Introduction
In the field of anthropology, students and interested readers would previously obtain information from classical sources. However, the increased attention of researchers in sociology has led to the recent developmentofliteratureongenderphilosophiesacrosstheworld.Brettell and Sargent is among the passionate writers who are inclining their work towards modern topics in anthropology. Most of their work is designed in a manner that is deemed appropriate for scholars at various levels of their studies ("Economic Empowerment." 2013p. 10). In his essay, I will evaluate one significant topic in the field of anthropology and then relate Brettell and Sargent’s work to ideologies contained within the fundamental topics. Fortunately, the work of the writers takes an accessible and open-ended approach to covering the subject matter. Then, I will establish an objective link between the theses contained in the primary readings and the thesis in the selected essay from the two writers mentioned above.
Llewlyn has also provided a clear elaboration in relation to the primary solidarity of the Maasai Women in their pastoral community activities. This therefore provides a form of unity through the communal activities among the women. The aspects of unity and communal spirit among the Maasai women are therefore clearly elaborated in order to enable understanding how they help one another in carrying their activities in the semi arid and arid regions as well as providing additional sources of income to their pastoral activities (PastoralWomen’sCouncil. 2013p. 16). This author borrows a lot from the research and field work conducted pertaining to the primary solidarity of Maasai women in the society as well as provision of deep aspects of their culture which are instrumental in interpreting their cultural ideologies which translates to such unity and communal spirit. The author also touches on the cultural traditions which are relevant in elaborating the communal attitudes and roles of Maasai women in the society.
In the first primary ethnographic reading, the role of gender among the Maasai women in Kenya is clearly outlined and elaborated in detail. Llewlyn analyze the role of gender in detail and in relation to the traditions of the Maasai community in Kenya. The authors argues that the Maasai women stood in solidarity towards the betterment of their lives by combining efforts in facilitating community projects in order to earn additional income and other social amenities like water projects. The author also shows that the women stood up and hold firmly to their cultural. Activities regardless of the penetration of the western ideologies in most of the tribes in Kenya have remained firm. The aspect of nomadic pastoralist is also reflected in the article as one of the forces which contributed greatly to the unity and solidarity of Maasai women as they move together in search of water and pasture for their live stocks especially for their cows. Llewlyn said, “The proximity of the Maasai people to the wildlife facilitates the tourism activities which are accompanied by the anthropologists who study the cultural trends and aspects”.
The aspects of female genital mutilation as well as forced marriages are still rampant and common among the Maasai women. According to Llewlyn, “The patriarchal roles in the Maasai community are therefore still very common where the women assume the role of parenting and motherhood which is characterized by low levels of participation in other economic activities”. Most of the parents still have low interest in education (PastoralWomen’sCouncil. 2013p. 19). The cultural practices have helped the Maasai community to preserve the purity and respect among the people.
Brettell and Sargent: Culture, Sexuality, and the Body
These authors also provide the account and description of the aspects of culture, sexuality and the body in a manner that can be related to the cultural practices in the Maasai community of Kenya. It is clearly elaborated in the primary reading that the sexuality of the Maasai women is controlled by the cultural norms and traditions like the Female circumcision as well as forced marriages. The cultural aspects also clearly outline the gender roles through division of roles between the men and women in the society. The masculine communities like the Maasai believe that women are objects of sex and reproduction and the role of state, “Gender, Property and the State”. The Maasai men therefore enjoy the cultural state of affairs while the women accept the cultural norms of the society without complaining. Llewlyn on the other hand clearly notices the role of Maasai men in controlling the bodies of women through the aspects of female circumcision which is done to date but it is highly criticized by the rights activists globally. The Maasai still believes that female circumcision helps in ‘controlling the sexual; desires of the women’ (Llewlyn, 1979p. 32). This therefore often destroys the young girls as well as encouraging early marriages in the Maasai community. The cultural beliefs make it difficult to change the minds of the members of that community about abolishing certain cultural practices.
