Women, Sex, Role and culture - Essay Example

Women, Sex, Role and Culture In the context of anthropology, and interested readers would previously obtain information from classical sources. However, increased attention of researchers in sociology has led to development of recent comprehensive literature on gender philosophies across the world. Among the dedicated writers include Brettell and Sargent, who are inclining their work towards modern topics in anthropology. Most of their works are designed in a manner that deems appropriate for scholars at various levels of their studies. In this essay, we will appraise one significant topic within the field of anthropology, and subsequently relate Brettell and Sargent’s work to ideologies contained within the underlying topics. Fortunately, the writers’ work takes an accessible and open-ended approach in covering a subject matter. Therefore, we will have to establish an objective link between theses contained in the primary readings and that of selected essay from the two writers mentioned above. Primary Reading: Cultural Solidarity of Maasai Women In the first primary ethnographic reading, we will explore the role of gender among Maasai women in Kenya. Within the reading, the writer Llewlyn Melissa analyses two contexts of cultural solidarity observed among women in the Maasai community. The underlying thesis statement within this reading is that Maasai women have over the past decades stood in solidarity to defend their gender roles within their societies. Despite infiltration of western ideologies into Kenyan tribes, Maasai have managed to preserve their traditions to date. They are nomadic pastoralists which mean that they move from one place to another in search of water and pasture for their domestic animals, especially cattle. Fortunately, their unique culture and proximity to wildlife reserves attracts tourists and anthropologists. Currently, a small number of Maasai men and moderate women have been absorbed into white collar jobs in the tourism sector (Llewlyn 209). However, majority of Maasai women and men are still subscribing to conventional roles as contained in their cultural norms. At this juncture, it is worth acknowledging the fact that Maasai culture is a patriarchal community dominated by men. Women within the Maasai tribe enjoy minimum opportunities, and faces numerous challenges form decisions made by their communities. As a show of solidarity to their patriarchal cultures, Maasai women still believes in early and forced marriages (Llewlyn 212). Parents show little interest in education of their girl child because these girls will be married immediately after elementary school. In fact older women in the Maasai community participate joyfully in preparing their daughters for forced marriages. This shows that women in this community are in solidarity with the cultural norm of early and forced marriages of their girls. As if forced marriage was not enough, Maasai women still demonstrate cultural solidarity through female genital mutilation. This context relates to women sexuality in the society. In an effort to curb free expression of woman’s sexual desires, the Maasai community chooses to perform this primitive act of mutilating their girls. Unfortunately, older women are the ones at the forefront in organizing for these initiation ceremonies as a show of love for their culture (Llewlyn 230). In this regard, one can appreciate the fact that culture plays a significant role in influencing norms of men and women in different social settings. In this case, a strict solidarity to their culture influences Maasai women into perpetrating primitive and harmful cultural practices. Brettell and Sargent: Culture, Sexuality and the Body The excerpt on Maasai women fits with Brettell and Sargent’s essay on culture, sexuality and the body in inter-cultural perspective. Based on the primary reading, we acknowledged the fact that Maasai community controls sexuality of women in their societies. The aspect of early and forced marriage translates into the concept of culture and sexuality in Brettell and Sargent’s topic. According to Brettell and Sargent, culture influences the manner in which women relate with men in their lives. In addition, culture explicitly stipulates the role of each gender within their societies (Brettell and Carolyn 204). Patriarchal communities like the Maasai believe that women are objects of reproduction and pleasure for men. This is the reason why no sooner has a girl reached puberty than a grown man approach her parents for marriage proposals. In this context, Maasai culture subscribes to the ideology that women are objects of pleasure for men, and should not be given any other privileges or opportunities outside their traditional norms. Luckily, Maasai men are enjoying the state of cultural affairs in their communities because women are in solidarity with their society’s cultural norms. Apart from culture and sexuality, Llewellyn’s description of Maasai culture unearths the role of men in controlling women’s bodies in their communities. Female genital mutilation, as is practiced towards Maasai girls to date, has been termed by human rights activists across the globe as one of the most harmful cultural practice in the history of womanhood. Despite the harmful effects attributed to mutilation on women’s sex organs, Maasai community still feels that there are responsible for controlling a woman’s body as their culture prescribes (Llewlyn 231). In this context, traditions are influencing older women and mothers to subject their young girls into such disturbing ordeals in the name of preserving their culture. With respect to Brettell and Sargent’s essay, one will appreciate the fact that certain cultural believes held by members of a given community makes their conscious decisions invariable restrictive to implementing positive cultural change. In this regard, the practice of FGM in Maasai culture is generalized in Brettell and Sargent’s essay as a result of culture, sexuality and the body in ethnic communities (Brettell and Carolyn 207). Additional Primary Reading: Economic Empowerment of Maasai Women As an additional reading, we will evaluate the role of culture in determining the relationship between gender and the right to economic empowerment and property ownership. In this context, the underlying thesis statement is that women in Maasai community gain respect through economic empowerment. Supposedly, Maasai women are not allowed by their community to own economic resources like land and cattle (Pastoral Women’s Council 01). This economic restriction is the reason why Maasai women in Kenya are among the poorest people in the nation. In the recent past, nongovernmental organizations operating within the Maasai’s geographical regions are initiating economic programs meant to encourage community elders to empower women economically. In actual context, Maasai women do not currently participate in economic activities. Their cultural roles remain limited to motherhood, parenting and cleaning of the household. However, concerted efforts by the nongovernmental organizations have enabled Maasai women to own cattle, goats and small businesses in tourist attraction sites. These organizations intervened by providing credit extension to interested women, thus enabling them to engage in income generating activities. Currently, economically empowered Maasai women are gaining respect from the community as a result of their financial independence. Brettell and Sargent: Gender, Property and the State In relation to the provided topics, the issue of economic empowerment of women in Maasai community corresponds to the essay of gender, property and the state by Brettell and Sargent. The two writers assert that the state or society in general influence economic status of women. In most cases, women enjoy little economic opportunities as compared to their male counterparts. Early marriages of girls in Maasai culture compromise their economic future. In addition, restriction from property ownership jeopardizes economic independency of a girl child in such communities (Brettell and Carolyn 238). In general, Brettell and Sargent are quick to acknowledge the fact that prevailing cultural norms within a state plays a significant role in influencing wealth distribution between both genders. In conclusion, one can understand the role of gender and sex in influencing social and economic independence. It means that culture can either choose to liberate its women or keep then under the bondage of traditional norms. Works Cited Brettell, Caroline and Carolyn, Sargent. “Culture, Sexuality and the body”. In Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Eds. Brettell and Sargent. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson, 2013. Pp.203-208. Print. Brettell, Caroline and Carolyn, Sargent. “Gender, Property and the state”. In Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Eds. Brettell and Sargent. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson, 2013. Pp.237-240. Print. Llewlyn, Melissa. “Two Contexts of Solidarity among Pastoral Maasai Women”. In Women United, Women divided: Comparative Studies of Ten Contemporary Cultures. Eds. Caplan and Bujra. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University press, 1979. Pp 208-237. Print. Pastoral Women’s Council. Women’s Economic Empowerment Program. Web October 18, 2013. http://www.pastoralwomenscouncil.org/economic-empowerment.html Read More