Gender, Kinship and Marriage in ‘A Faraway, Familiar Place’ (Question #5)
Word count: 1 193 (excl. in-text references and bibliography)
Across the scattered region of Melanesia, the relationships between men and women are akin. There is the overall theme of the powerful and fearful nature of women’s bodies as well as their traditional role in caretaking and providing domestic support. This is contrasted by men’s expected abilities to carry themselves with confidence, bravery and to demonstrate leadership. A Faraway Familiar Place illustrates these interactions between Kragur’s people as Smith (2013) recalls his experiences with them and the roots of their beliefs. Kinship in particular is incredibly vital to understanding life in Kragur and …show more content…
Early on in the ethnography Smith explains, “In the 1970s, men feared – and many still do – even the hint of contact with female effluvia, which they believed could cause life-threatening illness” (Smith 2013, p. 10). While both male and female bodily fluids are seen as potentially dangerous, it is clear throughout the text that it is males who take more significant precautions to avoid effluvia – suggesting that the stigma surrounding women is much stronger. As a result of this stigma, women are excluded in a number of ways, such as their prohibition to bathe in the same place as men or their lack of participation in roles of leadership. Luckily for women in Kragur, the restrictions placed upon them are not nearly as suffocating as they are in other regions. In Solomon Islands’ Kwaio, morality is determined by its people’s recognition of taboos – rules that must be followed (Akin 2003). Ancestors dictate the taboos to their descendants, most of which relate to female bodily fluids. It is believed that if a woman does not adhere by taboos, neither confesses them, serious illness will afflict male members of her hamlet. The result of this is a society that constantly turns to women as the cause of any misfortune that befalls her kin. In Kragur, it too is believed that the actions of descendants are punishable by ancestors, however they …show more content…
Just as all three components in Kragur are tied, much the same occurs across widespread Melanesia, including the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanautu. While men and women often pursue activities in different spheres, there is crossover in collaboration activities and mutual respect given to the physical and spiritual powers of both genders. As the push for Papua New Guinea to become ‘modern’ continues through rapid globalization, the responsibilities of men and women in relation to their kin begin to loosen and slowly transition toward a more individualistic and progressive concept of
Word count: 1 193 (excl. in-text references and bibliography)
Across the scattered region of Melanesia, the relationships between men and women are akin. There is the overall theme of the powerful and fearful nature of women’s bodies as well as their traditional role in caretaking and providing domestic support. This is contrasted by men’s expected abilities to carry themselves with confidence, bravery and to demonstrate leadership. A Faraway Familiar Place illustrates these interactions between Kragur’s people as Smith (2013) recalls his experiences with them and the roots of their beliefs. Kinship in particular is incredibly vital to understanding life in Kragur and …show more content…
Early on in the ethnography Smith explains, “In the 1970s, men feared – and many still do – even the hint of contact with female effluvia, which they believed could cause life-threatening illness” (Smith 2013, p. 10). While both male and female bodily fluids are seen as potentially dangerous, it is clear throughout the text that it is males who take more significant precautions to avoid effluvia – suggesting that the stigma surrounding women is much stronger. As a result of this stigma, women are excluded in a number of ways, such as their prohibition to bathe in the same place as men or their lack of participation in roles of leadership. Luckily for women in Kragur, the restrictions placed upon them are not nearly as suffocating as they are in other regions. In Solomon Islands’ Kwaio, morality is determined by its people’s recognition of taboos – rules that must be followed (Akin 2003). Ancestors dictate the taboos to their descendants, most of which relate to female bodily fluids. It is believed that if a woman does not adhere by taboos, neither confesses them, serious illness will afflict male members of her hamlet. The result of this is a society that constantly turns to women as the cause of any misfortune that befalls her kin. In Kragur, it too is believed that the actions of descendants are punishable by ancestors, however they …show more content…
Just as all three components in Kragur are tied, much the same occurs across widespread Melanesia, including the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanautu. While men and women often pursue activities in different spheres, there is crossover in collaboration activities and mutual respect given to the physical and spiritual powers of both genders. As the push for Papua New Guinea to become ‘modern’ continues through rapid globalization, the responsibilities of men and women in relation to their kin begin to loosen and slowly transition toward a more individualistic and progressive concept of