Impact of Agricultural Revolution on Relationship between Men and Women, Civilization - Essay Example

Impact of Agricultural Revolution on: Relationship between Men and Women, Civilization History and Political Science ________________ 24th July 2011 Introduction The dawn of Ice Age provided abundant natural resources to the human being and allowed them to settle at one place rather than wandering between places for food and other natural resources. People started to build permanent settlements and started to live in gatherings by cultivating certain grasses such as oats, wheat and barley which catered to the needs larger groups of people (BBC, 2004)1. As people started to live in settlements and communities, agricultural continued on large scales which lead to critical changes in the society. According to Shard (1974)2, man and women, both, used to roam different places in search of food while agricultural revolution made man to work harder to dominate nature’s processes. During this period, people tried to deliberately alter the ecological system by cultivating the soil, selecting seeds, and breeding animals that could help them survive (Lockard, 2010)3. The change in the lifestyle of the people who has undertaken agriculture instead of hunting was enormous and profound as they live with us even today (BBC, 2004).4. The revolution had several impacts on various factors including the lifestyle of men and women, their relationship and future civilization. Change in Men – Women Relation and Change in Society As world was witnessing the end of ice age, most of the people settled at one place so that they could exploit the natural resources for their own good. This led to creation of permanent settlements and population growth as mentioned by Duiker and Spielvogel (2006)5 that the change to systematic agriculture in the Neolithic age affected the relationship and lifestyle of both men and women. Roles and responsibilities were the major changes that took place in men and women during Neolithic age. Men assumed the primary responsibility of working in the fields and herding the animals, jobs that kept them away from home. While women stayed at home looking after their children, weaving clothes and performing household activities that required considerable labor. The agricultural revolution allowed women to have children much more frequently rather than giving three to four years gap as was the case in hunter-gatherer societies (BBC, 2004)6. But authors like Karimah (2003) mention that food production or agriculture during the Neolithic period was women oriented job and they were the primary discovers of agriculture and that the women controlled the new form of wealth and status. But it is later explained that most of the preliminary tasks of agriculture were completed by men while planting, cultivating and harvesting were the part of women’s task because of the belief that women can make things grow7. It could be stated that the change occurred mostly due to the men’s ability to extract food from the land resulting in the creation of government for division of work on large so as to store food giving way to the growth of population. This resulted in the shift of governance from women to men i.e. from matriarchal to patriarchal as agriculture began to be transformed through the invention of technologies such as iron plough and other tools which allowed some individuals to control large plots of land which were controlled by others (Christ, 1998)8. Civilizations Growth of population and need for surplus food were the major driving forces for the emergence of civilization. According to Duiker and Spielvogel (2006) early human beings formed small groups and developed a simple culture which enabled them to survive which further grow into formation of civilization.9 According to Lockard (2010) farming generated more complex societies allowing families to form small villages which had more children to help in the fields and over time people began to see themselves as part of the larger community10. The change in relationship also gave rise to crafts and arts as pottery developed, woven baskets were used, and stone tools became refined as flint blades which were used in fields. Moreover, the invention of writing enabled the society to keep records providing more control to the mankind. As agriculture flourished, wealth increased which was used to build cities and armies to protect the settlement giving rise to Bronze Age (Speilvogel, 2011)11. The Neolithic age ended hundreds of thousands of years of nomadic hunting and food gathering and opened a new era of high civilizations, urbanism and labor specialization wherein Egypt and Sumer (Mesopotamian Civilization) incorporated the accomplishments and reaped the benefits as the ancient civilizations later followed by two other societies Elam and Mohenjo Daro and Harappa in the Indus Valley (Najovits, 2003)12. Scholars have believed for a long time that civilization emerged only in four areas, in the fertile river valleys of Tigris and Euphrates, the Nile, the Indus and the Yellow River which is in Southwest Asia, Egypt, India and China. But later ancient civilizations were discovered in Supe River Valley of Peru, and in Republic of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan13. The effect of change from matriarchy to patriarchal society can be found in ancient Mesopotamian civilization as men dominated the society and clearly differentiated wives and prostitute. It is further mentioned that virginity was most definitely required for women to get married (Potts, 1997)14. Potts (1997) further mentions that the position of women in all the early civilizations appears to be inferior as compared to men due to the growing importance of male leadership roles, greater male access to wealth as a result of political manipulation and warfare, and increasing domination of family life by society and the state. But the roles and responsibilities varied in some of the territories like in city-state civilizations, upper class women had greatest public visibility sharing the space with their husbands which was evident in Classic Maya. Men and women enjoyed considerable legal equality in Egypt while in Peru; the complementarity of men and women in many productive tasks was generally recognized. Though women in Shang China have less power in legal and economic matters, Aztec women possessed considerable economic and social freedom (Trigger, 2003).15 The Greek women, from middle and upper class, lived the life of recluse while women of the lower classes enjoyed more freedom of movement, while the women had to contribute her share to the household income by selling goods (Speilvogel, 2011)16. Regarding the status of women in earlier civilizations, Adler and Pouwels (2007) mentioned that women shared more or less equally with men in social prestige and powers in earliest stage of civilization but this egalitarianism was undermined and overturned by the coming of militarized society, the heavy plough in agriculture and the establishment of large scale trade over long distances. It is further stated that the trend toward patriarchy society, where males had social and political dominance, proceeded at various speeds in different societies. In Mesopotamian civilization, women could engage in small scale business but under the supervision of male relative.17 Conclusion Neolithic Age was the turning point in the history of mankind which led the way to innovation and civilization. The agricultural revolution during this age entirely changed the roles of women in society as preferred to earlier roles where they shared the burden of families with men. But innovation of heavier tools , much needed for agriculture, limited the women’s role to household chores transforming the society from matriarchy to patriarchal, providing more power to men. This change remained constant in future civilization wherein women were forbidden from complete freedom and in fact, is evident in present times. References 1. “The Neolithic Revolution” BBC, Accessed July 24, 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2054675 2. Shard D ‘The Neolithic Revolution: An Analogical Overview” Journal of Social History, 7(2) pp.165-170 3. Craig A Lockard Societies, Networks and Transitions, Volume I to 1500: A Global History, Ed 2nd, (USA: Cengage Learning), 2010 4. Duiker William J and Spielvogel Jackson J “The Essential World History” Ed.3rd (USA: Cengage Learning), 7 5. Karimah Safiya ‘Moon Goddess” (New Delhi: iUniverse), 8-9 6. Christ Carol P “Rebirth of the Goddess: Finding meaning in feminist spirituality” (US: Routledge), 60 7. Duiker and Spielvogel “The Essential World History”, 8 8. Lockard “Societies, Networks and Transitions, Volume I to 1500: A Global History”, 21 9. Speilvogel, Jackson J “Western Civilization: to 1500” Vol A Ed. 8th (USA: Cengage Learning), 5 10. Najovits Simson R “Egypt, Trunk of the Tree: A modern survey of an ancient land” Vol; 1-2, (US: Algora Publishing) 11. Potts, Daniel T “Mesopotamian Civilization: The Material Foundation” (Great Britain: Cornell University Press) 12. Trigger Bruce G “Understanding Early Civilizations; A Comparative Study” (US: Cambridge University Press) 194 13. Adler, Philip, J and Pouwels, Randall L “World Civilizations: Since 1500” Ed.5th, (US: Cengage Learning), 25-27 Read More