Life Without Fathers or Husbands

Eric Thai
March 21 2009
ANT 1001 TV24A / Gaunt

"Life Without Fathers or Husbands" by Clifford Geertz

"Life Without Fathers or Husbands" by Clifford Geertz described the Na a tribal society in southern China that has a completely different structure than any group I have ever studied. The Na being a matrilineal society was unusual, but on top of that in their society marriage does not exist and no child has knowledge of their birth fathers. Men and women developed no relations with one another. Sexual intercourse occurred through last night "visits" from men that was on impulse and occured frequently (Geetrtz 78). Men and women would have multiple partners without any strong relation (Geetrtz 78). The Na society's lifestyle had me experience culture shock upon reading this chapter.

Looking through the "lens" I have develop from living in New York for the past eighteen year, there isn't much surprise that one would experience culture shock from this reading. Through enculturalization I was taught that sexual intercourse must be something saved untill after marriage. Though I disagree with these teachings from my parent, I have develop the idea that sex should occur only between two people who have developed a relationship between each other. As a Chinese American I had never heard of such a society before nor ever dream such a society existed. The first questions that came to my mind were how could such a society function without knowledge of their fathers or decent.

Now putting down my own "len's", looking at the Na society I see how their society could function the way it does. A society that has no fathers or husbands, the mother is the one who nurtures the children. The male children grow up and do the arduous labor and go on "visits" to produce children. The female children grow up and in turn have children and also nurture their children. In such a society it was important to have a female to continue reproduction and if there were no females, one would be adopted.

Although different the Na was a society that function in their own way though completely different from ours. One at first would be shock to discover such a society and their way of life. It is important to put down our "lens" and not judge their society through our opinions. The Na's society is another example of a society we must suspend our judgement in order to understand their way of life and how they had prospered.

Bibliography

Geertz, Clifford . "Life Without Fathers or Husbands" In Conformity and Conflict: Readings in Cultural Anthropology, 12 ed. Spraley and McCurdy. Allyn & Bacon. 2006. 75-83.