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Different marriages in different cultures
Marriage differences between cultures
Different marriages in different cultures
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In Stephanie Coontz’ book, the history of patriarchy in marriage is considerably more prominent compared to other marital systems. In one example, Coontz delves the reader into historical contexts dating back to past civilizations, such as the Roman Empire when Julius Caesar was emperor. One such example of patriarchy in past family life controlling both men and women could be seen in Coontz’ example in the ancient Mesopotamian city of Mari. According to Coontz, the king of Mari, Zimri-lim, married off his daughters to his loyal subjects because he then expected that because, “‘He is the husband of Zimri-lim’s daughter and he obeys Zimri-Lim”’ (55). Therefore, this controlled both men and women because men had to obey the king and the women
According to the author, Lizette Alvarez, in the article “Arranged Marriages Get a Little Reshuffling”, Arranged marriages are better than modern marriages and parents can choose good mates for young. First, the arranged marriage has changed a lot in modern time. Arranged marriages are more flexible because young people can meet several times in some public venues without family members. Parents and elders have become more lenient. Second, arranged marriages have more advantages than modern marriages. Arranged marriages can preserve religion and identity and help people to find their mates in the same social class. Arranged marriages can outlast modern marriages because couples can avoid social and religions disharmony. Finally, young people prefer arranged marriage to modern marriage. Young people would spend less time to find their mate because their parents, chat rooms and dating websites help find mates for them. Young people can easily find their mates who have the same education level and social status. As a young person, I do not agree with the author because other people migh...
Most classical society’s political and social organization revolved around the idea of patriarchy, a male dominated social system. This system exacerbated the inherit difference between men and woman and assigned gender roles based on these observations. Men were generally regarded as superior to woman therefore given greater religious and political roles as well as more legal rights. As the natural inverse, women were subordinated and seen as week; their main roles reproductive and domestic. Information about patriarchy in the classical era, though abundant, was, for the most part, written by men, therefore history does not give us an accurate depiction of women’s viewpoints. Four societies of the classical era, India, China, Greece, and Rome, adopted a patriarchal system, however, due to many factors, each developed identifiable characteristics.
submissive, powerless objects of their husbands. Equality and balance within their marriages were of no
This paper will discuss the well published work of, Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity. New York: Schocken, 1975. Print. Sarah B. Pomerory uses this book to educate others about the role women have played throughout ancient history. Pomerory uses a timeline to go through each role, starting with mythological women, who were called Goddesses. She then talks about some common roles, the whores, wives, and slaves during this time. Pomerory enlightens the audience on the topic of women, who were seen as nothing at the time. Men were seen as the only crucial part in history; however, Pomerory’s focus on women portrays the era in a new light.
It was the research of Dobash and Dobash, a husband and wife team from Wales, that first posited that “intimate partner violence is the result of male oppression of women within a patriarchal system in which men are the primary perpetrators and women the primary victims” (McPhail, B. A., Busch, N. B., Kulkarni, S., & Rice, G., 2007). According to Lawson (2012), feminist theories treat the problem of intimate partner violence as fundamentally related to the patriarchal domination of men over women. Historically, patriarchy was the dominant social structure from early Greek and Roman civilizations where women were considered to be the property of their father, if unmarried, and their husband if married. As such, women were often beaten, burned, and killed for not being obedient to a man’s
we look at marriage as something that is based on two people falling in love, which includes
This emphasis is notably unique from the portrayal of couples among contemporary societies such as the Greeks and Romans. This depiction of couples reflects the essential role woman clearly held in Etruscan society. “Women in Etruria participated more fully in the public life of than Greek and Roman women. They had their own names, and passed rank on to their children (Bonfante xx-xx).” Etruscan women enjoyed the same equalities as men such as hereditary possession and having their own identity not solely confined to traditional roles of women in surrounding areas. Etruscan women could afford to provide financially for any children born to them, due to the Etruscan cultural setup. The independence that Etruscan women relished did not take away their nurturing nature as many other societies including the Romans believed.
In Karen Horney's "The Distrust Between the Sexes," she attempts to explain the problems in the relationships between men and women. She writes that to understand the problem you must first understand that problems stem from a common background. A large amount of suspiciousness is due to people's intensity of emotions.
In a patriarchal society men normally have the power. This power is generally handed down generation to generation as seen in Sundiata where the lineage of the first kings of Mali is explained generation by generation (Niane 3). It can also be seen in The Romance of Tristan and Iseult when “[T']he barons, Andret, Guenelon, Gondoine, and Denoalen pressed King Mark to take to wife some king's daughter who should give him an heir...”(Bedier 26). In these examples men generally have the primary power. However, there is an argument to be made that women, in both Sundiata, and The Romance of Tristan and Iseult have some significant power in their society.
The struggle for women to play an important role in history can be traced from the ancient Mesopotamians to the 1900’s. There has been a continuous battle for women to gain equal rights and to be treated equally in all aspects of life. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest recorded account of the roles of women and their importance in a functional society. Women have been viewed as anything from goddesses to unwanted servants throughout history, regardless of a variety of changes in rulers, religions, and simply time periods. The Epic of Gilgamesh might lead one to consider the roles of women a small and insignificant part compared to the man 's role. In fact, three women; Shamhat, Ishtar, and Siduri, were able to create and maintain a civilized Mesopotamian society with using their uniqueness of their body, mind, and spirit.
In ancient epics women played a critical role in developing the plot, shaping the actions, and understanding the male characters. However the only purpose of women in epics is to serve the roles of being devotees to men and not having a say in society. Epics allows us to get an understanding of how times were in Mesopotamia around 2000 BC, the roles women play in society, the purported traits they should possess, and their characters overall. For many, many years, even before mediums such as ancient epics, or any types of media even existed, the perspective on women has long been seen as putting the female a step below man. In years to come, instead of overturning this view, society has succeeded in cementing in. Domesticity, a dedication to housework and children, and a sort of meek character were expected of women during the ancient times.
...r’s household most women in this period had no self-respect and were controlled by their husbands.
Family has always played a crucial foundation in any society, ancient or modern, as it provides the grounds upon which communities, cities, and eventually civilizations are built. Such was the case with Rome, which grew from a city upon a hill into one of the greatest empires this world has ever seen. However, family life, in all cultures, rests on the institution of marriage, which is the first level upon which families are built. In Rome, marriage was a fundamental unity, and played an important role in all aspects of life: economic, political, and social. In patriarch societies like Rome, as was the case with many ancient cultures, males tended to be those with the most control and power, especially within their household and relationship
Humans weren’t always patriarchal in nature. In prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies, human societies were relatively egalitarian. Male and females held equal status and power in society. Patriarchal society developed much later, and is thought to have been developed in a series of events during humans’ ...
Outline and assess the view that patriarchy is the main cause of gender inequality (40 marks)