Male Daughters Femals Husbands Essay Example for Free

Male Daughters Femals Husbands Essay I chose the book Male daughters, female husbands by Ifi Amadiume. The reason I chose this book is because I have always been curious about the role of women in non western countries and why they were viewed as being subservient to men by their own as well as the western world. Ifi Amadiume, a Nigerian sociologist with a London University doctorate, conducted research in her own family area to study gender and sex in an African Society. Challenging the received orthodoxies of social anthropology, Ifi Amadiume argues that in precolonial society, sex and gender did not necessarily coincide. In the book she examines the structures that enable women to achieve power and shows that roles are neither rigidly masculine nor feminine. This study that was conducted relates to social anthropology. The study was conducted in Nnobi, a town in the only Igbo area which has not been studied in detail by any scientist or anthropologist. Fieldwork was conducted in Nnobi between 1980 and 1982 on the Igbo people. As a result of the 1976 local government reform which divided Nigeria into 19 states and 299 local governments, Nnobi became one of the towns in the Idemili local government. Most of the Igbo people were also separated between states. The 1963 population census put the total number of Igbo people at 7,209,716. The study is divided into three periods: pre-colonial, when the traditional systems operated: colonial, when the British ruled Nigeria: and post-colonial, when Nigeria became an independent nation. There were further divisions of these periods such as Gender and the economy, the ideology of gender, and the general beliefs about men and women in which we will look into further in the following paragraphs. First we will take a look at gender and the economy. This was part of the pre-colonial period. It is within this period that ideologies behind the Igbo and Nnobi , their sexual division of labor, and those governing the relations of production originated. As a result of ecological factors, agricultural production was not profit in Nnobi, hence the development of a sexual division of labor and gender ideology which gave women a central place in the subsistence economy, while men sought authority through ritual specialization and ritual control. The gender ideology governing economic production was that of female industriousness. The name of the town itself Nnobi reflects matrifocality in Nnobi culture or matricentric principle in household organization; mothers and children formed distinct, economically self-sufficient sub-compound units classified as female in relation to the male front section of the compound. There was a dual-sex organization principle behind the structure of the economy, which was supported by various gender ideologies. These principles and ideologies governed the economic activities of men and women. They also governed access to wealth, wives, achievement-based status and many other things within their community. Material wealth was converted into prestige and power through title-taking, the acquisition of more wives and more labor power, more material wealth. Wealth for men included possession of things like houses, many wives and daughters, livestock, and land. Wealth for women included things like livestock, fowls, dogs’, farm and garden crops, daughters and many wealthy and influential sons. Males and females symbols of wealth were very similar even though in principle they did not own the same things. One very important economic resource which women did not own was land. A flexible gender system mediated the dual-sex organizational principle. Nnobi society was based on strict sexual dualism, whereby women’s economic and political organizations were separate from those of men. Through manipulation of gender concepts and flexible gender construction in language, the dual-sex barrier is broken down or mediated. Ideology of gender guided the Igbo people, however it was possible for men and women to share attributes. The system of few linguistic distinctions between male and female gender also makes it possible for men and women to play some social roles in which, we ( the western world) carry rigid sex and gender association. The Igbo language in comparison with the English language, has not built up rigid associations between certain adjectives or attributes and gender subjects, nor certain objects and gender possessive pronouns. There is no usage of the word ‘man’ to represent both sexes, neither is there the option of saying ‘he or she’, ’him or her’ , or ‘his or her’. This of linguistic system of few gender distinctions makes it possible to conceptualize certain social roles as separate from sex and gender, hence the possibility for either sex to fill the role. This does not mean that there is no competition between the sexes, and situations in which a particular sex monopolize roles and positions. One example of a situation in which women played roles ideally occupied by men were ‘male daughters’ and ‘female husbands’; in either role, women acted as family head. The Igbo word for family head is genderless. In Nnobi society and culture, there was one head or master of a family at a time, and ‘male daughters’ and ‘female husbands’ were called by the same term, which translated into English would be ‘master’. The reverse applied to those in a wife relationship to others. The Igbo word for wife is a genderless expression meaning a person who belongs to the home of the master of the home. Although there were genderless words within this culture there were still general beliefs about men and women that set them apart. Men and women were talked of or judged according to the roles expected of them as full social adults. What was stressed about men was their duty to provide for and protect their families. This culture did not stereotype bad men. Unfortunately this was not the case with women. Similar to the society we live in today everyone in this culture knew the attributes of a bad woman. Bad women were those who failed in their wifely and maternal duties and sentiments. This type of woman usually did not take care of her husband, was bad tempered, and ate food without giving any to her husband. A bad woman also did not take very good care of the children. I found this to be very similar how we view ‘bad ‘women as well in our society. In contrast to a bad woman was the good woman. The good women were usually a good daughter, wife, and mother. She looked after her husband, never refused him food, and made sure things around the household were taken care of. If her husband was unable to provide for the family financially she was able to help him through her own efforts. She always protected her children from any form of danger, and if necessary she would even protect them from their father. The industriousness, which is what was meant by good character, was inculcated in a woman in her father’s house, and would pay dividends in her husband’s house. In conclusion this book really brought about some insight how the fact that biological sex did not always correspond to ideological gender. This meant that women could play roles usually monopolized by men, or be classified as ‘males’ in terms of power and authority over others. In contrast the Western culture and the Christian religion carried rigid gender ideologies. This gender system meant that roles are strictly masculine or feminine; breaking gender rules carries a sigma. In new gender realities, such women are still defined as females, however they are no longer involved in domestic female roles.

