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The Sexual Division Of Labor

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Once married, sexual division of labor in X’s and her husband’s home were not actively decided upon. All human societies have some sexual division of labor, even in modern day. Traditionally, men were responsible for collecting food that involved higher risk to gather: animals and honey. Women, meanwhile, were responsible for the staple diet, collecting fruits and smaller animals closer to home base. Gathering is the primary human foraging adaptation, yet with the ability to collect and maintain food supplies, as well as cook thereby saving time, men in societies of food abundance can engage in higher risk activities, knowing that there will be food despite their success. These sexual divisions of labor are further preserved by human’s tendency to form pair bonds. Women, by gathering the staple diet, can attract and keep a partner that will not only bring home more caloric items, but offer protection for themselves and their offspring (Knott, Lecture 15). X and X’s husband shared responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry, performing tasks when available rather than by designation. Both X and her husband were infertile. They tried to get pregnant for years, having two miscarriages. According to Wilcox et al., 31% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, thus having two is not particularly noteworthy. Causes of miscarriages can range to an unfit fetus to consumption of caffeine and/or alcohol, and smoking. However, the latter miscarriage was at 28 weeks, well into

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