Women During The Hunter Gathering Era

Friedan claimed it is better for a woman to contribute objectively in society like men does, than to play a role for dominance in her own home with her husband, rivalry with her neighbors for void status is useless thus she should restrict her child that he cannot contest at all (Friedan, Betty. 1963).

This article from “The Real Truth about the Female” by Barbara Ehrenreich targets many beliefs that women were underestimated. The main theory suggested in this document is that, women had to follow the traditional duties. Early theories are being questioned as a result to women proving many things over the years that were often overlooked. Ehrenreich states in his article, “it does strongly suggest that in the Stone Age family, Dad-the-hunter was not the only provider.” There is a great amount of evidence that suggest the theory that women worked as hard as men. Adrienne Zihlman and Nancy Tanner stated “among surviving “hunting” peoples, most of the community’s calories—up to 70%—come from plant food patiently gathered by women.” This fact

For Europeans, the to be a member of a family you had to be related to the eldest male in the household. This was a total opposite to the Indian society. For example, in the Iroquois society, family membership was determined by the family of the female. At the head of each family was an elder woman, followed by her daughter, their husbands and children, and finally her unmarried granddaughters and grandsons. When one of the men married, he moved to the family of his wife. This was a very sharp contrast to the Europeans, whom had for centuries, been the top of their social hierarchy. In Europe, the women had a very relatively primitive, limited role in society. They were not allowed to attend or partake in political affairs, with very few exceptions. Now, on the other hand, in Indian society there was a council of chiefs, whom was all male, but they were appointed by an elder women. Also, during their deliberation over issues, the males made the final decision, but would be expelled from the council, if they didn?t conclude to the same decision that the elder woman came to. The women's main job in Indian society, was being in charge of cultivation of, harvest of, and distribution of food. When the men left to go hunting, women were left to run society. The Europeans simply believed that the males were far superior to the family, which is why women could not have jobs, and were left to

The idea that men were stronger began during the hunting-gathering time, since men mostly went out hunting, while women stayed nearby by the house to care for children and gather plants. Biological factors made women more vulnerable at the time which only added onto the idea that women were less than their male counterparts. Men, considering they were not tied to their homes because of pregnancy, or the duties of a housewife, had more time to gain wealth and property through “pillage and force”, making them known as the more powerful figure in society (Richards and Saba).

Our world has been a male dominated society from the beginning of time. In most cultures, especially in ancient times, women were thought of as secondary to their male counterparts. Women were considered a possession just as a house or piece of property is considered a possession. The role of women in these early societies did not receive an education but was to take care of the household and have children. The women of the Minoan and Mycenaean ancient Greece cultures held much more roles than homemakers and mothers; they were allowed more freedoms and rights also oracles, priestesses, and political advisors yet they are also seen by men as nothing more than a mere possession.

The economic, social, and religious roles of women changed between the Paleolithic and Neolithic time periods. During the Paleolithic Age, women and men had equal position in society. They both helped in the raising of children and the act of obtaining food for their families. The role of women would soon change for the worse in the Neolithic time period. They were left with little social, economic, and religious status, and the large burden of raising children almost singlehandedly.

Sexual Division of Labor: Societies that relied primarily on hunting large animals, such as deer and buffalo, assigned that task to men, allotting food preparation and clothing production to women. Before such nomadic bands acquired horses from the

Women have always wanted a voice in society, but did not know how to come out and say it. They were too intimidated by their husbands and bosses that nothing could get done about it.

Women have always been oppressed in society. This was a widely accepted social norm throughout history until 1848 when scattered protests of women were erected after Margaret Brent

Men taught their young boys how to hunt for deer at a fairly young age, and women tend to the farm, cultivating the harvest which was beans and corns.

In that time, women were known to stay home and take care of their children, cook and clean. So having an opportunity

Women throughout time have experienced position changes more times than can be counted. Not just in modern times, gender roles began in the B.C.E era. In Egypt and India, gender roles were a huge part of society. In both locations, male’s word was law. What they said was the final answer and a woman could not change that. The gender distinctions were similar in ways that women had minimal power in familiar locations, like their homes. They had a small opinion about certain subjects, but they never ventured out of the comfort zone of subjects they were allowed to discuss. Men were treated better than women, yes, but the power women held was used for some of the most important topics.

Unfortunately, the sharp instincts and intelligences of these early women in a way became their downfall, for many historians and archeologists accredit women with the discovery of farming. It is their belief that, while gathering foods for their tribes, women realized the connection between leaving seeds in the ground and the growth of plants. For a while these simple methods of farming were carried out by women, however, as more advancements were made in agriculture it was realized that farming could no longer be performed solely by women, as it demanded large amounts of strength that a woman wasn’t physically capable of. In addition, farming demanded large amounts of time so it began to become an expectation that a woman would remain home and take care of the house and children while her husband worked out in the fields. (Ellis 9) In his article “The Worst Mistake Made in History,” Jared Diamond discusses how women were no longer able to work as effectively, as it was expected of them to have more children, so their bodies as well as health became weakened. (Diamond 65) John R. Lukacs makes comparable discussions to Diamond, in his article, “Fertility and Agriculture Accentuate Sex Differences in Dental Caries Rates,” saying that women suffered from even greater health problems than their male counterparts and as a result the numbers of women in society were reduced. (Lukacs 901) It was

Women were completely controlled by the men in their lives. First, they where controlled by their fathers, brothers and male relatives, and then eventually they were controlled by their husbands, too. Essentially, their sole purpose in life was to find a husband, have children, and then spend the rest of

“In order to compensate for what men cannot do, they tell women that they may not do other things. Pregnancy, birthing, and nursing have always constituted a “no-man’s land.” In response to this circumstance, men have, throughout history and across cultures, set up a variety of “no-woman’s lands”: war, politics, clergy, business, men’s clubs, and so forth. From which activities women are excluded varies from one culture to another, but some form of exclusion can be found in all societies.” (2000, McElvaine, Robert S.; Eve's Seed : Biology, the Sexes, and the Course of Human History, p. 13 McGraw-Hill; Retrieved from: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10152855)