"Warriors, Hunters, and Bruce Lee" Facilitation Questions
1.) In Ortner's essay, "Is Female to Male as
Nature is to Culture?" (The first article we read after we finished Travesti), she argues that the subordination
of women to men is a human universal because women are associated with nature
and men are associated with culture, and culture is superior to nature. However, the Waorani are considered an
egalitarian society. Are Waorani men, in
your opinion, associated more with nature or culture? How so? How do you think Ortner would react to
Waorani society?
2.) High discusses masculine fantasy, as embodied
by action heroes like Rambo and Bruce Lee.
What do you picture a warrior as and how does that image/ idea compare
to contemporary American fantasies of masculinity? What famous stars depict this fantasy to you
today?
3.) What is our society's feminine fantasy? What celebrities exemplify this fantasy?
4.) In Waorani society, men are associated with the external and women are associated with the internal. How do Waorani gender roles compare to our society's gender roles?
5.) High
says "…It remains to be seen whether the forms of manhood produced in
ever-expanding Waorani villages and in urban inter-ethnic contexts will lead to
a more pronounced gender hierarchy in the future," (p.261). Do you think that eventually the Waorani
villages will adopt more hierarchical gender relations? Why or why not?
1. I think in this instance the Waorani men are more associated with culture than nature. The Waorani men assert their masculinity through culture practices such as hunting so in this way culture is a deciding factor in how these men see themselves. I think that if Ortner saw the Waorani community she would also pose this question of men and women as being either a depiction of nature and culture.
ReplyDelete2. When I envision a warrior I think what instantly comes to my mind is that of a Greek Hero like Hercules. Mainly the reason why this pops in my head is because I feel Greek myths always talk about a hero who fights against mythological monsters and Gods so this to me is a warrior. However, I think some people might think of the Marvel heroes and The Avengers when asked about what comes to mind as warriors shown in the media.
3. I think the feminine fantasy can be seen in people like Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, or even Taylor Swift. All these women represent a level of success and great beauty which a majority of women want and seek when trying to achieve the look of society's take on the perfect woman.
4. I think the Waorani's gender roles between men and women are not that far off from the thoughts of Western culture. I think the only difference between the Waorani and the West is these two different groups of peoples' ideas behind what makes men and women's masculine or feminine.
5. I do think that as the Waorani community comes to adopt outsider customs that a gender hierarchy will develop as the younger generation's mind will be changed and shaped by this outside force.
1. I argued Ortner's thesis was flawed because she made a way overreaching statement and I believe the Waorani and other cultures modern and ancient refute it. I do however believe war is a "cultural" activity though it's often justified as a natural act, and it may be so (chimps also war), but *how* we war is cultural driven. Waorani war was apparently driven by vendetta and spear-based.
ReplyDelete2. I think Jason Momoa is about the most ripped actor I can think of. Which I suppose is a change of pace from heroes like Thor/Captain America who are both white blondes.
3. Feminine fantasy for men or women? For me anyway it's Captain Marvel and getting to tell her male abuser to "f*ck off" while being insanely powerful.
4. Funnily enough I think they correspond, women's work just isn't degraded in Waorani society nor used as an excuse to exclude them from elite or respected positions.
5. They probably will at least somewhat. Some cultures do resist full infiltration of Western thougth but all I've seen do somewhat at least adopt Western thougth, especially when it's a prolonged, regular contact.