Despite Europe’s best effort to assimilate the world, resistance was not a futile effort made by indigenous cultures. Through the acceptance of colonial norms, Pacific cultures gained limited authority to dictate the way in which European ideologies would be incorporated into their society. Within this essay, I will demonstrate that Fijian chiefs negotiated for the preservation of their culture through the reinforcement of masculine and indigenous power structures. I will explore how indigenous Fijian masculinity is expressed in various mediums in modern Fiji, and intend to demonstrate how these expressions entrench inequalities in both cultural and state institutions in post-colonial Fiji. The contents of this essay have drawn on the …show more content…
Teaiwa’s (2005, p. 209) article has highlighted the impact of expanding militarism on women, and family structures in Fiji. Using the research of Nicole George (2016) and Pauline McKenzie Aucoin (2000), the third section of this essay will examine the ways in which women have, like the Chiefs before them in the colonial era, have attempted to negotiate claims to for power through cultural institutions.
The presence and absence of indigeneity is central to discussions concerning expressions of Fijian nationalist expressions. Throughout my research for this essay, I have found the focus on indigeneity has been carried into scholarship, with a frequent note of academics acknowledging the limited scope of their research (see Presterudstuen and Schieder 2016, p. 223 for an example). As such, this essay does reflect this focus, and remains primarily concerned with indigenous Fijians. More research needs to be conducted in order to better understand the broader relationship between nationalist expressions and masculine identities in Fiji.
While it is well know that sport and athleticism can transform the human body, they also have the power to reshape cultures and national identities. This way of thinking was witnessed during the colonial era with the introduction of ‘gentlemanly sports’ as a means of pacification and social control (Presterudstuen and Schieder 2016, p. 224). Through the acceptance and
Throughout history males have been perceived as the dominant sex. This notion had been strong in Europe and most of the Western World. The colony of New France, however, was able to break this way of thinking and began to regard their women as an equal. Women’s roles in New France could be described as small but very important as day to day life would not be as efficient without the help of the women of New France. Both European women and Aboriginal women had jobs that were essential to everyday life, women helped contribute to the fur trade, Catholic nuns had major roles in education and health, and the women of New France went against the norm of the modern European woman.
Several decades ago the idea of women as subordinate was considered to be a universality by the aforementioned white, Western male anthropologists who lead the field. Despite an anthropologist’s endeavor to be unbiased, the fact is these traditional anthropologists came from a culture where many aspects of human life were male dominant. Though many studied
As time passed, European domination drastically altered the African landscape – both physically and culturally. Traditional roles, practices, and beliefs were either completely subverted or modified to fall in line with European cultural ideals. Doubtlessly, this process of subjugation worked to the detriment of native populations throughout the continent. Even though all members of indigenous communities have suffered under this system, African women remain especially vulnerable to its harmful effects. As Mary Kolawole points out in her comprehensive work, Womanism and African Consciousness, these women must confront a set of oppressions unique to their position as both black Africans and women. During her discussion of African women’s current struggle for recognition, Kolawole argues that, although colonialism displaced many African traditions, the patriarchal social structure remained. In many ways, she holds, European colonization widened the rift between African men and women even further (Kolawole 34). Although African and European traditions share in the elevation of the male over the female, most African cultures offered women a greater position of respect within society, as well as more “positive avenues of self-liberation” than were available to European women
The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a time of immense change in Europe. Germany had recently unified, destabilizing the centuries-old balance of power. The second industrial revolution was in full swing, and Europeans thrilled to the latest inventions, from the skyscraper, the first airplanes, and, most ominously, to the machine guns of Maxim and Krupp. During this time, Europeans perceived sports in a number of ways. First of all, many saw sports as an arena to train their nations for war. Secondly, others saw sports as a unifying principle around which to build nationalism and ethnic identity. Finally, many simply saw sports simply as a healthy and productive activity.
Today in Canada, the lives of Indigenous women are affected by colonization every day. Since the moment of contact, settlers have used Indigenous women as key objects to oppress and assimilate Indigenous people as a whole. As a female, non-Indigenous university student, I strongly feel that in moving forward trying to stop allowing there to be missing and murdered Indigenous women, we must discuss where these problems originated and why the origin is still relevant today. Indigenous women were oppressed and used by Europeans as a tool to assimilate all Indigenous Peoples and erase Indigenous culture through forcing women into ‘traditional’ western gender roles; which has had lasting impacts on Indigenous women today through being stereotyped and dehumanized in their forcedly assigned gender roles. Firstly, I will discuss how western gender roles were involved in the colonization of Indigenous women and how women were targeted specifically in the attempted erasure of Indigenous Peoples. Next, I will examine the effects of colonization on Indigenous women who were forced to take on not only the same but even further dehumanizing gender roles that European women assumed. Finally, I will argue how the imposition of these gender roles has affected and still affects Indigenous women today.
