Batek Value Of Women Analysis

When asked to categorize men and women, all people would be able to answer through the lens of their own cultures. However, would all people from all cultures give the same answers? Are the categories that men and women are placed in part of nature? For categories of men and women to be considered natural, the must be universal throughout human societies. The “natural” categories of man and woman have been characterized as men universally valued over women, especially from the viewpoint of western societies, but studying societies such as the Batek show that this is not a universal. The reason that the value of men has been characterized as greater than the value of women is because of the idea that women are closely associated with nature, …show more content…
As a society, the Batek value each person’s right to make decisions for themselves, including women, “the principle of personal autonomy provided both men and women the freedom to do almost anything they wanted to do. Husbands and wives often cooperated and worked together, but as equal, autonomous partners” (Endicott et al. 2008 45). Batek women are the antithesis of Ortner’s (1972) characterization of women as “accept[ing] her own devaluation” (76). A Batek woman that the Endicotts met during their time studying the group, Tanyogn, exemplifies the non-subordinate position Batek women could achieve. Tanyogn was what Endicott et al. (2008) terms a “natural leader”, who were “older, intelligent, capable individuals—male or female—who had strong, charismatic personalities” (64). Tanyogn was even called “penghulu”, which means headman (Endicott et al. 2008 64). It is clear from the condition of Batek women, who are able to exercise a large amount of personal autonomy that women are not universally reserved to a subordinate …show more content…
Although Ortner (1972) points out patterns that can be seen in many societies that would point to women being associated with the subordinate, less valuable nature and men with the dominate, valued culture, the Batek people show a contradictory way of categorizing men and women. Batek society does not define women by their part in reproduction and childcare, and men are not defined by the cultural activities that they are part of. To the Batek, men and women have the same value. The characterization of women as belonging to a category less valuable than the category of men is not universal, and because of this there can not be established “natural” categories for men and women. The categories men and women are placed in are created by humans through their culture and not established laws of