Additional primary readings: economical empowerment of Maasai women
The evaluation on the essence of the accessibility of the women to lacquer the tool of power for instance to ensure they are inline. The Maasai woman shows the relationship between the gender and the economic resources. In determining the essence of the permission for women to access this resources there is need to revise the things that bar the women from being empowered. Take for instance the Maasai women being allow to, access the resources for example to own, land, education and be able to control this. The process of the evaluation of the things the women wok in the process depicts the instance of ensuring that these resources are available. In doing this women tend to develop in the process of ensuring that the things that concerns gender. The issue of cultural constrains that prevent women from being independent (Brettell, 2013p. 24). The lack of access of ownership by these women top own the factors of production are the basic reason that shows Kenya being one of the countries that has a high population of its citizens being poor. Brettel said, “The women tend to be poor as they are reliant on men who provide for them”. Recently there have been emergences of the non government organizations that have started programs that are aimed at addressing the issue and empowering the women. They are providing the economic resources that the women use in the empowering themselves economically ("Economic Empowerment." 2013p. 12).
The gender role in the Maasai community state that women belong to the home. Women are meant for parenting, caring children, cooking and performing the household chores. The Maasai community men believe in a patriarchal society. This has been the core reason as to why the Maasai women tend not to develop (Brettell, 2013p. 34). However the efforts of the organizations on the Maasai community have been to the concept that they have been given laid and taught on how to engage on the income generating activities.
The maasai women have been developing over the years as they show the essence of being independent land have been receiving support for various lobby groups who engage in the process of providing resource. One of the key issues at hand for the presence, lack of development is the sense that the Maasai community does not allow a girl child to access education. The level of literacy is rampant and the issue is crucial to be addressed since the cultural constraints. Brettel said, “The women have been gaining respect all over the world due to their exposure and the financial independence they have gained over a smell period of time since the inception of their dependence”. The community in Kenya has prospered in the recent past as they have been showing the performance in performing their economic roles. As much as the culture is concern the maasai women have seen the benefit of doing away with some cultural practices that asset them back as they have been in need for the issue of showing the need on embrace change.
In relation to the issue of the maasai women which corresponds to the issue of the essay on gender , property and the state the essay tables its arguments based on the fact that the state has crucial influence on women performance in the economy. The economic status of women is influenced by the way the state have been performing its tasks. According to the findings the essence of women being less employed and access to governmental jobs as compared to their male counterpart’s ‘who are more employed than women’ (Llewlyn, 1979p. 22). In addition early marriages shown by the common it has been held to the issue of culture in which the Maasai community marry off their girls at tender age. This is done immediately the by reach puberty hence they have little time to learn life skill and develop themselves. The girl children have been the issue in the making of a successful community. The girl child in the long run has little access to the things that need to be used in the development of the individuals in the acquisition of resources.
The Maasai generally need to put the emphasis of following some primitive culture. One of them is that the practice of female, circumcision in which women of tender age waste time in the process g circumcision known as female genital mutilation, FGM. The practice is typically risky as the girls who undergo it may result to high loss of blood and it is also unhygienic as they use tools that are crude (PastoralWomen’sCouncil. 2013p. 26). The economic essence of conducting a close research and depicting the issuer in its raw portray the information concerning the women being empowered should be supported by the government land other stake holders who support the rights of women and the girl child.
In general the state has a role to play in the improvement of the rights and development of women. Gender roles need to be equitable and fair. The state may choose to liberate women on the ground of their existence or keep then in the bondage of being undeveloped, “Gender, Property and the State”. The state further can try evaluate them and deliverer them wholly by doing away with the inequalities and transform them.
Work cited
Brettell, Caroline, and Carolyn F. Sargent. Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Boston: Pearson, 2013.
Brettell, Caroline, and Carolyn F. Sargent. This Issue Is Devoted to Migration, Identity, and Citizenship: Anthropological Perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA, 2006.
Brettell, Caroline, and Carolyn F. Sargent. Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Princeton, N.J: Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, 2004.
Llewlyn, Melissa. “Two Contexts ofSolidarity among PastoralMaasai Women.”Women United, Women Divided: Comparative Studies of Ten Contemporary Cultures.Eds. Caplan andBujra.Bloomington,Indiana: Indiana University Press,1979.208–237.
PastoralWomen’sCouncil. “Women’sEconomicEmpowermentProgramme.”Pastoral Women’s Council, n.d.Web.18 October2013.
"Economic Empowerment." Pastoral Women's Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.
