The Dani people, also known as Ndani are people from the central
highlands of western New Guinea. Just like all the other cultures around the
world, the Dani people have their own ways of dividing up work labor. Work is
often assigned along gender lines, or to different age groups. (Heider 2004).
The Dani are bonded together by their sameness. They are very independent, so
they don’t depend on each other for their survival in the world. Everyone can,
and is expected to do, just about any work that is performed by their labor
group (Heider 2004).
The Dani men build the houses, as well as organize fields for
fixing. When the men aren’t doing heavy work, or engaging in wars, they lace
together the skirts worn by the women and weave bark and shell bands. It also
should be noted that while it may not strictly be classified as labor, only men
perform the various ceremonies and rituals (Heider, 1996). The Dani women are
in control of planting the sweet potatoes, taking care of them, and collecting
them. They also are assigned the duties of raising children, tending and
feeding the pigs, and making salt (Schwimmer, 1997), as well as knitting and transporting
nets. These tasks are made difficult by ritual finger amputation which is
performed only on girls as a part of the morning observances (Schwimmer, 1997).
The Dani children on the other hand are given different labor
tasks, as soon as they are able to do them. As for the boys they collect
firewood, and the girls care for the children as well as help feed the pigs.
Sources
Heider, Karl G.
1996 Grand Valley Dani: Peaceful Warriors, 3rd Ed. Wadsworth Publishing.
1996 Grand Valley Dani: Peaceful Warriors, 3rd Ed. Wadsworth Publishing.
Schwimmer, Brian.
"Dani Gender Roles", University of Manitoba, 1997. Retrieved July 11, 2004 from http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/tutor/case_studies/dani/gender.html
"Dani Gender Roles", University of Manitoba, 1997. Retrieved July 11, 2004 from http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/tutor/case_studies/dani/gender.html
Heider, Karl G.
2004 Seeing Anthropology: Cultural Anthropology Through Film. 3rd Ed. Allyn & Bacon.
2004 Seeing Anthropology: Cultural Anthropology Through Film. 3rd Ed. Allyn & Bacon.
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ReplyDeleteOkay, for this to be reflexive, you would need to talk about the "I" not only as how you feel, but also as how you experience things, as a woman, as a person who perhaps has a job, as an educated person. Please, add that before your final presentation. And you need to work on your references too, Use the AAA Style Guide I posted on Canvas, page 14 for web sources. Why can't I see all of your references. Some look almost transparent! Thanks
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is difficult to find any similarities between the Dani culture and the culture here in the US. People within American society have different specialized skills therefore it would be difficult for them to subsist on their own, away from society. However, I personally feel that the way the Dani's labor is set up and divided is a better way than my own in some ways. I as a worker in the US don't have to do as much in the work force , everything is usually done for me I just have to do the bare minimum. I currently work in a hospital in the dietary department where all I have to do is take patients orders and put them in then someone does every else for me and when their finish I take the patient his/her tray. The Dani people on the other hand don't have as many resources and tools to make that happen they have to do everything on their own, its just them. I call myself independent but in reality that's not true , because in the work force here everything is handed to you in some sort of way. I don't have to work as hard, their is always someone to help me. In order to get through the work force I rely on my education, tools, and co workers. Everyone here in the US pretty much does some of everything, like the labor is somewhat gender role divided but not as much as the Dani. I personally support the labor of the Dani and respect them so much , because some of them don't really have an education so nothing is really taught to them, they don't have unlimited resources to rely on like myself besides their the other members of their tribe.
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