Sex and Society: Studies in the Social Psychology of SexThomas, William Isaac
Science
Sex and Society: Studies in the Social Psychology of Sex
Thomas, William Isaac
Sex; Women -- Social and moral questions; Women -- Social conditions
The aged of the people were no longer safe among their
kindred, and corpses were secretly disinterred to increase the
grizzly store. Superstition soon added its ready impulse to
the general movement. The aged warrior could not rest in his
grave till his relatives had taken a head in his name; the
maiden disdained the weak-hearted suitor whose hand was not
yet stained with some cowardly murder.[193]
Class distinctions and the attendant ceremonial observances go
immediately back to an appreciation of successful motor activities.
We need only observe the conduct of weaker animals in the presence
of the stronger to appreciate the differences in behavior induced
by the presence of superior motor ability. The recognition of this
difference, as it is finally expressed in habitual forms of behavior,
becomes a symbol of the difference, while the difference goes back,
in reality, to a difference in capacity. This example from Raffles
illustrates the intensity of moral meaning which the appreciation of
achievement may take on in the end:
At the court of _Súra-kérta_ I recollect that once, when
holding a private conference with the _Súsunan_ at the
residency, it became necessary for the _Rádan adipáti_ to be
dispatched to the palace for the royal seal: the poor old man
was, as usual, squatting, and as the Susunan happened to be
seated with his face toward the door, it was fully ten minutes
before his minister, after repeated ineffectual attempts,
could obtain the opportunity of rising sufficiently to reach
the latch without being seen by his royal master. The mission
on which he was dispatched was urgent, and the Susunan himself
inconvenienced by the delay; but these inconveniences were
insignificant compared with the indecorum of being seen out
of the _dódok_ posture. When it is necessary for an inferior
to move, he must still retain that position, and walk with
his hams upon his heels until he is out of his superior's
sight.[194]
Drury says that a Malagasy chief, on his return from war,
had scarcely seated himself at his door, when his wife came
out crawling on her hands and knees until she came to him, and
then licked his feet; when she had done, his mother did the
same, and all the women in the town saluted their husbands in
the same manner.[195]
An examination of the causes of the approval of conduct in early times
thus discloses that approvals were based to a large degree on violent
and socially advantageous conduct, that the training and rewards
of early society were calculated to develop the skill and fortitude
essential to such conduct, and that the men were particularly the
representatives of conduct of this type. In the past, at any rate,
there has been no glory like military glory, and no adulation like
military adulation; and in the vulgar estimation still no quality in
the individual ranks with the fighting quality.[196]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account