Page 55 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Unit 7: Approaches to the Study of Kinship: Gender Perspective

Self Assessment Notes
Fill in the blanks:
1. Family function too, are _______________ by women.
2. Only the _______________ get the inheritance of property from her mother.
3. The divine powers of illness, death and security are established in the form of
_______________ .

Economic Analysis

Hobbhouse has tried to define the status of women on the basis of their contribution in the eco-
nomic life of the human society. He came to the conclusion that in 87.5% of cattle-rearing tribes
and 73,0% of agriculturist tribes, the status of women had been negative, that is, downtrodden.
The reason cited was that the cattle-rearing work was male-orient. Lovie critecised Hobbhouse
and said that when viewed from the actuality of expansion, such a cultural reasoning is gener-
ally impossible and it is only coincidence or corelation which remains. Writing about the status
of women in South-Asia, U.R. Ehrenfales says that in South Eastern-Asia, four kinds of human
societies are found, viz., food compiler, high occupational, crop producer and cattle-grazer. The
inheritance of property causes difference in the status of men and women. For example, the
food compilers are Kadar, Malpataram, Paliyan, Irual pariyan Chenchu and Bilineal inhabitants
of Andaman. They have no laws for inheritance. Thus, the status of men and women is almost
equal.
The development of property, which became possible chiefly due to male capability, gave birth
of Patri-Local and high status of men.
The Khasi Matri-Local Society is crop producer. The Khasi tribe was recently introduced to the
economy of crop production. Because of it, the khasi men are gaining developed business acu-
men, personal property and power. Yet, the rights of Khasi women are not under threat from
men in any way because the rights like family position, name determination and inheritance
of property, protect them. However, this is certainly not due to the destiny of men. Other such
examples are the Garo, Nair, Menon, Tiya, Muslim Mapillai and some Pillai families.
Because of the emphasis of the Patri-Local ideology on the lives of the cattle grazing Toda, there
is complexity in the status of men and women. This has raised the position of men.

7.2 Status of Women in Patrilineal Society

It has already been mentioned that the type of residence plays a sufficient role in determining
the status of women, though its effect is not final. It is very unlikely that a woman gets ill-treated
in the presence of her primary, instead she is likely to gain position of dominance. This position
of dominance may not have any legal or social base and as Lovie said, it may be symbol of the
superiority of a wifes’ kin, but the fact that cannot be ruled out is that the general result is to
make the status, or at least the position of women dominant. It is another thing not to use such
a situation.
The factors which raise the status of women in Matri-Local societies also raise the status of men
in Patri-Local societies. We have already told that the female dominated societies do not remain
Matri-Local forever like the Matrilineal Khasi tribes. They are also not found to stay in the po-
sition of Matri-Local residence forever. A husband, who after marriage comes and stays with
his-in-laws, also gets engaged in selling up his separate home, immediately. Mostly, he succeeds
in this attempts and it’s only his wife and children who stay together with him in his new home
Amongst the Partilineal societies of India, Matrilocal residences have also been found. In Bengal,

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 49