Women in World History

1. Women in World History Foundations through the Present

2. Early Civilizations • Gender roles were redefined with the emergence of agriculture, moving from egalitarian to patriarchal • CULTURE/NATURE divide • Political changes reinforced role of women as subordinate, through law codes and inheritance practices

3. Mesopotamia Veiled Mother goddess transitioned to a male god of creation as civilization progressed Egypt Queens wield quite a bit of power Religion is more egalitarian Some specific example from early civilizations… • Shang China • Male offspring were much more important than female offspring

4. Classical Civilizations • Systematic cultural statements solidified patterns of patriarchy already present in early civilizations • As social distinctions become more rigid, so do gender distinctions

5. China Confucianism The three obediences Hierarchy of family as a microcosm of the hierarchy of the state Women have no land rights Patrilocal/ patrilineal Women without sons basically disappear Some specifics from classical civilizations… • India • Hinduism • Women can eventually reach nirvana • Female goddesses are powerful, creative and clever • Buddhism • Women can reach nirvana • Religion defines all aspects of life, including gender structures

6. Rome Family-based political and social systems In absence of their husbands, women could manage estates Christianity Open to women Greece (Athens) Political & social systems based on individual MEN Women are confined to the home Women are “deformed men” More specifics from Rome and Greece… • Gender structures are more based in the secular realm

7. Postclassical Civilizations (600-1450 CE) • Gender structures strengthened in some places, challenged in others • Interactions of cultures had a big effect (i.e. Buddhism spreading to China, Islam spreading to Asia and Africa) • Creation of states and bureaucracies further prohibit women from engaging in political activities

8. Islam Quran—Men and women are equal Early women are not secluded Seclusion becomes part of shari’a Women could hold property Polygyny Sex is okay! Intermarriage between Muslim women and men of conquered regions was very important in spreading Islam India 11th century—Sati Very low marriage age SE Asia Egalitarian Women could own property Engaged in trade and ag. Somewhat affected by interaction with more patriarchal societies Some specifics from Postclassical Civs…

9. Europe Could inherit estates Monogamy Primogeniture Convents MARY Division of labor Japan Between 592-770, ½ of Japan’s rulers were female Traced heritage to a female goddess Murasaki Shikibu Increasing militarization decreased women’s power More specifics from Postclassical Civs…

10. Early Modern Period (1450-1750) • Migration of many people and increasing interactions leads to the development of race (as a concept)—leads to efforts to control marriages and sexual relationships • Women act as intermediaries between local and foreign cultures as the world starts to come together

11. Africa Polygyny is a mainstay because of low populations Women could own slaves Latin America, cont. Socioracial categories (i.e. ‘castas’) helped determined marriagability and roles Created patterns of intermarraige among elite families Slavery =matrifocal Some specifics from the Early Modern period… • Latin America • Amerindian women were sold off to European men • Gov.’s tried to prevent intermarriage to keep populations separate—impossible

12. Europe Expansion of literacy Protestantism—no role for women except for in the home Marriage and nuclear families are emphasized Couldn’t own land Sexual ‘misbehavior’ prosecuted stringently North America Less intermarriage than in Latin America Some matrilineal/ matrilocal tribes Division of labor Religion- complementary roles More specifics from the Early Modern period…

13. Long 19th Century (1750-1914) • A low point for many women around the world, as patriarchal systems coalesced and served to strengthen each other • Even so, social classes were often more determinative than gender of a woman’s role • Early women’s movements call for access to education/ voting rights/ an end to misogynistic practices

14. Political Revolutions Women held meetings Sometimes marched with men New states limited most rights to men, esp. voting In Japan, women were not considered legal persons after the Meiji Restoration Industrialization Gendering of work Paid less for less skilled labor Segregated workplaces (partially due to a fear of sexual infidelity) Skepticism about women’s ability to make moral choices ‘Best’ option was to stay at home “Family Wage” Reasons for change • Intellectual Distinctions • Aristotelian traditions • Craniology • Freud-penis envy • Communism/ socialism (women)

15. 20th Century • Increased interconnection and communication brought increased visibility of, and often pressure to change, gender roles around the world • Attempted government control of population and birth control • Education is the most effective means of decreasing population

16. Matrifocal demographics Working class, Americans, Africans, Caribbeans Decline in the marriage rate & late marriage Divorce rates increase Women play a large role in nationalist movements Feminist movements/ and anti-Feminist backlash Changes in work patterns— “Westernization” of labor practices in developing countries affect Multinational corporations hire women and children Wars—women’s employment up, then down Leads to voting rights movements Worldwide trends