Responds a topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Responds a topic - Essay Example treated the same way as the slaves and the children and this means she was by no means greater than them in any way and that was her social level (Lerner 79). The relationship between men and women prior to these ancient societies was one based on equality and cordial behavior. There was division of chores between men and women during the hunting and gathering era where the men who were physically strong hunted and the women gathered. No gender was superior to the other. All this however changed with the incorporation of agriculture and end of the hunting and gathering period and the women’s role in society started being that of subordination and inferiority while that of men become that of superiority and authoritarianism (Diamond 96). It was no longer about physical features and division of labor but became a master and slave kind of relationship with the slave in this case literary being the woman whose rights became non-existence especially with marriage. Virginity became a big issue for the women who were to ensure they stayed pure until they were married off. The husbands on the other hand were not required to be virgins. In fact the more women a man had slept with, the more of a conqueror he was considered to be. The society employed double standards on this issue including the fact that an adulterer women was sentenced to death while the man was simply released to go do as he wishes. Once married, the rules of society dictated that the woman move to go live with her husband and his family and was part of the man’s property from them henceforth to control and do with her as he pleases. The subordination of the women developed at this juncture where she was expected to obey and follow all the demands and commands of the husband without any question as the man was the authority figure. These beliefs and behaviors continued to intensify even after the society started moving from agriculture to other crafts such as engaging in trade with the western