coisas sem interesse.pdf

8/10/2019 coisas sem interesse.pdf

1/8

The Barbarian Status of WomenThorstein Veblen

American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 4, (18 8! "

#t seems altogether $robable that in the $rimiti%e grou$s of man&in', hen the race first too& to a systematic use of toolsan' so emerge' u$on the $ro$erly human $lane of life, there asbut the %ery slightest beginning of a system of status, ithlittle of in%i'ious 'istinction bet een classes an' little of acorres$on'ing 'i%ision of em$loyments. #n an earlier $a$er,$ublishe' in this J)*+ A-,(1 " it has been argue' that the early'i%ision of labor bet een classes comes in as the result of anincreasing efficiency of labor, 'ue to a gro ing effecti%eness inthe use of tools. When, in the early cultural 'e%elo$ment, theuse of tools an' the technical comman' of material forces ha'reache' a certain 'egree of effecti%eness, the em$loyments hichoccu$y the $rimiti%e community oul' fall into t o 'istinctgrou$s ! (a" the honorific em$loyments, hich in%ol%e a largeelement of $ro ess, an' (b" the humiliating em$loyments, hichcall for 'iligence an' into hich the stur'ier %irtues 'o notenter. An a$$reciable a'%ance in the use of tools must $rece'ethis 'ifferentiation of em$loyments, because (1" ithouteffecti%e tools (inclu'ing ea$ons" men are not sufficientlyformi'able in conflict ith the ferocious beasts to 'e%otethemsel%es so e/clusi%ely to the hunting of large game as to'e%elo$ that occu$ation into a con%entional mo'e of life reser%e'for a 'istinct class0 ( " ithout tools of some efficiency,

in'ustry is not $ro'ucti%e enough to su$$ort a 'ense $o$ulation,an' therefore the grou$s into hich the $o$ulation gathers illnot come into such a habitual hostile contact ith one another as

oul' gi%e rise to a life of arli&e $ro ess0 (2" untilin'ustrial metho's an' &no le'ge ha%e ma'e some a'%ance, the or&of getting a li%elihoo' is too e/acting to a'mit of theconsistent e/em$tion of any $ortion of the community from %ulgar labor0 (4" the inefficient $rimiti%e in'ustry yiel's no such'is$osable sur$lus of accumulate' goo's as oul' be orthfighting for, or oul' tem$t an intru'er, an' therefore there islittle $ro%ocation to arli&e $ro ess. With the gro th of in'ustry comes the $ossibility of a$re'atory life0 an' if the grou$s of sa%ages cro ' one another inthe struggle for subsistence, there is a $ro%ocation tohostilities, an' a $re'atory habit of life ensues. There is aconse3uent gro th of a $re'atory culture, hich may for the$resent $ur$ose be treate' as the beginning of the barbarianculture. This $re'atory culture sho s itself in a gro th of suitable institutions. The grou$ 'i%i'es itself con%entionallyinto a fighting an' a $eace!&ee$ing class, ith a corres$on'ing'i%ision of labor. ighting, together ith other or& thatin%ol%es a serious element of e/$loit, becomes the em$loyment of the able!bo'ie' men0 the une%entful e%ery'ay or& of the grou$falls to the omen an' the infirm. #n such a community the stan'ar's of merit an' $ro$riety rest

on an in%i'ious 'istinction bet een those ho are ca$ablefighters an' those ho are not. #nfirmity, that is to sayinca$acity for e/$loit, is loo&e' 'o n u$on. )ne of the earlyconse3uences of this 'e$recation of infirmity is a tabu on omen


