Differences between the genders
Differential treatment of the sexes can be seen in cultures all around the world. While some cultures favor women, Irish society values boys more than girls. This favoritism is exemplified in the way children are regarded and therefore treated. We can explore a few reasons as to why boys are perceived to be valuable yet fragile individuals. As well as why girls endure a harsher upbringing and what results from it. Lastly, we can see how these social norms are held by the children as well as the adults in this society.
The preference for boys over girls stems a great deal from the days when villagers gave credence to the “old piseogas” that afflict many mothers (272). According to the old piseogas, Nancy Scheper-Hughes …show more content…
Scheper-Hughes explains, “nadiur, or nature, comes to the child through the matriline and is translated to mean kindness, naturalness, warmth, sensitivity, and above all strong feelings for, or attachment to, one’s own kindred” (271). It was believed that children acquired their nadiur through their mother’s milk and only to a certain capacity (271). This allowed for mothers to excuse their preferential treatment of their sons over their daughters. Saying that little boys need more attention and comfort than little girls largely shapes the perceptions and attitudes in which parents develop toward their sons and daughters. The presumed softness and kindness from nadiur in boys is also a quality that many mothers play upon to bind at least one son to themselves and to the land (272). These sons feel compelled to prove loyal to their mother and motherland by staying home to inherit the farm and take care of their mother …show more content…
Scheper-Hughes notes, “by the age of puberty, village girls have learned the womanly arts of child tending, housekeeping, and bread making as well as the social graces necessary for mixing with strangers” (275). By contrast, adolescent boys are exposed sporadically only to things such as agriculture and their fathers work (275). There are expectations that the sons will be in the household longer for the mothers to care for versus their daughters whom will one day leave to marry into a different patriline (272). Only sons pass on the family name, acquire and hold land, as well as ancestral stock
Differential treatment of the sexes can be seen in cultures all around the world. While some cultures favor women, Irish society values boys more than girls. This favoritism is exemplified in the way children are regarded and therefore treated. We can explore a few reasons as to why boys are perceived to be valuable yet fragile individuals. As well as why girls endure a harsher upbringing and what results from it. Lastly, we can see how these social norms are held by the children as well as the adults in this society.
The preference for boys over girls stems a great deal from the days when villagers gave credence to the “old piseogas” that afflict many mothers (272). According to the old piseogas, Nancy Scheper-Hughes …show more content…
Scheper-Hughes explains, “nadiur, or nature, comes to the child through the matriline and is translated to mean kindness, naturalness, warmth, sensitivity, and above all strong feelings for, or attachment to, one’s own kindred” (271). It was believed that children acquired their nadiur through their mother’s milk and only to a certain capacity (271). This allowed for mothers to excuse their preferential treatment of their sons over their daughters. Saying that little boys need more attention and comfort than little girls largely shapes the perceptions and attitudes in which parents develop toward their sons and daughters. The presumed softness and kindness from nadiur in boys is also a quality that many mothers play upon to bind at least one son to themselves and to the land (272). These sons feel compelled to prove loyal to their mother and motherland by staying home to inherit the farm and take care of their mother …show more content…
Scheper-Hughes notes, “by the age of puberty, village girls have learned the womanly arts of child tending, housekeeping, and bread making as well as the social graces necessary for mixing with strangers” (275). By contrast, adolescent boys are exposed sporadically only to things such as agriculture and their fathers work (275). There are expectations that the sons will be in the household longer for the mothers to care for versus their daughters whom will one day leave to marry into a different patriline (272). Only sons pass on the family name, acquire and hold land, as well as ancestral stock