The Differences Between The Women From Esparta And The Modern Women
Society organizes the way people are different and assigns group membership upon differences; at the same time society also ranks the differences. Male for hundreds of years has been placed above female. These differences are constructed through social processes such that patterns of differences become systems of inequality andprivilege (Shaw & Lee, 2004, pg 2).
The above order existed in the Spartan society during the Hellenistic period and persisted for hundreds of years. Modern women in their part have taken steps in challenging this historical oppression and dependence of men. We can therefore argue that the main differences between the modern and Greek way of life lies squarely gender equality struggle and whathas been achieved so far.
Modern way of life emerged as women and concerned men noticed the absence, misrepresentation, and trivialization of women of women in higher education curriculum as well as the ways women are systematically excluded from many positions of power and authority. These activists advocates incorporation of more women’s issues, and they ask to be more women in leadershippositions in local and international levels.
In the Spartan society revolved around the government and family. The early Greek philosophers and early thinkers understood the importance of family in maintaining social order. The state was formed by families which had formed one society. The utopian which is the republic needed strong family foundation for it to prosper. This goes in line with Plato’sdoctrine of selection of marriage as a necessary procedure for the sake of maintaining noblest human families.
With above said, it is good to note there exist considerable difference between the Spartan and modern women. These differences can be attributed to changes in society structure terms of religion, political social and economic spheres. These changes have led to tremendous changes in genderroles and perceptions in general.
The role of a woman in the Spartan culture was to bear children, bring them up and look after the household. These went in line with the notion that women were weaker than men in terms of physical strength. This prevented them from taken up the responsibilities of guarding the city which was generally the work of men (Highet, 1969, pg244)
The education systemof Sparta covered gymnastics, training for war and music. Athletics was highly emphasized and improved individual’s status in the society. Women were neither trained physically or mentally. They were confined to the house. In fact Greek art seldom depicted women naked in archaic period, or even in the fifth century. This can be partly attributed to the fact that women never took active roles ingymnastics and athletics like their male counter parts.
Plato had also developed a principle namely justice in organic state. This simply means that everyone performs his own natural function. The point of it is that those who are differently equipped by nature should do their jobs. In the above case women were naturally made weaker than men and hence they could not take any importantresponsibilities of the state such as holding leadership posts.
The above notion influenced the life of women in the society and chained them to be mere subordinates of men .No doubt the natural difference between men and women influenced their lives more profoundly than that, but still they may both be equally well equipped for the same vacation. Man superiority means that he is better than woman in everysphere, even in those which were are declared to be woman’s province by those who maintain she is a domestic creature such as cookery, weaving and basketry.
Women played an important role in the Greek leadership in terms of reproduction. The best state needed the rule of the best. It was therefore inevitable to eliminate women in the cause of preparing future leaders. Women of aristocracy were...
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