2/8

an' on omen5s em$loyments. #n the a$$rehension of the archaic,animistic barbarian, infirmity is infectious. The infection may

or& its mischie%ous effect both by sym$athetic influence an' bytransfusion. Therefore it is ell for the able!bo'ie' man ho ismin'ful of his %irility to shun all un'ue contact an'con%ersation ith the ea&er se/ an' to a%oi' all contamination

ith the em$loyments that are characteristic of the se/. 6%en the

habitual foo' of omen shoul' not be eaten by men, lest their force be thereby im$aire'. The in7unction against omanlyem$loyments an' foo's an' against intercourse ith omen a$$lies

ith es$ecial rigor 'uring the season of $re$aration for any or&of manly e/$loit, such as a great hunt or a arli&e rai', or in'uction into some manly 'ignity or society or mystery.#llustrations of this seasonal tabu aboun' in the early historyof all $eo$les that ha%e ha' a arli&e or barbarian $ast. The

omen, their occu$ations, their foo' an' clothing, their habitual$lace in the house or %illage, an' in e/treme cases e%en their s$eech, become ceremonially unclean to the men. This im$utationof ceremonial uncleanness on the groun' of their infirmity haslaste' on in the later culture as a sense of the un orthiness or le%itical ina'e3uacy of omen0 so that e%en no e feel theim$ro$riety of omen ta&ing ran& ith men, or re$resenting thecommunity in any relation that calls for 'ignity an' ritualcom$etency,. as for instance, in $riestly or 'i$lomatic offices,or e%en in re$resentati%e ci%il offices, an' li&e ise, an' for ali&e reason, in such offices of 'omestic an' bo'y ser%ants as areof a seriously ceremonial character ! footmen, butlers, etc. The changes that ta&e $lace in the e%ery'ay e/$eriences of agrou$ or hor'e hen it $asses from a $eaceable to a $re'atoryhabit of life ha%e their effect on the habits of thought$re%alent in the grou$. As the hostile contact of one grou$ ithanother becomes closer an' more habitual, the $re'atory acti%ity

an' the bellicose animus become more habitual to the members of the grou$. ighting comes more an' more to occu$y men5s e%ery'aythoughts, an' the other acti%ities of the grou$ fall into thebac&groun' an' become subsi'iary to the fighting acti%ity. #n the$o$ular a$$rehension the substantial core of such a grou$ ! thaton hich men5s thoughts run hen the community an' thecommunity5s life is thought of ! is the bo'y of fighting men. Thecollecti%e fighting ca$acity becomes the most serious 3uestionthat occu$ies men5s min's, an' gi%es the $oint of %ie from hich$ersons an' con'uct are rate'. The scheme of life of such a grou$is substantially a scheme of e/$loit. There is much of this $ointof %ie to be foun' e%en in the common!sense %ie s hel' by mo'ern$o$ulations. The inclination to i'entify the community ith itsfighting men comes into e%i'ence to'ay hene%er arli&e interestsoccu$y the $o$ular attention in an a$$reciable 'egree. The or& of the $re'atory barbarian grou$ is gra'uallys$eciali e' an' 'ifferentiate' un'er the 'ominance of this i'ealof $ro ess, so as to gi%e rise to a system of status in hich thenon!fighters fall into a $osition of subser%ience to thefighters. The acce$te' scheme of life or consensus of o$inions

hich gui'es the con'uct of men in such a $re'atory grou$ an''eci'es hat may $ro$erly be 'one, of course com$rises a great%ariety of 'etails0 but it is, after all, a single scheme ! amore or less organic hole so that the life carrie' on un'er itsgui'ance in any case ma&es u$ a some hat consistent an'

characteristic bo'y of culture. This is necessarily the case,because of the sim$le fact that the in'i%i'uals bet een hom theconsensus hol's are in'i%i'uals. The thin&ing of each one is thethin&ing of the same in'i%i'ual, on hate%er hea' an' in hate%er


3/8

'irection his thin&ing may run. Whate%er may be the imme'iate$oint or ob7ect of his thin&ing, the frame of min' hich go%ernshis aim an' manner of reasoning in $assing on any gi%en $oint of con'uct is, on the hole, the habitual frame of min' hiche/$erience an' tra'ition ha%e enforce' u$on him. #n'i%i'uals

hose sense of hat is right an' goo' 'e$arts i'ely from theacce$te' %ie s suffer some re$ression, an' in case of an e/treme

