The different positions in the Kung society were of course gender differences. The men were the hunters and the women were the providers of the food and looked over the health and wellness of their own families. The women and families that owned cattle, donkey’s and so on had more power than the one’s who had nothing. Since food and water were very sparse in the desert anything was enjoyable by them. With Nisa having to cows she was able to have her own milk when she wanted to. The others needed to pay her something in order to receive some milk if they needed it. With Nisa not having a donkey they were not able to go anywhere as easily as the others who did. This was a good thing to have to get water!! The poorest families had to depend on the others who could provide the necessities of life. As living in a little community of only about 9-20 people not much was done as a whole. The women of the community gathered nuts and berries together everyday for hours for their family. “The women moved from bush to bush, steady and sure, concentrating on their work…As a female representative of her village, Kxaru needed to collect as many berries as possible…trying to harvest as much as she could.” (p.100). Of course this put t
Kung men have higher status and greater power than Kung women:
Overall I would say yes the men have more power than the women. But every once in a while like during the trances and berry gathering they are put in the position where they can have power.
With Marjorie reflecting on this subject she goes to say, “I think part of the change is in them: they are not as hungry, or feeling deprived, as they were when we were first here. That is not to say they aren’t still the underdogs in the economy, but at least they are beginning to be in on a little of the action.” (p137) With modernization happening everywhere I feel that the women will begin to see that they do not need to depend on the men like they are in the book. With more travelers and vacations happening in Africa one day I believe the roles will be reversed and the women will begin to show more power over the men. People will be bringing in guns, clothes, food, and some of our ways of life to help out with the Kung living in the present day.
Example Essays Home
