Over the years, scholars have taken rather divergent positions on the degree of
ID: 3493085 • Letter: O
Question
Over the years, scholars have taken rather divergent positions on the degree of influence particular categories of difference may have on the way a certain culture values or understands gender.
For example, some might say the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender is a powerful social cocktail that determines not only how we think about gender but also how we expect it to be expressed and represented in art and culture. Similarly, others contend the intersection of religion or belief systems and gender is the key to understanding how a culture views and treats women.
For the sake of practicality, we can simplify the scholarly perspectives into five positions:
Ethnicity provides the strongest point of intersection with how gender is understood and valued in culture.
Religion or belief system is the strongest intersecting factor with how gender is understood and valued in culture.
Social or economic class is the most powerful influence over how gender is understood and valued in culture.
A combination and interplay of cultural differences affect how gender is understood and valued in culture.
Other areas of cultural difference only minimally affect how gender is understood and valued in culture; gender itself is the strongest component of culture.
Based on the course material so far - and drawing from specific examples - explain which scholarly position you are most likely to agree with and why, as well as why at least one other position is not compelling. (This part of your post should be 5 complete sentences.) Please refer to specific examples of law, art, writing and/or specific historical artifacts.
Respond respectfully to at least two of your peers with thoughtful questions and comments to further discussion.
Explanation / Answer
Religion or belief system is the strongest intersecting factor with how gender is understood and valued in culture.
One of the strongest factors that influence how gender is influenced is how people believe in what gender really is. Only when this belief system is altered, it can really shape how people think of what gender is and how they perceive it. Religion defines how women or men are respected in a society, depending on what status is given to the both genders in their preestablished belief. Though, absolute followers have not been seen, if it were, the status of women would have been fairly high in every society. The belief system that has been developing is more on the patriarchal side where men are given more importance. This belief system is what actually shapes how gender is seen in a society.
Social or economic class is the most powerful influence over how gender is understood and valued in culture.
This reason is not compelling as there has been condition in which even in more economically sound families there has been marked difference between both the genders. In such families, in fact if the only working person is the man, there is a huge dominance in the families. Doesn’t necessarily mean that if a person is more economically sound, they would be more advanced in their mental palace.
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