'i%ergence they are eliminate' from the effecti%e life of thegrou$ through ostracism. Where the fighting class is in the$osition of 'ominance an' $rescri$ti%e legitimacy, the canons of con'uct are sha$e' chiefly by the common sense of the bo'y of fighting men. Whate%er con'uct an' hate%er co'e of $ro$rietieshas the authentication of this common sense is 'efiniti%ely rightan' goo', for the time being. an' the 'eli%erances of this commonsense are, in their turn, sha$e' by the habits of life of theable!bo'ie' men. 9abitual conflict acts, by selection an' byhabituation, to ma&e these male members tolerant of anyinfliction of 'amage an' suffering. 9abituation to the sight an'infliction of suffering, an' to the emotions that go ith fightsan' bra ls, may e%en en' in ma&ing the s$ectacle of misery a$leasing 'i%ersion to them. The result is in any case a more or less consistent attitu'e of $lun'ering an' coercion on the $artof the fighting bo'y, an' this animus is incor$orate' into thescheme of life of the community. The 'isci$line of $re'atory lifema&es for an attitu'e of mastery on the $art of the able!bo'ie'men in all their relations ith the ea&er members of the grou$,an' es$ecially in their relations ith the omen. :en ho aretraine' in $re'atory ays of life an' mo'es of thin&ing come byhabituation to a$$rehen' this form of the relation bet een these/es as goo' an' beautiful. All the omen in the grou$ ill share in the class re$ressionan' 'e$reciation that belongs to them as omen, but the status of

omen ta&en from hostile grou$s has an a''itional feature. Such aoman not only belongs to a subser%ient an' lo class, but shealso stan's in a s$ecial relation to her ca$tor. She is a tro$hyof the rai', an' therefore an e%i'ence of e/$loit, an' on thisgroun' it is to her ca$tor5s interest to maintain a $eculiarlyob%ious relation of mastery to ar' her. An' since, in the earlyculture, it 'oes not 'etract from her subser%ience to the life of the grou$, this $eculiar relation of the ca$ti%e to her ca$tor

ill meet but slight, if any, ob7ection from the other members of the grou$. At the same time, since his $eculiar coerci%e relationto the oman ser%es to mar& her as a tro$hy of his e/$loit, he

ill some hat 7ealously resent any similar free'om ta&en by other men, or any attem$t on their $art to $ara'e a similar coerci%eauthority o%er her, an' so usur$ the laurels of his $ro ess, %erymuch as a arrior oul' un'er li&e circumstances resent ausur$ation or an abuse of the scal$s or s&ulls hich he ha' ta&enfrom the enemy. After the habit of a$$ro$riating ca$ture' omen has har'ene'into custom, an' so gi%en rise on the one han' to a form of marriage resting on coercion, an' on the other han' to a conce$tof o nershi$,( " a 'e%elo$ment of certain secon'ary features of the institution so inaugurate' is to be loo&e' for. #n time thiscoerci%e o nershi$!marriage recei%es the sanction of the $o$ular taste an' morality. #t comes to rest in men5s habits of thoughtas the right form of marriage relation, an' it comes at the same

time to be gratifying to men5s sense of beauty an' of honor. Thegro ing $re'ilection for mastery an' coercion, as a manly trait,together ith the gro ing moral an' aesthetic a$$robation of marriage on a basis of coercion an' o nershi$, ill affect the


