matriarchal societies

THE MATRIARCHAL SOCIETIES FAWAD AHMED JAMALI

REG # 1311130B.B.A 4B

OUTLINE…

WHAT IS MATRIARCHY?INTER-LINKED TERMS MATRIARCHAL SOCITIES SOCIETY OPERATIONS DIFFERING VALUES/NORMS DISCUSSION POINT

MATRIARCHY??? A form of social organization in which the

mother or the oldest female heads the family. Descents and relationships are determined

through female line. OR A social system organized around the principle

of mother-rule in which mothers, or females are at the top of the power structure.

“The opposite of matriarchy is patriarchy”

INTER-LINKED TERMS

Matrilineal Matrifocal Matricentric

LIST OF EXISTING MATRIARCHAL SOCIETIES Minangkabau Masuo Akan Bribri Garo

MINANGKABAU

• Indigenous to the Minangkabau highlands of Western Sumatra in Indonesia

• Strongly Muslims but also follow “adat”• The culture is partly matrilineal• Numbers around 8 million

MINANG CULTURE• Property is inherited through female lineage unit• Boys leave their houses as early as the age of 7 to

live in “Surau”• Man to wait until a marriage proposal is received

from some young woman’s family• Husbands having visitor status• Maternal home considered ideal for married

sisters

MASUO• Also known as “Na”• Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of China• Numbers around 40000• Linkage with Buddhism, Taoism

MASUO CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Women being head of the family, heir to the property and business decision maker

• Barter-based system• Preserved pork for upto 10 years• Men and women role• Walking marriages

AKAN• Ghana and Ivory Coast• Number around 20 million, but only half of them

follow matrilineal customs• Mainly Christians• Minority follow Islam, Akan religion and Atheism

AKAN CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS• Famous for gold weights• Clan-based system• Marriage with mutual agreement• Initially engaged in slave trade

BRIBRI• Indigenous people of Talamanca region, Costa Rica• Numbers around 12000• Bribri and Spanish language• Organized into clans

BRIBRI CUTURAL HIGHLIGHTS• Men and women roles• Preparation of cacao• Beliefs regarding ailment• Iguana farming

GARO• Indigenous people of Meghalaya, India and

neighboring areas of Bangladesh• Call themselves A-Chik/Manda• Mainly Christians• Population around 1 million

GARO CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS• Youngest daughter inherits property• Boys sent into bachelor’s dormitory• Marriage is cross-cultural• Food is simple, not spicy• House is multi-attribute

WHAT IF….

WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, WOULD THE WORLD WOULD HAVE LIKED IF WE HAD WOMEN IN POWER???