Domestic and Public Spheres: Exploring Gender Roles and Power Dynamics

1. Anth 324 27 January 2009Domestic Worlds and Public Worlds. Read B&S pp. 85-136 AND M-L&B chapter 6 Domestic female sphere/Public male sphere - hypothesis has psychological, political, geographic (spatial), functional and conceptual dimensions

2. We started the course thinking about whether gender necessarily derived from biology, but these writers believe that the cultural meaning of biological difference is far more important than any necessary outcome deriving from biological difference. There are differences among them. Do any of their culturalist arguments convince you?

3. Mascia-Lees and Black “Structuralist Approaches” - they explain Lévi-Strauss’ structuralist approach - involves an analysis of intellectual processes assumed to be universal • - based on ideas that are binary opposites; mediating conflicts between interpretive categories and observed reality • - incest taboo, exchange of women, sexual division of labour and subordination of women - in Ortner’s version, women seen as closer to nature, men to culture; based on notion of women as mediators between nature and culture

4. Lamphere: reviews the nature/culture debate - critiques it by asking: - is male domination universal? - is the gendered domestic-public spheres model universal? - does the model explain male domination universally? - suggests “no” on all counts, but also claims that it provided a useful starting point for thinking about the complexities of women’s (and men’s) lives. - suggests that good research now examines particular historical experiences, the different interests of women and men in various societies, more complex forms of inequality within genders

5. Murcott • Does the gendered domestic-public spheres model pertain? • On what basis are the spheres defined? - What is the domestic sphere like? - What is the public sphere like? - Is there male domination here? - Is it useful to think of what happens in the household in terms of male domination? Or is it better to think of it in terms of the demands of a gendered workplace? - What will happen if women’s role in cooking proper meals declines? Under what circumstances would women’s role in cooking decline? Think about whether women are responsible for cooking “proper meals” in your culture. Why or why not?

6. Townsend - Does the gendered domestic-public spheres model pertain? - On what basis are the spheres defined? - What is the domestic sphere like? - What is the public sphere like? - Is there male domination here? - Remember that Hewlett suggests that men’s role in parenting is related to their production system. Further, there are those who argue that women’s lower wages in the West force couples to decide that she will be the one to stay at home with the children. However, Townsend suggests that the gendered parenting roles are the result of a cultural orientation rather than of the economic system. What do you think? - Do you think this gendered parenting system pertains to your culture now? How should parenting and income earning be arranged in two parent families?

7. Weismantel - Does the gendered domestic-public spheres model pertain? - On what basis are the spheres defined? - What is the domestic sphere like? - What is the public sphere like? - Is there male domination here? What about in the wider context, considering the whole salers, truckers, police, etc. To what extent do women have power here? - What do you think will happen as supermarkets replace these local markets? - Are there public spaces in your culture that are explicitly male or female? • Next; course website