The Growing Need For The Aware :: essays research papers fc

We as Americans need to become more sensitive to our use of language because with the increasing number of ethnic groups in the country one has to be cautious as to how they should define a certain group. Political correctness is a type of medium that helps us come to respect and communicate with the diverse group of races and cultures. Before we go on any further we must first define the meaning of political correctness. According to Webster's Dictionary, political correctness is the ideology that shows sensitivity, tolerance, and respect for another's race, gender, sexual preference, nationality, religion, age, physical handicap, or other especially if it differs from one's own. In other words, political correctness (better known as PC) is behavior and speech manifested in people of all race and culture that reflects an open-minded attitude towards other people present within the society today. For example, being 'PC'; refers to using phrases as 'physically challenged'; instead of 'disabled'; and 'Asian'; rather than 'Oriental.'; This term originated, interestingly enough, after the Civil Rights Movement and during the birth of modern feminism when many minority groups were fighting for their rights as Americans. The meaning of the words was not as significant back then as they are now. Political correctness has a completely different meaning today and it holds a lot of truths to it because it gives us that leverage to appropriately address someone without offending him or her. Many people these days are using the politically correct terms, especially business people, teachers, politicians, journalists, etc. It is sad to say that there are many more people whom simply do not realize what they say can be insulting. There are many examples in today's society where people haven't been considerate of other people's feelings and have been extremely un-PC. Most recently the so-called 'shock jock';, Doug Tracht who works in Washington DC, played music by Lauryn Hill on his radio show (MSNBC local news online). Hill is the black hip-hop artist nominated for 10 Grammy awards. On air, he remarked 'No wonder people drag them behind trucks.'; The statement referred to the brutal death of a black man in Texas who was dragged behind a truck. This is not the first time Tracht has gotten in trouble for a racial remark. In 1986 at another local radio station, Tracht made a derogatory remark about Martin Luther King day. That radio station was picketed and received bomb threats from angry people before Tracht made an on-air apology.

