On the Role of Women in Colonial Latin America Essays

On the Role of Women in Colonial Latin America Essays On the Role of Women in Colonial Latin America Paper On the Role of Women in Colonial Latin America Paper Early Latin America is a rich and complex social, political, economic, and cultural environment possessing a distinctly Western (European) core constantly influenced by those forces inherent within a colonial system. Out of a mercantist fueled drive for wealth and power arose a new culture dominated by Iberian (Spanish and Portuguese) presuppositions concerning religious ideology and cultural mores. At the same time, this newfound society was not fully European as it sought to contain an indigenous Indian population, an African slave population, as well as the increasingly intricate blending of the three. In looking at how the unique blending of groups helped shape the colonial way of life, one can look to the system of castas as the dominant sociopolitical institution and structure of hierarchy which still remains influential within the modern Latin American world view. During the colonial era, social castas intersected with gender to determine the boundaries between what was acceptable and what was not. In looking at the construction of the colonial way of life, women played a unique part in that their place was primarily defined by their relationship to a man or religious institution and yet many were afforded more progressive roles in Latin America then in Europe. While women had more potential to defy cultural norms, they did not enjoy social or sexual equality with men. In addition, they also served as a focal point for the pervasive honour system as they were seen as key to the maintenance of social castas. Thus, female-headed households, women working outside the home, and other such social freedoms were commonly practiced by the plebe but, despite occasional exceptions, were not practiced by those who had honour to maintain. Elite women and those who aspired to be among the gente decente (decent people) were enjoined to defend their virginity, combine motherhood with matrimony, be faithful to their husbands, and thus help maintain the honor of their family and their own purity. The most influential aspect of a womans life was the castas into which she was born. Castas originated from a need to organize people within the colonies, from the Europeans at the top, to the African slaves at the bottom, and the mixed races such as Mestizos and Mulattos throughout. The closer one got to the native Iberian (as opposed to the Creoles who were fully European but born in the Americas), the higher ones social status. This status was fungible as one could move up or down depending on marriage or the purchase of Gracias as sacar (essentially, buying a higher degree of whiteness). Though this one can see, the Latin American tendency to think of race as negotiable spectrum, a ladder through which families might ascend. (Chasteen, 86) This caste / class system permeated every aspect of a womans life. One area upon which a womans caste had a great degree of influence was marriage. Women did not have many choices concerning what to do with their lives. They could join with the church, remain with their families under their father or brothers, and most significantly, get married. Marriage was both a religious and social institution. The marriage contract was a pillar of the Spanish social structure, crucial to the distribution of property. Marriage was a religious sacrament, and religious conformity was serious business in the Spanish Empire. (Chasteen, 56) Socially, it allowed a woman or man to heighten, weaken, or maintain a place within society. In, A Glimpse of Family Life in Colonial Mexico, Kathleen A. Myers uses the life of Madre Maria de San Jose to offer a glimpse of how a womans social caste influences her choices. Because of the caste system, marriages were not made between just economic equals. Marias sisters married well above their social status because of the family prestige and descent from conquistadores. Likewise, her Mother had originally brought most of the wealth into the family but had married into a good family in return. (Myers, 69-71). In addition to bringing honour to the family she married into, a woman also remained a member of her own family after marriage (did not change last names, lose property rights, etc. ). Due in part, to the ability for a womans marriage to elevate or harm the social standing of her own family and her spouse, a womans purity determined the large part of her worth. Women only maintained their purity if they engaged in sexual intercourse after having received a formal promise of marriage; those that had not were forced to have private pregnancies to protect their honor and that of their families. Sexual and other behavior was therefore tightly controlled among elite women while all