Anthropology And Anthropology In Anthropology

The topic of gender in anthropological studies tends to focus on women. Anthropology was used to be a male dominated field, that throughout the years has incorporated women into the workforce. The concept of how gender is seen in anthropology has changed by the research done over the past forty years. The subject of gender has developed by defying universal concepts, studying the differences in social structures, and races. There are universal concepts that surround the topic of gender. For example, women were seen as universally secondary to men. This concept was due to the idea that “women are being identified or symbolically associated with nature, as opposed to men, who are identified with culture” (Ortner 1974). Women were closer to nature

In Alto, a town in Brazil, women believe that their babies are better off dead than to fight for their lives. Women in this area are expected to have “9.5 pregnancies, 3.5 child deaths, and 1.5 stillbirths” (Scheper-Hughes 1989). Due to their ethnicity and religious beliefs, the women in Alto believe that their child dies because a saint had claimed them. There is also lack of birth control and the church’s views on abortion and contraceptives did not support women who would consider this option. West Indian women believe that becoming a mother is a sign of respect. When they come to the United States they are taking care of a child but do not receive the respect they believe they deserve. Because they hope that their boss will sponsor them to get a green card, the women are afraid to speak up about any problems they may experience due to the fear of not getting their card. African American girls in Connecticut play with white Barbie’s because they are easier to find than other race dolls. The darker the Barbie’s skin, the more stereotypical features they show. For these girls, they do not need to buy different race Barbie’s because to them, they are able to create the dolls to look like them through their imagination and material work such as a