A World Without Father or Husbands Essays - Matriarchy, Mosuo

A World Without Father or Husbands Essays - Matriarchy, Mosuo Anthropology 10-25-15 A World Without Father or Husbands In Southwest China, near the border of Tibet, stands Lugu Lake. This area is home to the Matriarchal society of the Mosuo people. This ethnic group has culture far different than that of any other Chinese ethnic group. Here, women can have relationships with whomever they please. Men can too, but women earn their respect from doing so. Men dont have much work to do, as women are the driving workforces of the households. It is very evident how women have a higher status in this culture. Usually in other Chinese cities, women are more reserved and are not as respected as the men are. In Lugu Lake, the women are seen laughing and joking around, as well as discussing their multiple lovers. The men always visit the women, as women lose respect if they are the ones visiting. There are no telephones here, so the men will show up to their lovers house without planning. They general visit every two to six months and stay for around four days. The men then leave without a hug or goodbye. These festive visits are very interesting and quite impressive as these women are able to live their lives without any rejection or humiliation from the public, like we do here in America. Women in other countries are usually shamed for being open about their romantic lives. Given, as some of the younger children of the Mosuo people want their fathers to be more involved in their lives, it is clear that modern culture is playing a key influence. Over time, this influence will shape the culture of these people differently. This video definitely relates to our Anthropology class, because we can see how vastly different other cultures are, and how they can change depending on influential factors.