4/8

tastes of the men most imme'iately an' most strongly0 but sincethe men are the su$erior class, hose %ie s 'etermine the current%ie s of the community, their common sense in the matter illsha$e the current canons of taste in its o n image. The tastes of the omen also, in $oint of morality an' of $ro$riety ali&e, ill$resently be affecte' in the same ay. Through the $rece$t an'e/am$le of those ho ma&e the %ogue, an' through selecti%e

re$ression of those ho are unable to acce$t it, the institutionof o nershi$!marriage ma&es its ay into 'efiniti%e acce$tance asthe only beautiful an' %irtuous form of the relation. As thecon%iction of its legitimacy gro s stronger in each succee'inggeneration, it comes to be a$$reciate' unreflectingly as a'eli%erance of common sense an' enlightene' reason that the goo'an' beautiful attitu'e of the man to ar' the oman is an attitu'eof coercion. ; one but the bra%e 'eser%e the fair.; As the $re'atory habit of life gains a more un3uestione' an'un'i%i'e' s ay, other forms of the marriage relation fall un'er a$olite o'ium. The masterless, unattache' oman conse3uently losescaste. #t becomes im$erati%e for all men ho oul' stan' ell inthe eyes of their fello s to attach some oman or omen tothemsel%es by the honorable bon's of sei ure. #n or'er to a'ecent stan'ing in the community a man is re3uire' to enter intothis %irtuous an' honorific relation of o nershi$!marriage, an' a$ublicly ac&no le'ge' marriage relation hich has not thesanction of ca$ture becomes un orthy of able!bo'ie' men. But asthe grou$ increases in si e, the 'ifficulty of $ro%i'ing i%es byca$ture becomes %ery great, an' it becomes necessary to fin' areme'y that shall sa%e the re3uirements of 'ecency an' at thesame time $ermit the marriage of omen from ithin the grou$. Tothis en' the status of omen marrie' from ithin the grou$ issought to be men'e' by a mimic or ceremonial ca$ture. Theceremonial ca$ture effects an assimilation of the free oman into

the more acce$table class of omen ho are attache' by bon's of coercion to some master, an' so gi%es a ceremonial legitimacy an''ecency to the resulting marriage relation. The $robable moti%efor a'o$ting the free omen into the honorable class of bon'

omen in this ay is not $rimarily a ish to im$ro%e their stan'ing or their lot, but rather a ish to &ee$ those goo' menin countenance ho, for 'earth of ca$ti%es, are constraine' tosee& a substitute from among the home!bre' omen of the grou$.The inclinations of men in high stan'ing ho are $ossesse' of marriageable 'aughters oul' run in the same 'irection. #t oul'not seem right that a oman of high birth shoul' irretrie%ably beoutclasse' by any chance!comer from outsi'e. Accor'ing to this %ie , marriage by feigne' ca$ture ithinthe tribe is a case of mimicry ! ;$rotecti%e mimicry,; to borroa $hrase from the naturalists. #t is substantially a case of a'o$tion. As is the case in all human relations here a'o$tion is$ractice', this a'o$tion of the free omen into the class of theunfree $rocee's by as close an imitation as may be of theoriginal fact for hich it is a substitute. An' as in other casesof a'o$tion, the ceremonial $erformance is by no means loo&e'u$on as a fatuous ma&e!belie%e. The barbarian has im$licit faithin the efficiency of imitation an' ceremonial e/ecution as ameans of com$assing a 'esire' en'. The entire range of magic an'religious rites is testimony to that effect. 9e loo&s u$one/ternal ob7ects an' se3uences nai%ely, as organic an' in'i%i'ual

things, an' as e/$ressions of a $ro$ensity or&ing to ar' an en'.The unso$histicate' common sense of the $rimiti%e barbariana$$rehen's se3uences an' e%ents. in terms of ill!$o er or inclination. As seen in the light of this animistic


