essay

The null case: the Chipewyan

woman the gatherer • New Haven • Published In 1981 • Pages: 221-244

By: Sharp, Henry S..

Abstract
This article is part of a collective volume, 'Woman the Gatherer.' Here Sharp argues that Chipewyan women's low-status and 'oppression' is part of a symbolic system that enables the smooth operation of a system of production and allocation. Women are 'devalued' not because of any inherent biological or psychological characteristics, but because they do not hunt, which is the main means of procuring food. Sharp argues that men's status is gained from the more public and generalized role of hunting for the whole group, as compared to the more specific activities of women, which are centered on the immediate family.
Subjects
Annual cycle
Hunting and trapping
Preservation and storage of food
Food preparation
Division of labor by gender
Gender status
culture
Chipewyans
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
North America
Sub Region
Arctic and Subarctic
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard ; 1999
Field Date
1969-1975
Coverage Date
1715-1980
Coverage Place
north-central Canada
Notes
Henry S. Sharp
Includes bibliographical references (p. 243-244)
LCCN
80025262
LCSH
Chipewyan Indians