The Status of Women in Preindustrial Societies

by Martin King Whyte

How does the status of women in different cultures actually compare with that of men? How does this position vary from one realm--religious, political, economic, domestic, or sexual--to another? To examine these questions, Martin King Whyte draws on a cross-cultural sample of 93 preindustrial societies throughout the world. His analysis describes women's roles in historical perspective, offering a much-needed foundation for feminist scholarship as well as provocative thoughts about the future.

To determine why women fare better in some societies than others, Professor Whyte compares data from cultures ranging from small, preliterate hunting bands to the capitals of the Inca and Roman empires. This ethnographic material makes possible a systematic review of the diverse roles of women and also enables the author to test many of the theories advanced to explain the situation of women today.

Some of the specific questions considered are: Does male supremacy have its origins in the hunting way of life of our distant ancestors? Are women always inferior to men? Do women have superior status in cultures where they produce much food and thereby play an important economic role? Has the position of women improved over the course of human evolution?

Originally published in 1978.

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236 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1978

About the author

Martin King Whyte is professor of sociology and international affairs at George Washington University.

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This study aims to identify how and why the status of women in over 90 different pre-industrial societies, including small hunting societies and widespread empires, compares to that of men as objectively as possible using various measures to do so. The variables range from the domestic and community/social to the political and religious, drawing out percentage categories for comparison across the different societies included. Whyte presents several different hypothesis associated with the different variables and the potential influence or otherwise that they have. The data and subsequent conclusions are laid out well and are pretty accessible in terms of reading, and are also not all that surprising as Whyte confirms that the status of women is vary much dependent on the society they're in and not due to any universal pattern or expectation and that those things that have been held up as the way to improve the status of women don't have as much individual sway as many have made out. Simply put, attitudes are the problem not anything objective or measurable, who knew.