ANTHRO 2A Lecture 2: Anthropology 2A Notes 10.2
Anthropology 2A: 3/11
I) Gender Symbolism in Context of 3 rd
World “Development”
a. Political
a.i. Anything that governs over groups
a.ii. Core of the household (husband and wife) thought of as a political relationship
a.ii.1. Woman could divorce her husband and destroy him politically
a.iii. Assumptions: contestations and relations pertaining to power
b. Race, Gender and Bio-Power in Multinational Assembly Plants
b.i. Preference for hiring young single women is based on economic reasons
b.ii. Upper management: will rationalize their exploitation by painting a picture of the “oriental
female body”. And will argue that because of that body, these women are designed by nature to
make microchips. (Nimble/ dexterous fingers, more rear padding and sit for longer)
c. Biological Determinism, Bio-Politics/ Bio-Power
c.i. Biological Determinism: determined by biological make up (Race, gender etc.)
c.i.1. Not true
c.ii. Bio-Politics/ Bio-Power
c.ii.1. Social, political issues and ascribe them onto the body
II) Gender Imagery and Malay Public Opinion
a. 2020- fully industrialized by year 2020
b. Malaysians comment upon the changes
b.i. Comment indirectly by talking about what’s happening to Malaysian women
c. Negative perceptions of the female factory workers
c.i. Women are flaunting their bodies and talking to men, pleasure-seekers
c.ii. Too Bebas: abusing freedom
c.iii. Because they work in factories, are no longer part of the female life cycle
c.iv. Like the Janda
c.v. Mary Douglas: Purity & Danger
d. Responses of Women Factory Workers
d.i. Hyper- Islamic
d.ii. Counter negativity and try to be as perfect as possible
d.iii. Show pride in Islamic culture
d.iv. Causes them to self-regulate
Document Summary
Gender symbolism in context of 3 rd world development . Core of the household (husband and wife) thought of as a political relationship a. ii. 1. Woman could divorce her husband and destroy him politically a. iii. Assumptions: contestations and relations pertaining to power: race, gender and bio-power in multinational assembly plants b. i. Preference for hiring young single women is based on economic reasons b. ii. Upper management: will rationalize their exploitation by painting a picture of the oriental female body . And will argue that because of that body, these women are designed by nature to make microchips. (nimble/ dexterous fingers, more rear padding and sit for longer: biological determinism, bio-politics/ bio-power c. i. Biological determinism: determined by biological make up (race, gender etc. ) c. i. 1. Social, political issues and ascribe them onto the body. Gender imagery and malay public opinion: 2020- fully industrialized by year 2020, malaysians comment upon the changes b. i.
