The uprisings in Turkey seem to be for a good cause. This feminist movement is empowering women, shutting down sexism from the government and letting people come out of their shell and express themselves. The Prime Minister has said many insulting things about females, and his expectations of them are outdated. I do not agree that people were making comments about his sexuality and other stuff, because people are trying to gain respect and rights, but they are bashing him by using the words that he said. Overall, I agree with the people’s or women’s argument, but I do not necessarily agree with how they are going about it.
Author: ah913114
Writing Women’s Worlds Ch. 5
Chapter 5 talks about honor and shame. Kamla writes a letter to Lila explaining many customs in the Bedouin society. Education is no sought after for women. Most have little to no education. Kamla was lucky to go to secondary agriculture school, which is more than most females. Arranged marriage is also very common. Usually it happens between cousins. Kamla was originally supposed to marry Sabra, her cousin. Women also do not have a choice in who they marry (typically). The males decide who gets married. There is a certain expectation for the way Bedouin’s live their lives. Kamla talks about them being very pious, modest, honest, and welcoming. There are certain traditions that are upheld even if they are not liked by all. Some people want to change certain things in the Bedouin culture, but there are still many things they love and are proud of. Lila does a great job showing how much Kamla likes her culture, even though there are some things she wishes were different (like most people all around the world).
There are many differences and similarities between Bedouin’s and Egyptian’s. Like we have talked about in class, the Mediterranean is full of cultures that have learned from each other and grown similar in many ways. Even though they have some similarities they still see each other as very different, mostly because of their differing religions. This major difference can lead to conflict or just a hatred between cultures.
Writing Women’s Worlds 1-3
Lila Abu-Lughod’s novel Writing Women’s Worlds is a fascinating look into life in the Mediterranean. Chapter 1 tells of patrilineality, or the structure of the family. Males are the dominant one’s in the family, as seen many times throughout the chapter where the sons continuously ignore their mother, Migdim. The author writes many stories of the dynamic of Migdim and her family. A common theme is polygamy. Migdim doesn’t agree that her sons needs more wives, but they see it as a way to show that they have more money. If they can provide for more families, they must be able to support them. She also brings up loosing a husband, and marriage. In this culture, women are married off, whether they want to be or not. Also, if a husband dies, a woman can remarry so she will be provided for.
Chapter 3 talks about reproduction. Having children is a serious topic in this culture. Boys are preferred, and girls are tolerated. If a couple cannot reproduce, there are many measures taken to make sure a child is made, even if it is getting married to another women. There are many superstitions as to why people cannot get pregnant, a child is lost or health problems in general. The Evil Eye was discussed. It’s like having bad juju. One must protect themselves and their children from envious others.
My question is where did all do the superstitions star and why are they so prominent in this culture?
ethnographiesofthemediterranean 