Spotlight on Students: Gender Assignment

The following post features exemplary student work from my Introduction to Cultural Anthropology students.  They were tasked with discussing a gender across cultures.  I hope you enjoy learning about gender.

Laura Redl

Anth 101: 1005: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Across the world all different cultures and societies practice different gender roles, norms, and identities for females and males. The Arapesh, Mundugumor, and Tchambui of the Papua New Guinea all exhibit different gender cultural norms and ideals, signifying that these are not inborn characteristics but are instead shaped through society. All three cultures differ greatly from each other and from American norms. Through the studying and reading of the ethnographic studies and different scholarly journals of anthropologists around the world I learned that gender and gender roles are extremely important to society and do not have to go by American standards to receive respect.

The Arapesh of Papua New Guinea were people who shared the same characteristics and ideals about each sex but were very different than the common ideals Americans place on males and females. The Arapesh were interested in little violence, and both sexes focused on raising the children of the village in a loving and caring environment (Yans). This culture very much appreciated child bearing and the challenges in raising children; their main focus was to be maternal individuals so that their children grew up in a loving home. The identities of each sex were very much blended and mixed to meet the same standard (Lipset). Quick sex was feared, rape unknown, and it was uncommon that men had a desire for other women outside their marriage because men did not have the aspiration to lead or boast (Lipset).

The common roles for men and women in America lie at complete opposite sides of the spectrum. Men are supposed to be aggressive and manly in a sense of not being afraid to get what they want and taking initiative. Women, on the other hand, are supposed to be fragile and nurturing. The contrast in Arapesh and America even made an impact on the two sexes studying them, Margaret Mead and Reo Fortune. Mead greatly appreciated the love and admiration for child bearing, whereas Fortune got upset with the culture and refused to agree with their maternal expectation, saying that the men were actually naturally violent (Sanday). This is an example of projecting our expectations and ideals on another culture because we want to believe the American ways are the most correct.

            The Mundugumor of Papua New Guinea were the complete opposite of the Arapesh and demonstrated an appreciation for being warlike, had many wives, and despised child bearing and the raising children (Yans). This culture was dominated by the men and men held the central role and example for what both sexes should exhibit. The men were supposed to be violent, fearless, and fierce, influencing the role for women to encourage fighting and not want to be nurturing or care for their children (Lipset). Again, we are faced with a culture that blends the two roles for men and women, whereas in America we aim for men and women to have very different gender identities and values. In Mundugumor, children were annoyances and child bearing was despised, men hated when their wives would become pregnant, and women did not want to raise them in a loving manner, causing the children to learn quickly they must be tough (Lipset). The reason that the child bearing was so despised was because the women and multiple wives of these men were their main source of labor, causing men to fight to have more wives and not wanting them to get pregnant and delay work (Lipset). This patrilineal society and use of women as workers causes maternal instincts and norms to be unappreciated and unwanted. Men were the head of the society and women wanted to please them influencing them to also resent child bearing and causing them to resent the children and being unloving. In America we have a better appreciation for child bearing because we realize we need women to have children in order to survive and therefore place more recognition on women and maternal values.

            The Tchambui of Papua New Guinea demonstrated the opposite gender norms for men and women that Americans have. The women were very businesslike, handled finances, and dressed the men and children, but the men were catty, liked shopping, and were not aggressive at all (Yans). The women held the most important jobs in the society because they took what was thought to be the main job, trading. Without the women trading the society would not succeed or survive so men had to be very appreciative and grateful for these women. The women held the real position of power in the society which meant that they were the dominate figures (Lipset). The men were always gossiping and suspicious of each other, they had no desire to be aggressive and were constantly trying to give the women what they wanted (Lipset). This is the opposite of American gender norms because the women are supposed to be the gossipy and unaggressive sex, and the males are supposed to be the breadwinners and leaders. The men are expected to get the jobs in society and the women want to please the men.

            The views of the different societies and gender roles in the Papua New Guinea were so different than the views of Americans because the men’s and women’s roles were all held at different levels of need. The women in the Arapesh were seen as dominant because they were the ones who could keep the society surviving and so their nurturing and loving roles were very much appreciated and desired. The men wanted to be like the women because they were so grateful for having them there to have children. The Mundugumor favored the men because they help the highest positions in society in their extensive trade network and leading the society. Women wanted to work for men and cause them to be successful, so they hated when they had to have children and resented raising their children. The Tchambui of the Papua New Guinea had opposite sex roles of Americans. The women were the breadwinners and would provide for the family yet the men were suspicious and catty. The women dominated and controlled daily resources, so men wanted to please the women and keep them happy.

            By taking a deeper look at the different societies views on gender roles and identities I was able to understand that females and males do not have innate norms or values for the characteristics each sex should exhibit. If so many variations were possible, then sex roles were not inborn and masculine and feminine behavior was determined by culture (Yans). The roles of men and women can be shaped by whatever their roles are in society and how valued their roles seem to those in the culture. I gained a deeper understanding that both gender roles and both characteristics of men and women can be valued and it does not have to be dependent on their sex. Women can act as Americans might think would to be manly and be highly appreciated and men can act as we might think of as girly and remain important to the society. Men and women do not need to act in a way our society deems “correct” in order to be a success and appreciated.

Works Cited

Lipset, David. "Regarding Sex and Temperament: Margaret Mead's Sepik Triptych and Its Ethnographic Critics." Anthropological Quarterly 76.4. Academic Search Main Edition, 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 2003.

Sanday, Peggy Reeves. "Margaret Mead's View of Sex Roles in Her Own and Other Societies." American Anthropological Association 82.2 (1980): 340-48. Print.

Yans-McLaughlin, Virginia." WAYF | Alexander Street Press. Alexander Street Press LLC, 1996. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.