freedom entitled to women in some communities because marriage is seen, not just a union of two souls, but an alliance formed between two families, as well. In other words, marriage between two families is coexistent with a male and a female union. The pros and cons in this kind of setup, which dominantly do not entitle women of free will, are obvious. From the perspective of a non-Nuer and non-Brahman member, arranged marriages only shatter the freedom of women to have control over their bodies. Kinship is more advantageous to the part of the male species because they are the ones not suffering from birth labors and risks in pregnancies. However, chapter 3 case study provides us a glimpse that Nuer women have full control over their sexuality, while Brahman women stick to their fidelity to their husbands because of the restrictions stipulated in the caste system. In the case of Nuer women, we see that female oppression somehow happens only in terms of choosing the right man for themselves, but they have autonomy during the kinship part. Nuer women are even entitled to divorce their husbands if they see fit. On the part of the Brahman women, male domination does not count as the oppressing factor. It is the caste system that encourages wife's fidelity to her husband. Therefore, Brahman women are still empowered in this kind of setup because by being loyal to their husbands, they are rewarded through producing Brahman children. Still, the dominant perspective towards societies that encourages arranged marriages, is more on the harm this brings to the future of families. Women are said to be forced into a commitment where there is no emotional bond between them, which, on a personal level, if not strengthened, will bring their relationship to harm. It is important that there is an attraction between two people, such as in the case of Saheri; she was lucky that her parents supported her decision not to consummate her wedding. In this type of marriage, it is essential not to immediately judge the parents, but it is important to look into the total cultural structure where the act has taken place. Nonetheless, this type of cultural belief, on a personal level, places a woman to be with a lower status in the society, especially when she is forced to marry someone whom she does not like or love. In accordance with kinship, it is viewed in relation to the belief of a culture or a community with the ability of a person to procreate. It is also the relationship of individuals within the family and with other individuals in order to establish a system (Stone, 1997). The case study of the Navajo and Nayar societies suggests that these two communities value reproduction that much. With this on hand, Saheri’s Choice reflects kinship in the community where Sahari and Shakuntla reside, and even in the Agarwal caste in India. It can be inferred from the different perspectives depicted in the film that arranged marriage is to unite two families together. This kinship between families within the same community will allow them to build what the families have in common. This is firmly elicited in the upper class or those who are well-off when they arrange the marriage of their children. In this manner, these families want to create a connection with one another in order for their wealth and power to be intact within their caste. In addition, the roles of the male and female will also play a vital role in establishing the relationship between the two families. In this case, the male, or the husband, will not only create a relationship with his wife but also establish a bond between him and the family of his wife. Aside from this, the relationship of the couple will also be considered in relation to their ability to have children. This is an essential part in order to establish kinship within the community or society. With this, the role of the female is also essential in establishing kinship because the wife will be the one who will carry the child. These are very influential and important part in the manner of establishing and extending the influence of families in order to uplift the wealth, status, or other societal standing. In addition, as kinship plays a vital role in the formation of societies or groups, it is also a considerable factor in the process of defining gender roles in a group or society. It is essential in a group or a society to continue its lineage. With this need on hand, it is then essential to note that women play an important role in creating kinship. The female role is then focused on the ability to reproduce children in order to continue what two families have started with. However, even women of arranged marriages in India, specifically the Navajo, are not being put into the pressure of procreating. They are already appreciated during their puberty stage, and they are being staged as reproduction themselves even without children. We see, even traditional societies put regard and value for women in their decisions during their marriage years, including not being able to produce children. On another note, we also understand the importance of women in marriages because of their ability to bear children for the sake of a society’s continued existence. Kinship is an important factor to continue reign and inheritance in leadership. This important factor in the kinship is established in the movie. In this case, the movie then appeals to the ability of the male and the female to reproduce in order to have children that will continue the presence of the two families. In the lower caste, child marriage is one of the ways to fulfill this type of lineage between families. It can be inferred that children marry at an early age in order for their parents to be assured that their names continue to be part of their community or group. Aside from this, it can also be inferred that females must be able to marry at a young age in order to know if she is capable of bearing children, which is an important role of the female in a society. Culture actually goes hand in hand with certain reproductive and gender roles. If we isolate gender studies with culture, we are missing the entire picture. Certain traditions and customs in communities must be understood in relation to their cultural beliefs. Gender oppression of women, for instance, cannot be judged by looking at arranged marriages per se because gender portrayals do not just end there. The rally to gender roles goes on during the actual years of marriage, and in fact, it is where gender issues take place. In understanding these cultural roots, it will then be easy to understand practices, such as the early marriage depicted in the movie. On a personal level, because of different cultures, I have immediately judged the practice as unfair for both male and female. Nonetheless, considering their culture and the different roles that the male and female portray, it was then easy to understand the reasoning behind their practices. In any other culture, it is essential for their society to continue or to establish kinship. There are different reasons for such; however, the focus is in their practices in order to continue this type of lineage. These cultural beliefs play a vital role in gender roles, especially in the role of women in the society or in a specific culture. It can be inferred that in some cultures, women are important in the manner of continuing the lineage of the family; however, they are also given limited power to choose for their future, especially their spouses. References McDonald, H. (Director), & de Neville, C. (Producer). (1997). Saheri’s Choice [Documentary]. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities. Stone, L. (1997). Kinship and gender: An introduction. New York: Westview Press. Read More