Along the border of Burma and Thailand, the “giraffe women” of the Karen tribe are known for their utilization of brass rings to extend the length of their neck. The Karen people live beside the Pai River, which divides Burma and Thailand. Within the Karen people, there is a subgroup of women known as the Padaung. Recognizable around the world for their wildly elongated necks, the Padaung women have practiced this custom for centuries. Although the reasoning for adorning their necks in this unique jewelry has changed throughout the years, the Padaung continue to carry out this tradition today. Starting at the age of five or six, young Padaung girls receive their first ring, which is a long, brass coil about four inches tall. After receiving their first ring, the coils are described as being “....added sporadically until a limit of 21-25 is reached”. Although in some cases women have exceeded this limit, for example, “The record, according to one village woman, is 28 brass rings” (Gluckman). Initially, the collar weighs about four and a half pounds, but as rings are added, it can weigh up to 22 pounds. Over time, the weight of these coils can become strenuous and cause damage to the body.
The elongation of these women's necks is actually an illusion created by the rings; their necks are not any longer than
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On the other hand, others wore the collar because they believed it symbolized wealth and beauty. Additionally, some of the Padaung women believed that wearing the rings would prevent tigers from biting their necks. When the practice first began, only specific women were allowed to wear the coils, “Traditionally, it was only the Padaung girls born on a Wednesday of a full moon who were destined to wear the coils” (Women of the). However as the Padaung women became a popular attraction, more women began to wear the rings to supply for tourist
Further research although, allows us to understand more in depth the importance and history of the Tai-me Sun Dance doll. According to Kiowa Nation, the Tai-me is the most sacred possession of the tribe. The first Tai-me came from an Arapaho man who married into the tribe in the 1700’s. There once was three Tai-me figures which were, the “woman”, the “man”, and another figure, however Osgaes captured the figures but returned them in 1837 when the treaty was signed. Then the Utes captured two of the figures and they never returned. The Tai-me keeper has many important roles in the Sun Dance such as deciding whether the dance will be held and preparing for the dance. This historical context is important and connects with the chapter because it allows the reader to understand Tai-me’s past and importance to the
In conclusion the Kwakiutl tribe is steadfast in tradition and culture. The works of the Kwakiutl artists and the leaders of the religious ceremonies are most certainly working hand in hand carrying on traditions past on from earlier generations. The Kwakiutl artisans have mastered the art of making ceremonial masks and these masks will continue to play an intricate role in the lives and living of the villagers for years to come.
Marjorie Shostak, an anthropologist who had written this book had studies the !Kung tribe for two years. Shostak had spent the two years interviewing the women in the society. The !Kung tribe resided n the Dobe area of Northwest Botswana, that’s infused with a series of clicks, represented on paper by exclamation points and slashes. Shostak had studied that the people of the tribe relied mostly on nuts of the mongongo, which is from an indigenous tree that’s part of their diet.
together for the better of the shared children. The women had a say in how they would help
Leading up to the celebration the girls are taught a certain dance that must be performed at the ceremony. “the new initiates are brought into town for the first time since the initiation process began…” At the ceremony the Mende girls wear a Sowei mask and costume which is considered to be the embodiment of the river spirt Sowo. Once the mask and costume is on the person transforms and her actions are no longer hers but are the actions of the spirt Sowo. A sacred dance is performed and dance moves represent the strength and power of woman as members in the Mende community. “Sowo mask are divided into three structural components- the neck, face, and coiffure. Carved from a single block of lightweight wood, the masks weigh only two to four pounds. The mask displays a shiny black surface representative of the value assigned to smooth dark skin.” The rings around the masks neck demonstrates a trait that is considered beautiful in Mende cultures. Every mask has a different hairstyle, representing the style of the woman the mask is made for, you can see items such as shells, metal and claws on the coiffure.
Cambodia is one the poor country in Southeast Asia that has the highest Maternal mortality rate. This undeveloped country could make a woman die when they give childbirth. Almost of the victim’s women are living in the province because the health center is too far from their home. Moreover, this is important for me to investigate this topic because I want to prevent this bad issue and get rid out of it. There are many reasons that women still die during childbirth, such as, time (before, during and after childbirth issue), age, low-income country and tradition.