Gender: an Ambiguous Factor

Referencing the role that gender played in early twentieth century rural life made for an interesting character dynamic in this play. Susan Glaspell’s Trifles presents a murder mystery with a slightly twisted plot. The play itself, at first glance, seems simple enough. A man is murdered, his wife thought to be the murderer. An investigation is forged in their quaint farmhouse. However, the men are unable to find anything that leads to a motive. But then the twist! The women are able to solve the murder and choose not to share the findings with their husbands.What exactly hinders the investigation set forth by the men? A case can be made in gender differences. The mental approach of each sex determines everything. The dynamic between the women, their husbands, and the county attorney creates a mental divide that cannot be bridged. Inevitably, what appears to be a simple plot, seemingly filled with mere trifles, the end of the play quickly develops into something that is almost surreal. Within a casual conversation the women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, manage to recreate Minnie Wright’s state of mind – seemingly putting themselves through her last day in the farmhouse.In an article analyzing the play, Suzy Clarkson Holstein remarks that, â€Å"the play represents a profound conflict between two models of perception and behavior† (Holstein 282). On the whole, the men and women involved observed the identical information – with the exception of the canary. However, minus the canary, the women were already reconstructing Minnie’s life with John Wright. In their reconstruction they are able to uncover and comprehend evidence that would seem like useless information to the formal investigation the men were conducting. The county attorney searching the Wrights’ home cannot detect the significance in a loaf of bread left out of the breadbox, a kitchen table half wiped, a quilt in progress, and a missing pet canary† (Marsh 201-02). These simple details prove to be the key to ending the mystery. Holstein’s analysis goes on to mention the â€Å"ultimate moral choice† as presented to the women. Here she references, â€Å"their way of knowing leads them not simply to knowledge; it also leads to the decision about how to act on that knowledge† (Holstein 282). On the notion of morality alone, the reader must analyze several debates.What exactly is at stake here for these women? And, if they withhold information from the investigation, are they harming themselves? The men have been neglecting the observations of the women, even teasing them for their observations. Mr. Hale comments, â€Å" Well, women are used to worrying over trifles† (Glaspell 938) and later, overhearing a conversation between the women, Sheriff Peters comments, â€Å"They wonder if she was going to quilt it or just knot it† (Glaspell 941). Immediately after his remark the stage directions state, à ¢â‚¬Å"The men laugh, the women look abashed† (Glaspell 941).There isn’t even the slightest hint of spousal respect here! The men dismiss the thoughts of the women because they are merely women. They do not believe that they could be of any aid to the investigation at hand. Have the women compromised their morality when evading the truth with their husbands? The men’s perspective is completely regimented. Their tunnel vision approach seems to be a hindrance in the investigation. They are unable to come to any conclusions about Mrs. Wright’s motive to kill her husband. In the final moments of dialogue, Mr.Henderson can be heard saying, â€Å"No, Peters, it’s all perfectly clear except a reason for doing it†¦ If there was some definite thing†¦ a thing that would connect up with this strange way of doing it – â€Å" (Glaspell 945). Holstein’s article in â€Å"The Midwest Quarterly† makes an interesting statement comparin g biological and cultural issues in regards to the way both parties observe the facts. â€Å"Certainly, during the early part of the twentieth century, the duties and structures of women’s lives would have predisposed them to approach a problem from a different angle than that of the men† (Holstein 288).This is evident in her mention of sex vs. gender and its implications. Sex, referring strictly to the biological, and gender, referring strictly to the cultural implications of gender roles in society. â€Å"The men, Mann argues†¦ strove to be first with a quick, firm answer. Women on the other hand valued cooperation and worked to interconnect, taking time to make up their minds† (qtd. in Holstein 289). The juxtaposition of these two terms most always sparks an interesting debate. Some see them as one in the same, while others see them as two completely separate entities.The debate between sex and gender comes up often in the debate on transgender issues. à ¢â‚¬Å"Just as Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters understand well the hardships of the rural lifestyle they share with the accused Mrs. Wright, so Elle finds that the accused Mrs. Windham is a ‘peer’† (Marsh 201). This statement draws parallels between Trifles and the 2001 film, Legally Blonde. In a 2005 article for â€Å"Literature Film Quarterly,† Kelly A. Marsh paired the message of sisterhood in the pages of Trifles with similar messages in a 21st century blockbuster hit.The similarities in these two works are uncanny and whether the parallels are intentional is unclear. Marsh explains, â€Å" the key evidence in both cases is precisely the evidence that the men overlook† (Marsh 201). Parallels at many levels can be drawn from Glaspell’s text. The women’s ability to uncover key points of evidence and solve this murder mystery speaks volumes to their characters, and, their husbands’ inability to see things for what they really are. â₠¬Å"The women in this play develop a highly differentiated and reflective moral schema† (Holstein 288).They make conscious decisions to hide the evidence that solves the murder from the men. In the closing stage directions, Glaspell writes, â€Å"Suddenly Mrs. Peters throws back quilt pieces and tries to put the box in the bag she is wearing. It is too big. Sound of a doorknob turning in the other room. Mrs. Hale snatches the box and puts it in the pocket of her big coat† (Glaspell 945). In this moment the women have overcome their husbands and shown that their mere trifles can indeed come in handy.

The Effects Of Sleep On Teen Health - 1981 Words

According to The Journal of Youth and Adolescence, with every hour of sleep lost by a teenage student, there is a 38 percent increased risk of that student being sad and hopeless and a 58 percent increase in suicide attempts (Gregoire par. 8). This horrific fact is proof that not only does sleep have a significant impact on teen health, but it can lead to frightening results such as suicide and depression. Many argue that the teenage years is the most significant time in development, so it seems counterproductive that some schools’ schedules deprive students of much needed sleep. By implementing a later start time than currently exists, schools would enhance students’ chances for success. A later start time for high school classes would result in more sleep time, which is beneficial to students because adequate sleep elevates mood, enhances health, and improves academic performance. High school students often stay up late at night sand as a result, have difficulties get ting up in the morning to go to school. A later school time for students would mean an extended amount of time for these students to catch up on sleep. Sleep studies have shown that with increased hours of sleep, a teenagers mood can become elevated. According to a Minnesota study of Minneapolis high schools, shifting start times from 7:15 to 8:40 a.m. resulted in students being more active in classes and not falling asleep at their desks. Students were clearly more alert at the start of the school day, andShow MoreRelatedAdolescent Sleep Deprivation: Causes, Effects, and Prevention1438 Words   |  6 PagesAdolescent Sleep Deprivation: Causes, Effects, and Prevention Adolescent sleep deprivation is a common problem in today’s society, and it is also a very dangerous one. 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