Re: Roots of contemporary sexism

In a message dated 11/11/01 2:23:57 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
Threehegemons@aol.com writes:

<< In the last few days we've seen a number of accounts as to why intense 
gender 
 inequality exists in Afghanistan.  Among the reasons I recall:  decline in 
 traditional masculine occupations (an explanation that may have more 
 relevance in other parts of the world), men spending their lives in 
religious 
 schools or armies, rebellion against the Soviet-backed government (an 
 explanation that may have relevance elsewhere as well, not only in formerly 
 Communist states, but also in the US, where the right to abortion is seen by 
 its foes as the epitome of the imperial nature of the federal government), 
 cultural structures that predate the modern world, colonialism, etc, and 
 perhaps, metaphorically, a parallel with earlier persecutions of women that 
 were connected to capitalist transformations.
 
 I'm not sure why a number of these factors, in combination, might not be at 
 work.
 
I would like to add one thing more to the list above:  Some cultures are very 
protective of their women.  It might look like oppression to an outsider.  
Women are the transmission belts of a culture.  They are the ones primarily 
involved with imprinting cultural mores on young children, passing down 
customs, traditions, etc.  When a culture feels threatened from outside 
influences, I suggest that they clamp down on their women because they are 
afraid of losing their culture.  (sorry - no historical evidence for this, 
only my own observation.)
Jane Shahi