Gender And Society In The New Guinea Highlands

Name: Gender And Society In The New Guinea Highlands
Brand: Taylor & Francis

Taylor & Francis

The societies of the New Guinea Highlands are among the last-contacted horticulturalist peoples of the world. Endemic warfare, elaborate systems of exchange, flamboyant personality styles, and exaggerated forms of antagonism between the sexes have made them a subject of interest to anthropologists for three decades. This book examines the relationship between the sexes, especially the attitudes and behavior of men toward women, as a result of the economic, political, and structural constraints of Highland social organization. Hostility toward women, which is evident in a high level of violence toward women and an articulated fear of association with them, is given special attention. Dr. Gelber's study is unique not only because it treats gender relations in the entire culture area of the Highlands, but also because a broad array of types of anthropological analysis\u2014ecosystemic, population-regulatory, economic, sociopolitical, psychological, and ideational\u2014are considered for.