Immovable Magic - Literature review Example

Reading analysis: Immovable Magic The article by Jaervinen (6-19) looks at Bourdieu’s work with regard to gender inequality. It being an anthropology paper, it seeks to look at some broader issues. The article evaluates the issue of gender inequality, but with this also looks at how various inequalities in any society are achieved. The question that is answered, especially in the second part of the paper is with regard to how inequities can be achieved in any society, without those who are disadvantaged such inequalities feeling that they are being being exploited by the dominant groups. The author of the article reviews the work of Bourdieu in order to identify how these inequalities are maintained. He for instance looks at how Bourdieu (89) constructs his theory of inequality or symbolic power. To look at this issue, he looks at three elements that make the implementation of inequalities to be possible in any society, whether it is gender inequity or it is social inequality. He argues that symbolic power is the power to construct reality. In this case, the dominant group is able to construct reality for the dominated group. The dominated group feels that the status quo is the way things are supposed to be and there are no alternatives. This applies to gender inequality where in most cases it has been made possible and maintained through the fact that most females feel that the way things are the way things are supposed to be. For instance, for so long, women in many societies were confined in their homes and were also confined to less important roles in the society, they did not question this because according to them, this was the way things were supposed to be and so even though they were being put to disadvantage, they could not complain because this was the reality to them. This kind of reality is constructed by those who are dominant in order for the dominated to feel that this is the way things are supposed to be and so there will be no resistant. While this theory about inequity is applicable to gender inequality, it can also be applied to almost any other kind of inequality. For instance, inequality between various social classes is also achieved this way where those who are either lower social classes live in the mirage that the way things are is the way they are supposed to be. This can be best seen in earlier social systems such as the feudal systems where the society was classified into three major classes with each class having its own privileges and classes. The clergy and the nobility has privileges that were too much and the common man was the one carrying the burden, this system went on for so long because the masses, the common man was okay with this system because this was the reality he had. The other way that inequality is achieved through symbolic power, as the author argues, is the ability of the dominant power to force themselves through their own construction of reality. Again here, the author looks to more than just gender equality which is the major topic of the paper. This too applies to both gender inequality and any other kind of social inequality in any society. In this aspect of how inequality is archived and maintained, he quotes Bourdieu and says that the dominant group is able to force themselves through the false reality they have crated about how things should be. This can also be seen in some earlier social systems. The feudal system again comes as a best example of how this is achieved. During this era, the nobility and the clergy would be able to enforce the legitimacy of their status as better than the masses. Those who refused to conform were labeled as rebels and were would revive severe punishment. In terms of gender inequality, although there are not direct punishments given to the women who refuse to confirm to the false reality that females are lesser than the males, they are indirectly punished by being treated as outsiders and are being accepted in the society. This happens in almost any society, regardless of how advanced he society is. For instance, women who fail to conform to gender roles are regard as less feminine and may even receive some form of ridicule. Ironically, the ridicule may even come from her female counterparts. In such a case, it is seen that the same dominated group is seen to be the one enforcing the kind of inequality that is putting them to a disadvantage (Bourdieu 125). This, they do because they have a belief that the current social order is the way things are supped to be. This leads to the next paradigm as to social inequality s archived and managed. The other way that is identified in the paper which can be said to determine how social inequality is achieved is the fact that all human hierarchies are ultimately anchored in the belief of the legitimacy of the social order. This belief is in fact in most cases subscribed to by the dominated group. Gender inequality, which according to (Pandey, 120) is the oldest form of social inequality, is a good example here. In most societies where there is severe gender inequality, the women seem to subscribe to the fact that the way things are is the way things are supposed to be (Dorling). To illustrate this better, it is better to look at the places where women are most donated, such as in Islam culture and religion. In such societies, belief, especially religious belief, is at the center of gender inequality. These women almost do not have a chance to redeem themselves from the gender inequality that they suffer because they feel that this is what is expected from them by their religious divine source of power. Going against this is blasphemy and so they refrain from even thinking of revolting against this kind of inequality. The same can also be seen in the earlier social systems that paced some social groups at a disadvantage. In feudal system for instance, the masses were held by religious belief to believe that this is the way