men and women of lesser value / lower social castas were allowed comparative freedom. The social value of purity was supported by the ideological hegemony of Catholicism. Chasteen, 70) Ideologically, the Judeo-Christian faith has long been used to repress the rights and roles of the female sex by equating the woman with Eve, a temptress whose weak willed sexuality led Adam / man astray from God. The redeemer of the sin brought by woman was born from a pure, non sexual, and subservient virgin. Christian womanhood was explicitly associated with such purity and subservience and priests encouraged women to stay in the house while men provided for the family. Only when placed under male religious guidance could a womans unbridled sexuality be prevented from wrecking havoc on society? (Socolow, 6) Therefore, even though this was not viable for the vast majority of the population, the ideal of female enclosure was applied to all women under Catholicism. This view is reflected in the system of castas. Because only the elite women could achieve the status of a gente decente, it helped to rationalize and reinforce the lack of honour (and thus lack of status) held by the majority. Honour was a cluster of ideas that along with military and religious conquest, justified the hierarchical colonial Spaniards (and their Creole descendants) place within it. (Burkholder, ) Whether slave or fre e, Creole, Spanish, or indigenous Indian, a unique set of ideas defined a womans honour and distinguished it from a mans honour. According to Chasteen, Honour was a measure of how well men and women played their prescribed, and very different, social roles. (Chasteen, 71) The system, with its roots in Christianity, was inherently patriarchic and fathers ruled on both a microcosmic and macrocosmic level. Thus honor for a woman was fixed on her ability to remain sexually pure whereas a mans honour was in defending, (even by bloodshed), the faithfulness of their wives and virginity of their daughters. Chasteen 71) Therefore, women who were without male control/oversight (widows), who worked (the poor, middle class, slaves), and who were part of cultures with different gender relations (indigenous peoples), were automatically see as less honorable, thus helping to maintain the social status quo of white elitism. While there was a system of white privilege and male privilege, it is interesting to note that with increased honour came a decrease in freedom for women. Women of higher class rarely left the home and di d not work. There were exceptions found among women of higher castas but lower income. Such single women, widows, and those with absent husbands would typically resort to those activities which kept them in the home and would have men to actually sell the product or interact socially. Because these economic activities avoided direct entry into public space, they were acceptable for those among the finer class. (Socolow, 114) While upper class women were confined to the private sphere, plebian women throughout the Americas worked in a variety of fields and while it was not the norm, women were allowed to own businesses and property. Women across races engaged in commercial activity, acted as merchants, grocers, and in agricultural positions. In Mexico City, one-third of all sellers of tobacco products were women (Socolow, 45) many women also worked in domestic positions such as maids and wet nurses which tended to be the highest paying. However, women who worked were not seen as having the same degree of honour as those who were protected and thus their lives were often categorized by humiliation, and verbal, physical, and sexual mistreatment. (Socolow p 118) Through all of this one can see the wide array of factors that influences the lives of colonial Latin American women. While there were some notable exceptions, most women remained firmly within their constrained social roles as ordained by the patriarchic hegemony of Catholicism. This worldview influenced the whole of Latin America, from the Brazilian slave, to the newly arrived Spaniard. The sphere in which one operated was entrenched within the cultural mores of the era and helped to maintain the system of castas. The responsibility of the woman was to keep pure, thus maintaining her honor and that of her family. Ideally this was achieved by isolation from potentially corrupting factors and thus it is ironic that more social freedom was afforded to those women who were deemed less worthy. Because so few women could afford the honorable lifestyle, women in the Americas experienced a much higher degree of social freedom then those in Europe as they often played an important part of the economic sector. Despite this freedom, women on the lower end of the social spectrum dealt with a variety of hardships and the legacy of race and gender relations remains difficult to overcome even in the present era.