5/8

$reconce$tion, any $rocess is substantially teleological, an' the$ro$ensity im$ute' to it ill not be th arte' of its legitimateen' after the course of e%ents in hich it e/$resses itself hasonce fallen into sha$e or got un'er. ay. #t follo s logically,as a matter of course, that if once the motions lea'ing to a'esire' consummation ha%e been rehearse' in the accre'ite' forman' se3uence, the same substantial result ill be attaine' as

that $ro'uce' by the $rocess imitate'. This is the groun' of hate%er efficiency is im$ute' to ceremonial obser%ances on all$lanes of culture, an' it is es$ecially the chief element informal a'o$tion an' initiation. 9ence, $robably, the $ractice of moc&!sei ure or moc&!ca$ture, an' hence the formal $rofession of fealty an' submission on the $art of the oman in the marriagerites of $eo$les among hom the househol' ith a male hea'$re%ails. This form of the househol' is almost al ays associate'

ith some sur%i%al or reminiscence of ife!ca$ture. #n all suchcases, marriage is, by 'eri%ation, a ritual of initiation intoser%itu'e. #n the or's of the formula, e%en after it has beena$$reciably softene' un'er the latter!'ay 'ecay of the sense of status, it is the oman5s $lace to lo%e, honor, an' obey. Accor'ing to this %ie , the $atriarchal househol', or, inother or's, the househol' ith a male hea', is an outgro th af emulation bet een the members of a arli&e community. #t is,therefore, in $oint of 'eri%ation, a $re'atory institution. Theo nershi$ an' control of omen is a gratifying e%i'ence of $ro ess an' high stan'ing. #n logical consistency, therefore, thegreater the number of omen so hel', the greater the 'istinction

hich their $ossession confers u$on their master. 9ence the$re%alence of $olygamy, hich occurs almost uni%ersally at onestage of culture among $eo$les hich ha%e the male househol'.There may, of course, be other reasons for $olygamy, but thei'eal 'e%elo$ment of $olygamy hich is met ith in the harems of

%ery $o erful $atriarchal 'es$ots an' chieftains can scarcely bee/$laine' on other groun's. But hether it or&s out in a systemof $olygamy or not, the male househol' is in any case a 'etail of a system of status un'er hich the omen are inclu'e' in theclass of unfree sub7ects. The 'ominant feature in theinstitutional structure of these communities is that of status,an' the groun' or& of their economic life is a rigorous system of o nershi$. The institution is foun' at its best, or in its mosteffectual 'e%elo$ment, in the communities in hich status an'o nershi$ $re%ail ith the least mitigation0 an' ith the 'eclineof the sense of status an' of the e/treme $retensions of o nershi$, such as has been going on for some time $ast in thecommunities of the estern culture, the institution of the$atriarchal househol' has also suffere' something of a'isintegration. There has been some ea&ening an' slac&ening of the bon's, an' this 'eterioration is most %isible in thecommunities hich ha%e 'e$arte' farthest from the ancient systemof status, an' ha%e gone farthest in reorgani ing their economiclife on the lines of in'ustrial free'om. An' the 'eference for anin'issoluble tie of o nershi$!marriage, as ell as the sense of its 'efiniti%e %irtuousness, has suffere' the greatest 'eclineamong the classes imme'iately engage' in the mo'ern in'ustries.So that there seems to be fair groun' for saying that the habitsof thought fostere' by mo'ern in'ustrial life are, on the hole,

not fa%orable to the maintenance of this institution or to thatstatus of omen hich the institution in its best 'e%elo$mentim$lies. The 'ays of its best 'e%elo$ment are in the $ast, an'the 'isci$line of mo'ern life ! if not su$$lemente' by a $ru'ent


6/8

inculcation of conser%ati%e i'eals ! ill scarcely affor' the$sychological basis for its rehabilitation.

This form of marriage, or of o nershi$, by hich the manbecomes the hea' of the househol', the o ner of the oman, an'the o ner an' 'iscretionary consumer of the househol'5s out$ut of consumable goo's, 'oes not of necessity im$ly a $atriarchal