life was desgined to be. Since in feudal system the clergy (religious leaders) were the cream of the society, they would make it look like the way things were was the way they were supposed to be. In this regard, the masses were dominated and taken advantage of through religious belief. Their belief in a divine power, and that this divine power was the one who made life to be thus, would not let them to even think of revolting against the unfair system. Even in most western societies in the current world, this is also seen. Despite the fact that religious beliefs are not so strong, belief is still seen in the modern developed world as one way in which social inequality is achieved. In other words, symbolic power is based upon belief, it has to depend on magic for it to be sustained. The other issue that come up here with regard to gender inequality is the fact that the gender dichotomy is seen to be at place. For instance, old unmarried women without children are considered to be witches, with a power of their own accord. Because they are not linked to a man’s kin and does not have children to tie them down. This is seen in many traditional cultures where witches were women without a family life. It also shows an explanation that men were, or still are, scared of independent women. Aging in men is associated with wisdom and growth while in women it is associated with depreciation and loss of value. This is seen in many societies especially where women are seen as sexual objects and so when they have reached old age and not sexually attractive or active, they are seen to be less value to society. However, the argument that women are classified as passive and not important to society with regard to their social economic can be misconstrued. This is because even if the structure of the society places women in this area, there are always other ways that women can be seen to be active. Women in all history have been seen to be passive aggressive and this was their way to handle a society that did not give them a lot of opportunities to be in the lime light. A good example would be Rome Empire where women, despite tem not being given officials duties were almost always in control with regard to the fact that they were overseers of their husbands’ decisions. Women influenced the decision making of the males in their lives, whether it was their husbands, their sons, their sons in law or anyone who was directly in their lives. This kind of passive power with women is seen in almost any society, especially in societies where women are seen to be dominated. In this regard, the author fails to consider this aspect of power which is passive and which women use to come up with a way to deal with a society that places them at the back of the society. The author also argues that in most societies where gender inequality is high, older unmarried women are considered to be fallow land that cannot be fertilized or used by man. However, this is not entirely true because they do influence the society in some levels. These women are likely to be mothers in law to men and this status in itself puts them in a condition where they can contribute positively to society Learning points from the article Some of the learning points from the article have to do with the processes of achieving and maintaining social inequality. The paper looks at these issues in a very clear and deep way. While these have been discussed by many authors, they become even clearer in this paper. The author has been able to critically look at the three ways in which symbolic power is achieved in any society. He also explains how this symbolic power is the source and support of any social inequality. This is very important for any anthropologist because of two major reasons. To begin with, this kind of symbolic power explains how any society, past or current, is able to create social structures that hold together the society. Secondly, it explains that these social structures made through this king symbolic power do not come by themselves but are designed and developed by those who have vested interest, in order to protect their own interest. This is in itself very important because these theories which are discussed in this paper are formidable in understanding any society which is the core of anthropology. Further knowledge While the paper has discussed in detail about gender inequality and how this has been achieved in many societies, it has not discussed how such women are able to deal with the way the society deals with them. In almost any society, when there is any kind of inequality, the affected groups always have a way to deal with their unfortunate situation. For instance, in feudal systems, the masses used religion as a way to comfort themselves and to deal with the marginalization they were facing. In this regard, it can be argued that even in societies where women are highly marginalized, they have a way to deal with this marginalization. For instance, in Roman Empire, women were not given the authority to hold public office or be in any public service. However, the women managed public affairs by controlling their husbands, their sons, their lovers and other males in their lives. The article looks in detail as to how women are marginalized and subjected to unfair inequity but does not look at the way in which they deal with this. This would be an important thing to learn since this definitely affects the way the society behaves. Works Cited Bourdieu, Pierre. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. London, UK: Routledge, 2013. Bourdieu, Pierre. The Logic of Practice. New York, NY: Stanford University Press, 1990. Dorling, Daniel. Injustice: Why Social Inequality Persists. New York, NY: Policy Press, 2011. Jaervinen, Margaretha. "Immovable magic "Pierre Bourdieu" on gender and power." Nora, 1, 7 (1997): pp. 6-19. Pandey, Rajendra. Social inequality: features, forms, and functions. London, UK: Anuj Publications, 1982. Read More