Life is Beautiful essays

Life is Beautiful essays Throughout the course of history there have been events for which we are immensely proud of, and events that make us sick to our stomach. One such sickening time period was in the late 1930's and early 1940's during World War II when Nazi Germany strategically eliminated people of the Jewish faith. Because the events of World War II evoke such strong emotions, there have been many films made portraying the brutal carelessness for life that many Germans had. Usually these films take a completely serious approach to this issue, however Life is Beautiful does not. In 1997 Director Roberto Benigni released this movie to provide a never before seen viewpoint of the holocaust. Combining romance, comedy and tragedy, Life is Beautiful won three Oscars including best picture in 1997. It takes place in Italy for the first half of the movie where the main character, Guido Orefice, enjoys life to its fullest in an Italian city. Through a series of romantic and humorous events he meets the love of his life and they are on the verge of living happily ever after. That is where the movie changes face and Guido and his son, both Jewish, are taken by the Nazis. When his wife realizes what has happened, she demands to board the train to the concentration camp as well. In an effort to explain to his son what is happening to them, Guido makes up an elaborate story to satisfy his sons questions. Things appear to be improving for the family when Benigni meets a friend of his at the camp, only to find out he is a Nazi and will not help them. Then the war ends and it looks as if they can escape until Guido is captured and then killed. Thanks to Guidos ultimate sacrifice his son and wife are re-united in the end. Life is Beautiful was very accurate in terms of setting and costumes it used. Using bright and vivid colours at the beginning accentuated how great Guidos life was i...

Environmental radiation survey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Environmental radiation survey - Essay Example It is paramount for the user to wear protective gears owing to the health hazards that radiations cause. When taking measurements, it is significant for the user to adjust the device accordingly so as to have the reading in desired units. In addition, the user needs to turn on the alarm component that activates the auditory and indicating lamp whenever the set-point is exceeded. The alarm system will be operated by an acknowledgement switch that can also serve to adjust the rating that further widens the range. This precaution will prevent exceeding of the range where the maximum reading will not be the correct one. After taking these precautions, the user should make the reading and record the same accordingly. After making the required reading, the user should disengage the device from all presetting done on it. This is a precautionary exercise that will make it easier for a consecutive user to work with the device. Being a lab apparatus or industrial equipment, the device requires proper handling and storage. If the device will not be used in the near future, it is advisable to remove the

Top ten recommendations and justification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Top ten recommendations and justification - Essay Example More than 120 gallons of paint should not be stored in any one storage cabinet. More than three such cabinets shall not be kept in a single storage area. Such storage is against security norms; such storage will make rescue operations difficult. 5. Quantities in excess of this shall be stored in an inside storage room. Containers over 30 gallons capacity shall not be stacked one upon the other. This may lead to damage to the containers and spilling of paint. 6. Within 200 feet of each pile of containers, there shall be a 12-foot-wide access way to permit approach of fire control apparatus. This is necessary for agile and easy execution of fire control operations. 9. Materials which will create fire when they react with water shall not be stored in the rooms where paint is stored. Water is so commonplace a substance that it may be casually and carelessly handled by people, thus reacting with such substances and causing fire hazard. 10. Electrical wiring and equipment located in storage rooms shall be approved for ‘Class I, Division 1, Hazardous Locations’. This is elementary guard against short circuits that may lead to fire

