Which cultures did Margaret Mead study?
The Arapesh, Mundugamor, and Tchambuli people. Each has a different view of gender.
What did the Arapesh people study look like?
- women and men both shared similar experiences
- “equally happy, trustful, and confident”
- shared child rearing
What did the Mundugamor people study look like?
- men and women expected to be equally aggressive
- fathers and sons have a violent rivalry
- women hate child rearing and being pregnant
What did the Tchabuli people study look like?
- men and women seen as exact opposites
- men are the “feminine” ones, and women are the “masculine” ones
- men are nurturing and gossipy
- women are providers and sexual initiatiors
Define how functionalism explains the gender division of labour.
It states that the sex based division of labour arose due to the growing populations, which created more complex activities and therefore requiring learned skills.
We don’t need the sexual division of labour anymore, so why do we still have it.
Power.
What are the 3 points several theorists believe caused the sexual division of labour.
- Private property
- War
- Male bonding
How did the introduction of private property cause sexual division?
Friedrich Engles says it is because with the introduction of private property came inheritance lines. Women were not chosen to be inherit property. Therefore the men inherited it, and gained economic power and control with it.
How did warfare cause sexual division?
For warfare, the men needed to be rewarded for their efforts. Therefore women were offered as rewards.
How did male bonding contribute to the sex divide?
Theorized that men didn’t bond with their mothers enough.
Define couvade.
A tradition in some cultures where the man watches their partner give birth, and even imitates it.
Define purdah.
A tradition in some cultures (mostly in Islam) where women are completely separated from men.
What are the Navajo nation’s three genders?
Man, woman, and nadle.
What is nadle?
- male presenting or androgynous
- they do tasks assigned to men and women
- addressed with feminine kinship terms
- has high status, respected
What is the sworn virgin gender identity in Albania?
- if a family doesnt have a son, they may designate their daughter as a sworn virgin
- the sworn virgin adopts a masculine identity
- lifelong chastity
What is an alyha in Mohave culture?
A boy who shows preference for feminine clothes and toys will be designated as this. He then adopts feminine roles and dresses himself as a woman. He would marry a man.
