Gendered Inequality and Social Stratification from an Anthropological Perspective - Essay Example

Gendered inequality and social stratification from an anthropological perspective Introduction The concern ofthis paper shall be the addressing of the concept of gender stratification in relation to marriage, reproductive health issues, and division of labor. This shall entail the use of Monique and the Mango Rains written by Kris Halloway as ethnographic data, which she collected in Mali. The interpretations of gender stratification in Mali are that: Wives have little or no decision-making power in the male dominated marriages in Mali. This is seen even when it comes to her reproductive health as well as the children. Their reproductive health issues are not properly addressed. The few midwives most of whom are not fully qualified for the position evidence this. The fact that there are so many women giving birth means that family planning has not been entirely embraced. Unplanned pregnancies and having too many children that cannot be adequately taken care of puts a strain on the lives of these women (David 78-83). For instance, in the case of Monique, she lost two children before they had reached the age of five. The Malian Minianka women are highly disadvantaged when it comes to the division of labor as they do a lot of household unpaid work as well as take care of the sick family members. Gender norms and stratification in Mali are more of patrilocal and patrilineal than matrilineal or matrilocal. After marriage, the family lives closer to the man’s family rather than the woman’s. The qualities of males and females in Mali The women in Mali are hardworking, always trying to multi task without complaining. They do not openly show how much they are in pain, which is evidenced in the book with Monique enduring the painful cavities and medicating herself during her pregnancy instead of seeking medical attention. The men are dominating and not afraid to show off their accomplishments and hard work. According to the book, Henri Traoré, who was the doctor at the clinic talked about how many clients he helped birth and how much they would always struggle to find him. He complains about how he is worn out from having a lot of work. Earlier in the book, Francois goes on to show the author and her husband around his impressive garden and what he has done with it. Later on, there is an account of how he worked on the garden with his bare hands. The men are also emotionally withdrawn based on their reactions to the death of Monique despite them being close to her. This is compared to the women. Specific example in the book regarding gender norms and stratification Monique took care of her and her husband’s family as well as her own yet her husband would still not allow her to have anything from his huge garden. She could not ask for a divorce because it would mean that the children would have to remain with the husband, which she could not bear. This shows how much little control the women have even when it comes to their own children. The aspects of gendered inequality among Malian Minianka women The social stratification of women is characterized by poor access to quality medical care, overwork with little pay and the failure to recognize their household duties. The health of women in Mali has been highly neglected. According to the book, it was during her visit in the United States that Monique had a pap smear together with a blood test for the first time. She also had quite a number of cavities and was obviously in a lot of pain before they were filled, and a root canal was performed. She was reluctant to know her HIV status, which shows the lack of knowledge on the importance of HIV tests among women. The misconceptions about the various birth control methods make it more difficult for women as they are solely responsible for family planning. The women do not have enough information regarding the alternatives and the advantages and disadvantages (Grillo 103-109). Some of these medications are not easily accessible. In Fatumata’s letter, to get Tubal litigation, Monique would have to travel all the way to Bamako, Senegal or the Ivory Coast (Kris Halloway 2). The facilities for delivery are in poor condition with few medical personnel. The birthing place is also full of clutter with rusted bed frames a worn out birthing table Their limited medical literacy has adverse results in the quality of life. Both Karamongo and William did not live past five years old and their deaths could have been prevented. Despite being a respected midwife in her community, Monique according to the book did not have the necessary qualifications to be a certified midwife. This is worrying as so many birthing women depend upon her (Hampshire & Kate 208-210). Gendered inequality is also apparent in the excessive work done by women who are most often than not, underpaid. Monique continued to work even when she was almost due to deliver. The author imagines how the expectant midwife would try to gain her balance as she tried to help women in labor with their bellies almost touching each other. Attending to a birthing woman, a week before she was due shows how much dedication she had yet with little rewards. What hinders the Malian Minianka women from achieving advanced conditions? Mistreatment of women by their husbands makes it harder for them to achieve higher status as they have low decision-making power and less impact on their children’s lives. According to the book, Monique’s husband dictates when she will go for prenatal care as well as where is will give birth. He also believes that making his wife pregnant is a way of showing his love to her. The fact that the women will need their husband’s consent to make personal decisions especially in such matters as going for pre natal care and seeking medical attention is a great threat to their health and well-being (Titterington 124-132). Access to resources in the marriage is also poor with François restricting his wife from using anything from his garden. Husbands are threatened by their wives accomplishments, which add more friction to the marriage. The ignorance of husbands especially when it comes to reproductive health is a major concern. In the book, Monique’s husband expects her wife to birth herself because she is a midwife. The absence of her husband during delivery is also an indicator of men’s minimal involvement in their wives and children’s well-being. The lack of provision of adequate support for their expectant wives only leads to the lower status of women due to poor health. Even when pregnant, the women will still engage in strenuous activities. For instance, this is with the case of expectant Malian Minianka woman fetching water from the well close to the birth house with her children clinging to her. They are expected to take care of the children, do household chores, and at the same time fulfill their reproductive duties (Hampshire & Kate 208-210). The women are also responsible for taking care of their family, the in laws as well as their husbands and children. This is evidenced by the poor state of Monique’s father in law’s house after her death. This care also includes medical care, which them makes it quite hard for the women to take care of their personal health adequately. This is shown by the self-medication done by Monique for malaria during pregnancy. She also had a dangerously high body salt content, which she never sought medical help. The quality of medical care especially when it comes to reproductive health issues is wanting. It took three hours for the doctor to arrive and carry out surgery to take the baby out after Monique had died. This minimizes the chance of saving the child after the death of the mother. The lack of urgency when it comes to such matters is a major concern as it threatens the life of the mother and child. Some of the medications and techniques used are questionable. During the augmentation of labor, the midwives use uterine stimulants that are quite risky especially for women with high blood pressure and anemia, which is common among many Malian Minianka women (Hampshire & Kate 208-210). Pre natal care is also wanting with important tests being left out such as checking for high blood pressure. Some of the medical warning signs will also go without being fully diagnosed and treated. Medical attention is not taken with the seriousness it deserves. Instead, it is viewed as the work of God that a woman survives or died during childbirth. Conclusion In regards to gender norms and stratification in Mali, the book highlights a very wanting situation where women are highly disadvantaged with little or no effort being done to remedy the situation. Marriage, health, and division of labor are some of the worst off areas in terms of gender inequality whereby women as compared to men do not enjoy similar benefits despite having the same rights (Hampshire & Kate 208-210). Works Cited David, Miriam E. "Social inequalities, gender, and lifelong learning: A feminist, sociological review of work, family, and education." International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy (2008): n. page. Print. Grillo, R. D. "Cultural Essentialism and Cultural Anxiety." Anthropological Theory (2003): n. page. Print. Hampshire, Lesley, and Kate Hampshire. "Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali. By Kris Holloway. Pp 208. (Waveland Press, Inc., Long Grove, Illinois, 2007.) US$17.95, ISBN 1-57766-435-3, paperback." Journal of Biosocial Science (2009): n. page. Print. Titterington, Victoria B. "A Retrospective Investigation of Gender Inequality and Female Homicide Victimization." Sociological Spectrum (2006): n. page. Print. Read More