Enduring Gender Roles
...a nation we have so far won our sovereignty from a colonial power; abolished slavery as an institution; acknowledged women’s rights and are making rapid headway in regards to recognizing the rights of the same-sex couples’ community. However certain ugly double standards endure the tests of time and applications of liberty. Female priests are only allowed in a handful of Christian communities – most of which are part of the Anglican Church. We have yet to see a female presidential candidate – something which has come to pass in “third world countries” such as India; and even in our business world: female CEO’s are considered somewhat of an aberration.
The question which comes to mind as a result of these circumstances is rather simple “Why?” The question itself is simple enough. The answer however takes many more variables into account. It begins with the socio-cultural development of pre-civilized humans of the Hunter-Gatherer nomadic tribes who banded for safety and lived off the land and its fauna in environments of such great scarcity that gender roles were necessary for mankind’s early survival. It involves the establishment of dual power in early civilized groups: the priests and the nobles namely. The answer will continue into mythos of ancient pantheons where even the divine had strict gender roles and behaviors associated with such assigned to them. I will also mention a certain amount of caution woven into the fabric of early myth and literature aimed to warn man of the dangers associated with submitting himself to a woman, sexually or otherwise.
The gender stereotype much like any part of “common sense” piece of culture has its roots in a past which was radically different from the present in which we live. The first ,and earliest recognizable social group to develop “common sense” culture were the nomadic tribes which traveled the land in search...
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