American Airlines Flight Essay Example for Free

American Airlines Flight Essay Through his 1997 Airframe novel, Michael Crichton describes Casey Singleton’s response after a plane that was manufactured by Norton Aircraft experiences an accident while in flight. Singleton is a quality assurance officer at Norton Aircraft. Does the story accurately portray an aircraft manufacturer’s response to an accident? By demonstrating that following the accident, Norton Aircraft works hard to ensure that it (Norton Aircraft) does not only ascertain the genesis of the accident, but also to try to exonerate itself from any culpability, Crichton presents an accurate picture of aircraft manufacturers’ reaction to plane accidents. To illustrate, Singleton puts forth great efforts to investigate the facts behind the accident (Crichton, 1996). It is notable that a Singleton is not interested in the numerous aspects that usually surround pane mishaps. Rather, she seeks to establish who erred with regard to the accident. This is the typical reaction of aircraft manufacturers after plane accidents; they seek to apportion blame rather than solve the problem. Does the story accurately portray the media’s response to an aircraft accident? Crichton also presents a credible description of how the news-hungry media usually responds after plane accidents. It is undisputable that media houses jostle to present that so-called ‘exclusive’ story to the public after air accidents. This trend is clearly exhibited by the plans by a local media house to air a sensational news program that has somewhat maliciously dubbed the ill-fated plane a ‘deathtrap’. The author thus describes and critiques the sensational attitude that the media shows towards plane accidents. What was your overall impression of the story? After studying Crichton’s story, I was pleased with the author’s description of events that closely resemble real-life aviation accidents. For example, in describing the circumstances as well as the cause of the accident, Crichton draws parallels with the American Airlines Flight 191 fatal crash. In addition, Singleton’s investigations reveal that the accident was partly caused by the captain’s error of allowing his inexperienced son to take charge of the aircraft. Similarly, the Aeroflot flight 593 mishap in 1994 originated from the pilot’s mistake of permitting his inexperienced son to man the flight. Discerning such parallels to real-life events makes me to like the novel owing to its seeming applicability in contemporary mishaps. On the other hand, after closely examining Crichton’s plot, I have deduced several themes which make the author’s text very significant. For example, the author describes events that seek to show that air accidents are usually blamed on the wrong parties. In this case, John Marder and his associates try to place the blame for the accident squarely on Singleton. After her investigations, Singleton however detects that the fault was in the person who was operating the aircraft, particularity the pilot. The author thus demonstrates that innocent and vulnerable parties usually unjustly carry the blame for plane accidents. This candid portrayal of the blame games that accompany plane accidents is an aspect that makes the author’s work worthy of praise. In addition, I marveled at Crichton’s demonstration that humans, as opposed to mechanical failures, are the main cause of plane accidents. The author thus eradicates the popular notion that machine failure is normally the major culprit behind plane accidents. To illustrate, the aircraft is functional as per Singleton’s investigations. Human error, in form of improper maintenance coupled with operational errors; make the plane to have the accident. Crichton thus debunks a popular myth related to aircraft accidents through the novel’s events. This aspect makes me to really like the author’s bluntness and originality. References Crichton, M. (1996). Airframe. New York: Knopf.

Journeys End by RC Sheriff Essay -- Sherriff Journeys end essays

Sherriff's "Journey's End" On many occasions throughout the book of the play of "Journeys End", Sherriff uses methods to re-create the overwhelming stress of trench warfare. He describes every aspect of the trenches, the guns and the whole life. With this understanding of the trenches, the audience are helped in imagining what it must have been like to live there. In the play, all the narrative writing in the book has had to have been left out. Instead the directors must rely more on the acting and the scenery, which is not to do with Sherriff's work and vision. However the directors of these plays have to get the scenery correct if they are going to make the audience understand the unbearable stress suffered by the soldiers. Sherriff gives good guidance to the directors in the large columns of narratives, which have already been mentioned. With these the directors can strategically set the scenery in certain position to gain maximum effect while also having the benefit of knowing what the stage is meant to look like adding to the overall effects. The main way in which Sherriff re-creates the stress of warfare is in his large chunks of narrative. These are found on many pages throughout the book. He uses these to describe all about the lives of the men and the feelings of everyone. An example of this is on the first page where he introduces a very full-characterised captain. Of course these passages help the directors to grasp some aspect of the way the stage should look but also allows the reader to get his or her own picture in her head. With so many descriptive words throughout the book, it is hard not to imagine the front line in one way or another. This method is very effective as it does give ... ...the end of the book he re introduces Stanhope as an inspiration and tries to please him in many ways. Raleigh uses Stanhope has an idle to get him through the stress. The other way in which he looks to avoid the stress is by sending letters to his family, and having general conversations like the one with Osborne where Raleigh finds out Osborne played rugby for England. Other generalised ways in which the men in the book deal with the stress is through patriotism. Frequent jokes are made about the Germans and many of the troops, including officers only stay and fight because they feel the Germans are doing the world an injustice. Many of the men believe they are fighting for the safety of Britain and their families. The silence of the war is frequently mentioned throughout the book and many of the men gather in unity and sing songs to banish the quiet.

