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Social Roles In Masai Women

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Every culture has its own unique views on social roles. This is an essential part of culture as social roles define the ways that people view the others around them. Social roles are constructed around a variety of different factors such as career, age, family, ethnicity, and gender. The last-mentioned dynamic is possibly one of the most important ones being that it divides the people of all cultures into two categories: male and female. In modern Western society, gender equality has been the most influential viewpoints in regards to social roles based on gender. There are still some gender gaps in the United States and other Western nations, but Western society is largely egalitarian. However, some societies are much more gender-segregated; they pigeon hole the genders into more specific and unwavering categories. In some cases, this leads to great inequality. In the film, Masai …show more content…

45). When Masai women marry a man who belongs to a different village than the village of their birth, their social standing begins near the bottom of the totem pole. According to Masai Women (Curling & Llewelyn-Davies, 1974) the women of a Masai village “scream insults” at new brides who move to the village and join its social sphere. The practice is meant toughen up the new wife in order to prepare her for the life that lies ahead of her. In Masai society, a wife’s duty is to care for the man’s assets. This is a tolling job that requires a lot of work and a thick skin. Over time, the Masai women learn to be comfortable within their role and do all they can with the few rights they have been granted. Although this may not seem to be an ideal arrangement, it is for many Masai women. According to Masai Women (Curling & Llewelyn-Davies, 1974), girls in Masai villages are often “abused by their brothers”. This leads many women towards marriages in other villages. If women are loyal to their husbands, they generally live better lives than they do in their home

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