The Hunter-Gatherer Divide
Much of evolutionary psychology appears to hinge on the idea that men were hunters and women were gatherers, and that gendered traits evolved in response to the different needs of these goals. Hunter-Gatherer economies are thought to be the only mode of subsistence for humans for 2 million years, ending somewhere between 5,000-10,000 years ago.
Burton, Brudner, and White (1977) suggest that gendered division of hunter/gatherer patterns came about because "constraints of nursing and the effect of supplementary feeding of infants" restrict female participation in many activities (such as hunting). Goodman et al (1985), however, points out that the Aeta (or Agta) women in the Phillipines are able to actively participate in group and individual hunting "without detriment to normal fertility and child care." Lyn Wadley (1998) notes several examples of female hunters in Africa, as well as citing the Agta bow-women*.
I am reserving judgment, for the time being, on hunter-gatherer gender differences. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me that women would not participate in hunting (since many early hunting strategies required many hunters), and even less that men would not gather. It's difficult to find sources that are not either "superiority of men" texts from the 1950's and earlier, or "feminist response" texts from the 1970's and 1980's. It does appear that female hunters may be an exception, rather than a majority, but it's hard for me to know what to think, given the strong bias on both sides of the debate.
Thanks to astrogeek01 for finding the Wadley article.
Burton, Brudner, and White (1977) suggest that gendered division of hunter/gatherer patterns came about because "constraints of nursing and the effect of supplementary feeding of infants" restrict female participation in many activities (such as hunting). Goodman et al (1985), however, points out that the Aeta (or Agta) women in the Phillipines are able to actively participate in group and individual hunting "without detriment to normal fertility and child care." Lyn Wadley (1998) notes several examples of female hunters in Africa, as well as citing the Agta bow-women*.
I am reserving judgment, for the time being, on hunter-gatherer gender differences. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me that women would not participate in hunting (since many early hunting strategies required many hunters), and even less that men would not gather. It's difficult to find sources that are not either "superiority of men" texts from the 1950's and earlier, or "feminist response" texts from the 1970's and 1980's. It does appear that female hunters may be an exception, rather than a majority, but it's hard for me to know what to think, given the strong bias on both sides of the debate.
Thanks to astrogeek01 for finding the Wadley article.