Do you believe that the women of Islam are oppressed or do you believe that these women are treated equally? The question has arisen whether there is true equality between men and women in the Islamic community. There are many different positions and views regarding this topic. It is especially apparent more recently that women are striving and doing all that they can to have equality. “The past twenty years have been some of the darkest in women’s lives. With the anti-secularist backlash, the rise of political Islam, and efforts over the past two decades to impose religion on the people thousands have been executed - decapitated or stoned to death- and medieval laws to suppress women have been revived.” A source from http://www.famafrique.org says. This articles goes on to say that the media portrays a different image than how things really are.
Females have to dress like a man, act like a man, and be like a man; to get a “man’s” job.
In her article "The body as attire," Dorothy Ko (1997) reviewed the history about foot binding in seventeenth-century China, and expressed a creative viewpoint. Foot binding began in Song Dynasty, and was just popular in upper social society. With the gradually popularization of foot binding, in the end of Song Dynasty, it became generally popular. In Qing Dynasty, foot binding was endowed deeper meaning that was termed into a tool to against Manchu rule. The author, Dorothy Ko, studied from another aspect which was women themselves to understand and explained her shifting meaning of foot binding. Dorothy Ko contends that “Chinese Elite males in the seventeenth century regarded foot binding in three ways: as an expression of Chinese wen civility,
...ved with a phallic protrusion on its head to indicate virility and power. The purpose was principally psychological to make an individual feel protected.
The feminist movement in the United States and abroad was a political and social movement that pursued the establishment of equality for women. The movement changed the lives of many women and created a profound effect on American society during the twentieth century. Throughout the first two decades of the century, women 's groups in the United States operated together to win women 's suffrage, concluding in the approval of a constitutional amendment in 1920 that guaranteed women the right to vote. During the late twentieth century, women 's organizations would once again group together, this time to verbalize and advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Feminists also influenced literature during this time period. Novels regarding feminist beliefs started to appear, such as Betty Freidan’s “The Feminine Mystique” (1963), which is considered to impact the start of the second wave of feminism. Other forms of literature were starting to express these opinions as well. Lorraine Hansberry’s play, “A Raisin in the Sun” is a key example of sexual and political inequality shown in literature, and depicts a mother
As we all know, women and men are different in their own distinctive ways. But together they make for a great partnership in the work field. Equality among men and women for the rights to coexist has moved our country in a new direction for women within the last century. The feminist movement was widely needed between 1848 and the 1920’s because women lacked the right to vote, among other things. Since women have been able to get to where they have been going within the movement, success for them has been greater than ever in modern times. But, there is always room for improvement in other aspects of equality. While we may never achieve perfect gender equality, there is still some injustices should not be overlooked. Women may be able to be
Bernstein, Gail Lee. “Women in Rural Japan” In Women In Changing Japan, edited by Lebra Joyce, Paulson Joy and Power Elizabeth. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1976.
Throughout history women have had to endure horrible things to be deemed beautiful. The ancient tradition of foot binding in China, however, takes the “beauty is pain” concept to a whole new level. Foot binding, also known as lotus feet, is the Chinese custom of applying painfully tight binding to the feet of a young girl to break all of the bones in both feet and to also prevent further growth in order to keep the feet three inches long. Although one may feel that this was completely ridiculous, having this procedure done meant that a girl will be able to get married to a wealthy man and will be referred to as attractive. The cost of beauty comes with a massive price as well. The loss of the ability to walk is the biggest price a Chinese girl had to pay in order to be accepted in the Chinese culture. During the Sung Dynasty period, women have mutilated, bound, deformed, permanently damaged and altered their bodies not only to be accepted in society, but also to satisfy men erotically and sexually as well as weaken themselves to make men feel more powerful.
The two articles by Reed (1999) troubling boys and disturbing discourses and by Ringrose (2007) gender and education. Both of these articles highlight how gender plays a role in education. For example, it shows how girls outplay boys in exams.