Sworn Virgins
1.How does the sworn virgins of Albania help to explain what gender is? Once someone is born we can determine their sex, as refering to the biological differences, the hormonal profiles, internal and external sex organs. The gender is the characteristics that society or culture define as being maculine or feminine. Depending on your sex society expect you to behave in certain ways or have different attitutes. Most people think that the man is suppose to protect their family, be the strong one, and sometimes support and provide to their families. I believe now a days things are changing and the woman role are also changing. The sworn virgins of Albania are a good example of how society determines how a man or a woman should behave, they have showed that as just because you were born as a woman you can also do the work that a man can do and exercise the male’s social roles.
2.How was the custom and practice of the sworn virgins functional for this society? In their culture is believed that women depend on men for survival, if in a family a patriarch dies and there is no male heirs, it is hard for that family to survive, they are powerless and alone. In result one of the woman of the family have to take over a man’s role in order to provide for their families. I also think another reason why the practice became functional is because women wanted to have some equality and enjoy the same rights and gain social equality with men.
2.How was the custom and practice of the sworn virgins functional for this society? In their culture is believed that women depend on men for survival, if in a family a patriarch dies and there is no male heirs, it is hard for that family to survive, they are powerless and alone. In result one of the woman of the family have to take over a man’s role in order to provide for their families. I also think another reason why the practice became functional is because women wanted to have some equality and enjoy the same rights and gain social equality with men.