These characteristics were similar in that they affected the social standing among both men and women. Gender roles in agriculture and food provision in general correlate with the social standing of both men and women. However, the Neolithic towns like Catal Huyuk’s characteristics were far more advanced than the hunter-gatherer’s characteristics were.
Social characteristics were very significant in the framework of both hunter- gatherer societies and Neolithic towns such as Catal Huyuk alike. In both societies, the women had the role of taking care of the children. However, while in the hunter-gatherer society men and women had equal roles (men doing the hunting and women doing the gathering), the Neolithic town’s gender roles contrasted greatly. In Neolithic towns such as Catal Huyuk, men did most of the food provision and agricultural-related activities, while women remained cooped up in the house or settlement and raised the children.
This caused women to lose their social standing and freedom in Neolithic towns, while the fair balance of roles between men and women in hunter-gatherer societies allowed social standing to stay equivalent. Religion in both hunter-gatherer societies and Neolithic towns allowed people to worship a being greater than themselves. In both societies, well developed religion existed. Also, both Neolithic towns and hunter-gatherer societies believed in the afterlife.
In contrast, Neolithic towns had much more developed religion, having a shrine for every two houses in each town, while hunter-gatherer societies did not. Also, hunter-gatherer societies did not have a specific gender that controlled religion, while in Neolithic towns, women controlled the religious practices. In both Neolithic towns such as Catal Huyuk and hunter-gatherer societies, the economy was a crucial aspect in the formation of their society, because without an economy, there is no differential between one’s possessions, therefore there is no social classes dividing the people.
The Essay on Gender Roles In Modern Society
Today we live in a world that continually stresses to us that, "All men are created equal." While this sounds great at face value, further inspection tells us that this is far from realistic and sadly may never be. One can examine any aspect of society whether it be race, religion, language, level of education, sexual orientation or economic status and notice that there are numerous ...
Both societies produced food as their main source of economic activity, and traded plants and animals. Also, both societies used stone tools for daily activities and traded these stone tools regularly. However, Neolithic towns had domesticated plants and animals (bigger and healthier), while hunter-gatherer societies did not. Also, hunter-gatherer societies did not have or trade specialized crafts and pottery objects because their societies did not have enough time or spare enough people to make them, while Neolithic towns such as Catal Huyuk did.
In conclusion, social, religious, and economic characteristics greatly impacted the formation of the hunter-gatherer societies and Neolithic towns such as Catal Huyuk alike during the years 8000 and 1500 BCE. Many differences such as the gender roles in agriculture and the religious practices definitely set the two societies apart from each other. The fact that women had a lesser part than men in the Neolithic towns was the origin of issues that would present themselves in the future.
