The topic of gender and sexuality this week emphasized how anthropology is connected to modern society and the world as it provides a historical and cultural perspective on women’s role and position in society. It was interesting to learn how gender as a social construct initially resulted from the physical differences and effectiveness in labor and compare it with the current situation where women strive for equal opportunities. The thought that women became attached to housework due to changes in agricultural processes, where people started using heavy equipment, never occurred to me earlier. It could be that my perception of gender differences is influenced by modern statements that women and men have different body types, and some women could be more physically powerful than men. This week I also learned that religion significantly influenced how early migrants perceived women. It is interesting that throughout history, specifically, religion was used to control and manipulate women’s role in society, to the point of creating beauty standards. I want to add that it is crucial to learn about different historical and cultural perceptions to understand the complete picture of the world better.
To Amirjon Ibragimov:
I like that your post emphasized health as the prime example of beauty. Even though your statement focused on the drastic measures women take to modify their appearance physically, I assume that people only start caring about their health with age. It is necessary to inform people from an early age that damaging health is much easier than restoring it. In many cultures, the primary goal for women is to marry successfully. Thus, young women are ready to sacrifice their health due to pressure from society to get married and have a family.