General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Where have societies' views of women come from? [View all]RainDog
(28,784 posts)I think there's a lot of evidence to dispute that theory from Morgan.
In a link, above, about a common pan/homo ancestor, at least one group is claiming that the precursor to both humans and the two chimp species likely had matrilineal communities - this basic idea has really never been established. But this group is making the claim that proto humans are more like bonobos, socially, than common chimps.
The "male dominance" view of prehistory is SO imbedded in our idea of prehistory it's hard to overcome - its persistence is a perfect example of ideology undermining science. Desmond Morris, etc. did a lot of harm by being popularizers of the status quo.
I know that in a lot of cultural anthro, the idea of cannibalism was often seen as a form of ideology too - the claims of cannibalism were part of the idea of "savages" that needed to be "civilized" more than anything else - but I don't keep up with a lot of that anymore so maybe people have moved on with other evidence.
But what I always come back to, any time I think about these things, is this - what was the social structure that created the perceived need to subjugate females - and I can't find any other explanation other than the idea of private property that makes as much sense.
So I wonder if gender equality is ever possible within capitalism and within monogamous marriage arrangements - tho Engels thought that communal economics would lead to monogamy by choice - I can see that for periods of time - two or three years - but not necessarily as lifelong pair bonds b/c humans aren't a pair-bonded species throughout much of our existence as we know that term in true pair-bonded species.
Which makes me think, if this is the case, the core issues are economic - it doesn't matter what religious precedents may exist if the societal structure currently in place is the "fact on the ground" that defines gendered roles.
When women are sorted into classes, with some benefiting from sexism expressed via capitalism while others remain under a double yoke of economic and social oppression - then some women find it is to their personal benefit to uphold the system that undermines all. This coincides with "elite theory" in politics - a few from outside the structural norm are allowed to participate in the system to create the belief that this is possible for all - when the reality is that it is limited and is an "escape valve" for unrest about overall repression based upon race, gender, etc. etc. - that's way beyond basic foundational ideas, but maybe it's an "adaptation" at the social level.
But this reality - because it is reality, from my view of the world - explains the hatred of women who give birth outside of the familial unit - their lives are degraded by society and society punishes them because, within the system that exists, they require assistance from a community rather than a single male other. For anyone - it does take a village to raise a child, but if you don't have the resources (through a particular male) to buy that village, you're an outcast.