From An Amateurish And Untrained Anthropologist Perspectives

This is a view from an amateurish, untrained anthropologist...



The society begins with a man (Adam) and a woman (Eve), living together under the institution of marriage. God is their witness. They copulate; have children and the children then follow the same step of marriage and having children of their own. This continues for decades, interspersed with societies being destroyed by war and natural disasters, and now we have billions of human population. Since the beginning of time, male human species is the dominant gender, working to provide food for their family and to protect their female family members.



In Islam, women are supposed to be accompanied by their family members (mahram) if they leave the house, for protection. This is also practised in many societies all over the world. Women of a certain class must have at least another female companion while traveling. Marriage is family business. No question about it. Then there's war. The men have to go to war and that leaves the female family members having to fend for themselves. Some fathers, husband, brothers, came back. Some did not. There are also some unreliable men who drinks, gamble and did not care for the family. The women have to rely on themselves and their family for support. Some managed to get by but some did not have the support that they want.



This forced the women to be more independent. There are so many sufferings that several women advocates rise and begin fighting for women rights and equality. Soon, women also get education and started working to be more independent. Looking at the many ruined marriages, more and more in the society leaves it in their daughters hand to choose their spouses. At least the parents are not to be blamed if the marriage did not work out. Some also argues that women want to choose their own husband after they started leaving the house to seek education and work. Well, that can also be the natural progression after being able to 'see the world' as some might put it.



Educated and working women become the norm. And most men in their lives without fail manage to prove how they can be so unreliable, unlike their forefathers. The institution of marriage still exists but many did not last very long. Many women now stay single by choice to avoid all the hassle of marriage and divorce. Single (divorced or never married) women become the norm in the society. All these did not happen in one day. All these take years to change and become the norm in the society. When does it all happen and how it begun? It all begins with little contribution from everyone in the society.



When the neighbors ignore the cry of an abused wife or children, they contributed to the change in the society. When the society accepts that men can drink and gamble and visit the whores or keeps mistresses, they contributed to the change in the society. When people allow their leaders to become corrupt, they contributed to the change in the society. Just like animal, human being reacted to their surroundings to protect themselves from harm, emotionally and physically. So how do we contribute to the society now and hundreds of years from now?



What have we contributed to the society years ago that we have the batch of youth we have now? The youth that will one day inherit and rule the country. How will they change the society because of what they have to go through growing up?