World History College - Essay Example

YOUR FULL YOUR Women in ical Society ical societies such as those in China, India, and the Middle East have contributed much to civilization as we know it. Over the course of their cultural development, the role of women has changed dramatically. Given the patriarchal nature of the classical societies, many women were subjected to treatment that would be considered abusive by today's standards. There are two notable things, however, that contributed to their conduct and condition; the type and degree of social system within the society, and the affluence of the woman's family.

Of all the classical societies, those based upon Islamic law offered women a better opportunity for occupational and family contribution because of their status under the law as well as the writings of the prophet Mohammed himself. The condition of women within a particular society was dramatically impacted by the amount of socialization the central culture had developed. For example, India had a heavy caste system wherein women were viewed as weak, frivolous, unimportant, etc. (AUTHOR # 1 132).

The fact that the social system perceived women in such a negative light, and was then too inflexible to accommodate change, resulted in women remaining in oppressive or inferior positions with no recourse. In fact, it was the very development of these types of systems that relegated women to a lower class structure. As AUTHOR # 2 states, "women enjoyed broader occupational options and a stronger voice within the family and in society as a whole before the emergence of centralized politics and highly stratified social systems (AUTHOR # 2 268).

Not unpredictably, the more money a woman's family possessed, the better daily life she lived. A poor woman would be expected to work in the field or perform other menial tasks while a rich woman would be less likely to experience hardship. They might both be considered "second class" and subordinated to husbands or fathers, but the quality of life for women on an individual level was certainly impacted by their financial resources. Of all the classical societies, the Middle East seems to have been the best culture for women, at least during this period of time.

As AUTHOR # 3 says "because of Islamic religion and law, in all locales and at all class levels, the position of women in the middle East never deteriorated to the same extent as in India, China, and many other civilized centers" (AUTHOR #3 269). As societies became more political and social structure more rigid, the position of women declined in the rising face of patriarchal control. In the Middle East, this decline was less pronounced than in other areas. Perhaps this was the best place available at the time, but it still doesn't sound like that great of a deal if you were a woman living in a classical historic society.

Works Cited(AUTHOR # 1) LAST NAME, AUTHOR FIRST NAME. Part II: The Classical Period in World History. CITY: PUBLISHER, YEAR.(AUTHOR # 2) LAST NAME, AUTHOR FIRST NAME. Part III: The Post-classical Era. CITY: PUBLISHER, YEAR.(AUTHOR # 3) LAST NAME, AUTHOR FIRST NAME. The First Global Civilization: The Rise and Spread of Islam. CITY: PUBLISHER, DATE.