Gender+and+Sexual+Orientation

**Gender and Sexual Orientation of the Mayans**
This page will be discussing Issues and related to Gender and Sexual Orientation in different types of Mayan Societies. The different societies I will be discussing are Mayan societies located in Guatemala and Chiapas (Mexico). Contemporary and ancient Maya society are different types of society as aspects and values change over time in all cultures and societies. Aspects and values change because of outside forces posing challenges to societies all across the globe.


 * GUATEMALAN MAYANS**


 * //Ancient Maya Society//**
 * According to Cohodas (2002), in the 20th century, guatemalan mayans experienced issues with their economy and politics. The economic and political conditions fueled the primitive/modern opposition as a female/male gender contrast.
 * More men than women decided to give up on wearing the traditional clothing
 * The decision made contributed to developing a more modern society, and also helped the ancient Maya society develop to the contemporary Maya society.
 * Ancient Maya society represents a more male-dominant society.


 * //Contemporary Maya Society//**
 * Contemporary Maya society represents more of a feminized society
 * Contemporary Maya society has been suggested that a gender hierarchy is needed in order for the contemporary society to be successful and accepted.
 * It is is believed that their society will downfall if a gender hierarchy isn't developed
 * The passive, feminized society that contemporary Mayans count on is expected to need guidance from others outside of the society
 * With contemporary society being female-dominant it may be difficult to receive that assistance in the future.

You can see the differences in contemporary and ancient Maya society. Ancient society is more male-dominant, whereas the contemporary society is more female-dominant. The main issue I'm noticing is, that most Mayan societies in Guatemala are contemporary societies (female-dominant) and will this effect the development of a stable, contemporary society since it's female-dominant?


 * CHAMULA MAYANS**

The Chamula Mayan society in Chiapas, Mexico has been trying to develop their society into a more contemporary society. After researching the Chamula Mayans I quickly realized how their gender relations were very close to equal. The society has a very good control on equality of their gender relations, this always helps of course because it leads to a successful society. In the Chamulan society women are somewhat superior. They have ownership rights of property and economic resources. This is very significant for the Chamula Mayan society because it establishes an importance of women and helps create a stable society.

Brenda Rosenbaum was the anthropologist that studies the Chamula Mayans. She had a chance to speak with some of the women that were of various ages. They spoke of all kinds of issues that related to some inequality of the gender relations in the Chamula Mayan Society.
 * ISSUES IN CHAMULA MAYAN SOCIETY**

Some of the issues are as stated according to Rosenbaum (1993):
 * Family Relationships
 * Activities (Jobs, and participating in certain rituals and celebrations, etc.)
 * Sex
 * Specific problems (polygyny, court cases, divorces)


 * ROLES OF GENDERS**

The roles of women also are a huge part involving gender and identity relations. Many of the women are supposed to do certain jobs while the men also have a certain amount of assigned jobs. I will present a few job descriptions for the males and females as well as, a job that both sexes participate in.


 * //Roles of Women//**
 * manos
 * metates
 * culinary ceramics (pottery pans, pots, and vases and other sorts of cook ware)
 * raising domestic animals
 * textile manufacturing and cleaning
 * child rearing


 * //Roles of Men//**
 * weapon points
 * clearing fields
 * constructing buildings
 * hunting
 * fighting wars
 * tending outfields


 * //Roles of both Men and Women//**
 * According to Cohodas (2002) "responsible for the gardens and orchards adjacent to their homes..."
 * MEN: CLEARING
 * WOMEN: PLANTING, TENDING, HARVESTING

Mayan art also plays a huge role in how the mayans see the difference between gender, and the portrayal of each gender is displayed. In pictures and paintings women are always seen as, I guess, the housekeepers. The women in most displays are weaving, cleaning, preparing meals, nursing, or caring for their children. In pictures and paintings men are seen as those who do more of the hands-on and strenuous jobs. In displays they are shown hunting, painting, carving, sporting, and fighting war. The gender portrayals in the paintings have developed a difference in how each is interpreted in the Mayan society.
 * Art**

//**PICTURE 1.** This picture is an example of the genders' portrayal. Men and women are doing// //their jobs they are expected to complete.// __**//All of this information can be found in the Bibliography under the sources in which I've stated.//**__