Dis Intro Ref
Rd Questioning Women’s Subordination
Questioning Women’s Subordination: Cross-Cultural Insights from
Anthropology
By
Abstract
This review article discusses several ways in
which women’s subordination has been addressed invarious cultural contexts:
from Thailand to Poland, Bulgaria, Greece and Egypt. The paper points to how
the concept of gender intertwines with labour, consumption, modernity, migrant
experiences, kinship, reproduction, personhood, ethics and religious practices.
The cases brought to the fore reconceptualise the domination and resistance
doublet and provide novel ways to conceptualize and address gender, not only as
a constructed identity, but also as embodied performance. Without aiming to
paint a detailed picture of feminist anthropology, the paper explores how ideas
developed in these inquiries question the taken-for-granted assumption about
the universality of women’s subordination and challenge the emancipation
prerequisite of feminist agenda.
Topics: Anthropology,
Ethnography, Women's subordination, Domination-resistance
Publisher: University
of Bucharest
Year: 2010
Provided by Directory
of Open Access Journals
Downloaded from http://doctorat.sas.unibuc.ro/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/SimonaCiotlaus_Compaso2010.pdf
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Questioning Women’s Subordination
My notes:
Why does it have to be "subordination"?
The term is used not because as explained here due to the fact that
women are bearer of children, and therefore, the weaker, more dependent person.
Rather, the real reasons should be clarified as due to nature's general innate
gifts of softness for women and strength for men. One characteristic however,
should not be at the expense of the other! Rather, it should be regarded as in
order to harmonise the human tendencies between masculinity and femininity. A
harmony, which does not infer dominance of one over the other, rather assigned
complementing traits to make the image of two individual entities into one
perfect whole. Subordination is not a female function, it is rather an image
assigned by society to suit the needs of the times, rather than the needs of
gender differences or gender identities.
Subordination is defined as “1. Belonging to
a lower or inferior class or rank; secondary. 2. Subject to the authority or
control of another”. Therefore, invariably, ‘Subordination’
equates with a meaning of submissiveness, conjuring images of slavery and
dominion. There is a sense of a kind of forced ownership of a master over its slave and property. A state of
condition which would be demeaning to any human being, let alone a women or a
men.
In this case, women have been assigned, erroneously, such position by
certain people, societies and culture. Some proclaim religion too, but of
course, it would seem to a truly cultured and sophisticated mind as pure none-sense,
a barbaric thought taken from the middle ages. Sadly, some have managed to survive
our current times, under the disguise of a multitude of economic reasons and social
financial gains to suit the needs of mostly, men as well as women, in various positions of power, with some actually abusing the role too a great extent, for selfish and
materialistic reasons as well.
On gender terms, these entitlements and negations having nothing
to do with true reality as it is: Women and men are equal human beings, each
endowed with particular gifts and aptitude to suit the needs of their nature.
Period! The rest is simple hocus-pocus with damaging, devastating effects, created
by those in charge to suit their own blinded reasons! Such has been the case
for centuries, and for many a state of affairs to suit the selfish and greedy
needs of their times.
At work, 'subordinates' should become an obsolete term, never to be used amongst fellow peers, colleagues, team mates, but replaced by more suitable and dignified representative nouns and titles, such as: partners, fellow, assistants, deputy, colleagues.
For those in higher ranks, leaders in their fields and departments would then be referred to most appropriately as supervisors, guides, consultants, heads of (unit/dept/division...), teachers, and so on. These would give plenty of appropriate entitlement and pride to both groups: For those perceived still in a state of development and preparation, and for those who have proven themselves capable of leading eager 'followers', fully equipped to show the way, prepare, mentor and fulfill promises of great accomplishments for other to follow suit, wholeheartedly, and with confidence of a better future being laid ahead.
