Women and institutions - Essay Example

Women and Economic s Introduction Economic activities in some cultures extensively ignored women. Even though some of their work was recognized, individual women were not allowed to make decisions in connection to production, investment, distribution and consumption. Women were viewed as controllers of household chores. Anthropologists have researched extensively various cultural societies in connection to economic roles by women. They have found that world markets and economic institutions have difficult effects that are different for all genders.

It is adverse that women contribute a lot in development, but they are rarely recognized.Division of laborMost of the societies practice division of labor by sex and age. Traditional western models depict men as economic providers, since their role was dynamic while women were domestic consumers and their role was static (Bosen, 319, 1984). Anthropologist and other social scientist have discovered that men are only partial economic providers. The contribution of men towards women and children vary in different cultures and depends in variations of women work.

Women make significant economic decisions not only for children but also for men and the society (Wardlow, 153). Therefore, the important issue in analyzing economic system of any society is by considering the division of labor, and ways the fruits and labor are shared. The early model of hunting society presented man as the chief provider and decision maker in the society. The early model of foragers as the blue print of sexual division of labor has been widely criticized (Merlan, 262, 1991).

It was assumed that foragers depended on meat as their only food and men did all the hunting as women stayed in camps with children waiting for men to bring them food. Anthropologist challenged this model when they started analyzing the contribution of women in foragers’ society. After extensive research, there are four changes in the model. Meat was not the staple food in forages society compared to the total food intake (Stivens, 331, 1970). When meat was less important in the meal than plant food, men still went out to hunt while women provided food for their groups through their contributions.

Even in the male hunting and women, gathering model contributes sexual separation in food contribution especially between animal and vegetable food. Division of labor between sexes is flexible and changing in individuals and cooperative efforts (Stivens, 330, 1970).Horticultural societiesThere are some difficulties in separating horticultural and agricultural societies. The major difference is the intensity of farming that has major implication in division of labor. Horticulturalists utilize land extensively with little investing in cultivation than agriculturalist.

They clear new fields, but they do not invest in terracing and putting fertilizers (Reskin, 1984). Horticulture use hand tools while agriculturalist use plows and draft animals. Females mainly contribute horticultural cultivation such as shift cultivation.ConclusionWomen access to employment, education and technology is hindered by childcare interference and the expectation of the society that childcare will affect women duties. This is challenging to women since they opt to have few children for succeeding in gaining greater economic independence.

Even though some economists continue to ignore gender differences in economic development of a society, exclusion of women from economic analysis is increasing and hard to justify.ReferencesBosen, L, (1984), women and economic institutions, New York: Oxford Brooker.Merlan, F, (1991), Women, Productive Roles, and Monetisationof the Service Mode in Aboriginal Australia: Perspectives from Katherine, Northern Territory.Reskin, B, (1984), Sex Segregation in the Workplace: Trends, Explanations, Remedies, New York: National Academies Press.

Stivens, M, (1970), a handbook of economic anthropology. New York: Oxford Brookers.Wardlow, H, "Hands-Up"-ing Buses and Harvesting Cheese-Pops: Gendered Mediation of Modern Disjuncture in Melanesia.