system of consanguinity. The $resence or absence of maternalrelationshi$ shoul', therefore, not be gi%en 'efinite eight inthis connection. The male househol', in some 'egree of elaboration, may ell coe/ist ith a counting of relationshi$ inthe female line, as, for instance, among many orth Americantribes. But here this is the case it seems $robable that theo nershi$ of omen, together ith the in%i'ious 'istinctions of status from hich the $ractice of such an o nershi$ s$rings, hascome into %ogue at so late a stage of the cultural 'e%elo$mentthat the maternal system of relationshi$ ha' alrea'y beenthoroughly incor$orate' into the tribe5s scheme of life. The malehousehol' in such cases is or'inarily not 'e%elo$e' in goo' formor entirely free from traces of a maternal househol'. The tracesof a maternal househol' hich are foun' in these cases commonly$oint to a form of marriage hich 'isregar's the man rather than$laces him un'er the sur%eillance of the oman. #t may ell bename' the househol' of the unattache' oman. This con'ition of things argues that the tribe or race in 3uestion has entere' u$ona $re'atory life only after a consi'erable $erio' of $eaceablein'ustrial life, an' after ha%ing achie%e' a consi'erable'e%elo$ment of social structure un'er the regime of $eace an'in'ustry, hereas the un3ualifie' $re%alence of the $atriarchate,together! ith the male househol', may be ta&en to in'icate thatthe $re'atory $hase as entere' early, culturally s$ea&ing. Where the $atriarchal system is in force in fully 'e%elo$e'

form, inclu'ing the $aternal househol', an' ham$ere' ith noin'ubitable sur%i%als of a maternal househol' or a maternalsystem of relationshi$, the $resum$tion oul' be that the $eo$lein 3uestion has entere' u$on the $re'atory culture early, an' hasa'o$te' the institutions of $ri%ate $ro$erty an' class$rerogati%e at an early stage of its economic 'e%elo$ment. )n theother han', here there are ell!$reser%e' traces of a maternalhousehol', the $resum$tion is that the $re'atory $hase has beenentere' by the community in 3uestion at a relati%ely late $ointin its life history, e%en if the $atriarchal system is, an' longhas been, the $re%alent system of relationshi$. #n the latter case the community, or the grou$ of tribes, may, $erha$s for geogra$hical reasons, not ha%e in'e$en'ently attaine' the$re'atory culture in accentuate' form, but may at a relati%elylate 'ate ha%e contracte' the agnatic system an' the $aternalhousehol' through contact ith another, higher, or characteristically 'ifferent, culture, hich has inclu'e' theseinstitutions among its cultural furniture. The re3uire' contact

oul' ta&e $lace most effectually by ay of in%asion an' con3uestby an alien race occu$ying the higher $lane or 'i%ergent line of culture. Something of this &in' is the $robable e/$lanation, for instance, of the e3ui%ocal character of the househol' an'relationshi$ system in the early


7/8

as the honorable form of marriage in %ogue among the su$erior class. #n the earliest traceable situation of these tribes therea$$ears to ha%e been a relati%ely feeble, but gro ing,$re$on'erance of the male househol' throughout the community.This mi/ture of marriage institutions, as ell as the correlati%emi/ture or ambiguity of $ro$erty institutions associate' ith itin the


8/8

'etail of a system of status, an', therefore, $resumably fitsinto such a social system, but 'oes not fit into a system of a'ifferent &in'. #t is at $resent %isibly brea&ing 'o n in mo'ernci%ili e' communities, a$$arently because it is at %ariance iththe most ancient habits of thought of the race, as ell as iththe e/igencies of a $eaceful, in'ustrial mo'e of life. There mayseem some groun' for hol'ing that the same reassertion of ancient

habits of thought hich is no a$$arently at or& to 'isintegratethe institution of o nershi$!marriage may be e/$ecte' also toor& a 'isintegration of the correlati%e institution of $ri%ate

$ro$erty0 but that is $erha$s a 3uestion of s$eculati%e curiosityrather than of urgent theoretical interest.

)T6S=

1. ;The #nstinct of Wor&manshi$ an' the #r&someness of -abor,;Se$tember 18 8, $$. 18>! 1?.

. or a more 'etaile' 'iscussion of this $oint see a $a$er on;The Beginnings of ) nershi$; in this J)*+ A- for o%ember, 18 8.

coisas sem interesse.pdf

Documents