Crito Analysis Essay

Rhetorical Question: â€Å"But my dear Crito, why should we pay so much attention to what ‘most people’ think? The reasonable people, who have more claim to be considered, will believe that the facts are exactly as they are† (906). Personification: â€Å"’Consider then, Socrates,’ the Laws would probably continue, ‘whether it is also true for us to say that what you are trying to do to us is not right†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (913). Plato’s â€Å"Crito† is one of the many tremendously influential pieces of literature produced in ancient Greece. It is a thought-provoking, philosophical discussion regarding the role of the individual within society, and how to treat injustice. As part of a series of imaginary dialogues between Socrates and other characters, â€Å"Crito† deals with the conflict Socrates is presented with, as he awaits execution. Crito, one of Socrates’ close friends, urges Socrates to escape prison while he still can. Crito offers several arguments to justify his escape, including the shame he would endure from the public for letting his friend die, and the poor example it would set for the children of Athens. However, Socrates carefully analyzes each of Crito’s arguments for escaping, and proves them invalid through logic and deductive reasoning. The passage, â€Å"But my dear Crito, why should we pay so much attention to what ‘most people’ think? T he reasonable people, who have more claim to be considered, will believe that the facts are exactly as they are† (906), demonstrates the method that Socrates uses to persuade. Socrates asks a rhetorical question to expose the silliness of the Crito’s worries. It represents the wisdom and morals of Socrates. Crito’s strongest argument is that Socrates would be promoting injustice by accepting his unfair sentence. However, Socrates disproves this point as well, by reasoning that he would be harming the Law by escaping death. Socrates, who has tried to live his life as justly and peacefully as possible, would be breaking every moral he ever lived by if he chose to turn against the law. He regards the Law higher than his own life. He sees the Law as a father to him; it has raised him, educated him, and allowed him to live a comfortable life. No matter how much he disagrees with its ways, he cannot bring himself to disobey it. Throughout Socrates’ discussions, he often has conversations with himself and the â€Å"Law†. Plato personifies the â€Å"Law† by giving it human-like qualities and speech; it is suggested that the Law can be hurt, and angry. He does this to distinguish it as a character that has feelings. For example, â€Å"’†¦you will leave this place, when you do, as the victim of a wrong done not by us, the Laws, but by your fellow men. But if you leave in that dishonorable way, returning wrong from wrong, and evil for evil, breaking your agreements with us, and injuring those whom you least ought to injure – yourself, your country, and us ,- then you will face our anger†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (916), demonstrates the authority of the Law. Socrates suggests it is better to die a victim who has lived justly and killed unjustly, than to return the injustice and hurt the Laws. He states, â€Å"†¦it is never right to do a wrong or return a wrong or defend one†™s self against injury by retaliation† (911), which exemplifies the belief that injustice cannot be treated with injustice. Socrates mentions an agreement being broken in this passage; this alludes to the belief that there is a social contract between the individual and government. Socrates reasons that when a citizen lives in Athens, he is indirectly supporting the laws and abiding them. The individual has a moral obligation to the government. While it is beneficial to challenge the government under some circumstances, one threatens the foundation of a stable society by breaking its laws. Socrates, who has lived 70 years of Athenian life, is content by living in accordance with this contract. He feels a state simply cannot exist if laws have no power. He firmly believes in the importance of strict laws, as he calls them the most precious achievement of human history. Besides, he reasons that a man of his age, with little life left to live, would lose his reputation by †Å"clinging so greedily to life, at the price of violating the most stringent laws† (915). For all these reasons, â€Å"Crito† remains an influential piece that poses big questions and promotes critical thinking.