Black male athletes have been stereotyped ever since the 19th century. Since Jackie Robinson’s venture into professional baseball in 1952, there has been a constant debate on the subject of the athletically superior, but intellectually inferior Black Male athlete. These black males were forever delineated as inferior to their white counterparts. As a matter of fact from the very beginning of man kind’s civilization process his established societies all over the world have sought ways to glorify the individuals that exuded or better yet, displayed outstanding physical and athletic abilities. These facts became further stated in 1619 when a Dutch Man of War, that was anchored off the East Coast of America, exchanged “20 and odd Africans” for some much needed supplies to secure their voyage back to Europe. It was there that the exploitation of Africans, and later Negroes-Colored-Blacks, and finally African-Americans, began in the Western Hemisphere. And even though Black males and Black females were rewarded for their reproductive abilities, the men were always viewed as the archetype of what physical abilities, physical talent, physical competency, physical valor, and overall physical courage looked like. These Bucks, as they were referred to, would appease the white plantation owners with sporting events such as with boxing matches, racing events, sexual exploitations, and strength lifting exercises i.e., who could stack the most bales of cotton in a given period of time.
Second Slide: The ways in which Indigenous Women tried to resist, but were ultimately victims of colonization, and how heteropatriarchy has affected them.
I support the principle view of the author mentioning of the ultimate outcome of self-determination, is to have the “right to maintain traditional culture, and to protect their land and natural resources” (p.3). It is truly a difficult outcome to achieve and many indigenous communities (tribes) are still struggling with it, including Fiji indigenous communities.
Peace, Power, Righteousness: An Indigenous Manifesto questions the governance of the First Nation politicians. In this second edition, Taiaiake Alfred discusses the importance of traditional Indigenous forms of governance. He calls out the Indigenous politicians on turning their backs towards their sacred traditions and instead using a western framework. He urges the Indigenous community to move beyond the pain, loss, and colonization and move forward to creating a different future.
A sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Sports originated in early history as males only, and was often used to see which male was more dominant. In today’s society sports have a different meaning and is played by both genders, but still holds a mentality of superiority. In this essay, I will be arguing the Social Constructs of Masculinity in Sports in the language and the actions used when performing these activities through both genders and how some actions are acceptable for one gender and not for the other. Using Laurel Richardson’s article Gender Stereotyping in the English Language, and X: A Fabulous Child’s Story by Lois Gould. The article and story will help distinguish the use of words in our society and how they are incorporated in sport and how the actions of a person that does not fit the social standard faces repercussions for their actions.
Since the beginning of the colonial process, Indigenous bodies have been seen as disposable. The dehumanization of the Indigenous body and the creation of the other, has allowed for the destruction of Indigenous Femininity. A system rooted in epistemic violence created by the colonial era. Continues to affect how Indigenous women are treated in modern societies. The demotion from “Indian Queen”, an exotic and powerful presence in colonial societies, to the “Dirty Squaw”, a figure depicted as lazy, and troublesome. Indigenous women have struggled to be seen as human people, rather than sexual object in the minds of the white settlers. A systematic dehumanization though through the process of epistemic violence. Which continues to affect how Indigenous women are treated today.
Furthermore, women are often seen as a symbol of cultural preservation and a measure of family honor. In conditions of war and colonial rule, which represents an attack on men’s honor and dignity, attention to women’s roles as prescribed by cultural tradition is often intensified. However, the unusual conditions of war and resistance to colonial rule also may provide openings for women to reconfigure their roles and rights, based on new needs of society.
Each individual makes up the society as it is, and various characteristics and beliefs makes up an individual. Although, individual lives together with a variety of personal ideologies, emotions, cultures, and rituals, they all differentiate one person from the other making up one’s own identity. This identity makes up who one is inside and out, their behaviour, actions, and words comes from their own practices and values. However, the profound history of Indigenous people raises question in the present about their identities. Who are they really? Do we as the non-native people judge them from the outside or the inside? Regardless of whether the society or the government were involved in their lives, they faced discrimination in every
The only thing he (Okonkwo) fears most is not ending up like his father, Unoka. However, Achebe ‘‘makes an insightful comment on the nature of masculinity through his representation of the tribal leaders. Achebe basically, was conducive in creating four alter egos of Okonkwo: one of which were the masculinity; next of his fatherly abilities; and the last of his family progress and four of his likelihood of success’’ (Achebe.179). My paper will explain how Okonkwo’s Masculinity from Achebe’s Things Fall Apart will be characterized by his fears, beliefs, and emotions for several reasons.
The period of 1865 to 1950 was critical to the formation of “Modern” sport that is recognized today. In an article by Allen Guttmann titled From Ritual to Record: the nature of modern sport, Guttmann outlines seven characteristics that played a central role in the development of sports. These concepts were created as a sociological history of sports and took into place both American and European competitions. Guttmann’s notions of secularism, rationalization, bureaucracy and quantification, among others, all advanced the culture of sports; yet the most important of the stated characteristics is equality.