Essay on The Harem – A Rare a Privilege of the Rich

Urged by women and the “code of chivalry,” which was like the “cult of true womanhood,” men lost sexual access to their wives. Because of this, prostitution flourished. Though men were urged to control themselves, it was understood that desire was “in a man’s nature,” and therefore very hard for him to control.

Throughout most of documented history women of all cultures and civilizations have lived under patriarchal circumstances. In almost every religion and civilization women's status was not equal to that of a man's. Women in most cultures are looked at as subservient, obedient creatures that were put on this world for very few reasons, mainly to bear children and do what their husbands require of them. In fact, religions are a big part of the reason of this oppression due to the religion's reinforcement and justification of patriarchal conditions. In this week's selected readings from different aspects of Islamic, Byzantine Christian, and Western Christian cultures, it is very apparent as to how these three religions did reinforce and

The subordination of women in the Pre-Islamic Middle East was institutionalized by the rise of urban societies and city-states. Gerda Lerner, who put forth a compelling feminist theory regarding this early subordination of women, suggested that the theft of women for their reproductive abilities was necessary to increase the population and providing labor power for early societies. Male dominance and a patriarchal family, and subsequently, the steady decline of the status of women, was mirrored by the decline of goddesses and the rise to the supremacy of gods. Throughout the prominence of city states, male dominance was prevalent, and even codified in the laws (such as the Code Hammurabi). It was during this period that the practice of veiling women under the control of seignors were required to veil, while women of lower status were prohibited from the practice. Despite the status of women, the upper class women were able to own and manage property in their names and enter into contracts, until the Iranian conquest of Mesopotamia, when the status of women once again declined. The idea that purity and virginity in women was the ideal emerged through religious ideologies, and the vicious misogynistic culture of the Mediterranean and Christian societies preceding Islam had

When it comes to discussing the manners and customs that dominated in China in the past century, numerous topics appear. Thanks to the numerous written testimonies, we can almost reconstruct the life and experiences of people in ancient China. Of course, many of the practices described are not only interesting, but surprising. In this paper I am going to take a closer look at the status of women in ancient Chinese family.

Hammurabi’s Code first implied a woman’s role in marriage, but Assyrian Law directly controls how women are perceived in society with a physical but symbolic cloth. The cloth represents a woman’s sexuality and virginity, as if women were reproductive machines. The Palace Decree is valuable because it shows a rare insight into the lives of upper-class men who weren’t kings, but instead the workers of the King. By castration, men in the palace had proved their lifetime willingness and fidelity to the hierarchy.

Since the dawn of early civilisation and subsequent traditional gender roles, one of the most prominent issues with which society struggles is gender inequality. The Book of Negroes illustrates Aminata’s worries as she is provided only one option: to entertain men with her body. “...I wondered how I would earn enough for food, clothes and repairs for my shelter. ‘What?’ Sam said. ‘You think rebels don’t have brothels? As long as there are fighting men, there will be work for girls like Rosetta - and work for you as well.’” (Hill 312) British soldiers and American rebels both sexualised the bodies of black women to the point of encouraging the prostitution of young girls. In a similar context, a 2008 study conducted by researchers from Wesleyan

As the world has grown throughout the centuries, females have generally been under the domination of males. This remained culturally entrenched until the late nineteenth century, when women began to appear in public more often and also began to join alongside men in the work force. In the network of employees and employers in the emerging institution of the Parisian department store, men and women depended on each other for survival in the workplace. Such interdependence is a microcosm of the bourgeois French society during that time, which Emile Zola wrote of in The Ladies’ Paradise, the eleventh book of the Rougon-Macquart series detailing middle-class life. According to Professor Brian

“[In 16th century European society] Marriage was the triumphal arch through which women, almost without exception, had to pass in order to reach the public eye. And after marriage followed, in theory, the total self-abnegation of the woman.”

Women would be employed to be domestic servants to officers to work in their households.

Religion goes hand in hand with culture, and in the Muslim countries this is very apparent. The cultural importance of men over women may have stemmed from religion, however it was further recognized when imperialist countries introduced capitalism and class divides. “Islam must combat the wrenching impact of alien forces whose influence in economic, political, and cultural permutations continues to prevail” (Stowasser 1994, 5). Now, instead of an agrarian state where both men and women had their place, difficulties have formed due to the rise in education and awareness that women can and do have a place in society beyond domestic living Though women are not equal to men anywhere around the

The movement of Purity balls is a very interesting and prevalent movement in our society. Many women choose abstinence at a very young age. This choice is made with the encouragement of their fathers. Throughout this essay I will examine religion, as an institution, that governs women’s bodies and sexuality. I will first, describe my opinions on purity balls, secondly, analyze the patriarchal dominance between a father and his daughters, and finally look at some of the redeeming aspects and the consequences of limited knowledge of sexual education.

In today’s society women are given ample opportunity just as much as men. In some countries, such as middle-eastern nations that is not the case. Muslim women are often perceived to be submissive to Muslim men and unequal. Mohammed never taught for women to be treated as lower class citizens. Nonetheless, the blame is pointed towards the religion of Islam. The Islamic religion began as all monotheist religions representing a belief in one God and moral standards. In the following essay I will discuss and elaborate what Mohammed taught, how women lived in early Islamic society, and what it has become.

Mernissi retraces her steps to pre-Islamic roots and to what extent it influenced Islam’s representation of the family unit. Islam had banished all practices in which sexual self-determination of women was asserted and marriage gave men absolute authority and holy approval.

The purpose of this paper is to explore patriarchal values that reinforce violence towards women in intimate partner relationships. This paper argues that patriarchy and the social construction of masculinity reproduce male violence against women. The following sub-issues that that will be discussed are patriarchy, capitalism, the religion of Islam, and the construction of masculinity and femininity. All the sub-issues encompass patriarchy values which allows inmate partner violence.

A significant aspect of daily life and household management for 18th Century are rooted in a social hierarchy. Within a residence, there are members of the family and hired service staff, which could range in magnitude contingent upon financial means and a physical necessity for proper operation and management. Though men serve significant roles, women and girls execute significant and extensive duties during the day-to-day domestic chores. In homes of humble means, women were to fulfill the expected daily tasks, typically delegated amongst several employed workers in a larger service structure. The status of the family and the position of the job