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Chapter Three. Phases of Life |
| caption: |
division of labour and male and female relationships |
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A clear division of labour between the two sexes favored the mutual respect of men and women. The husband was recognized as the head of the family and the owner of the marital home, for the house stood on a site belonging to his lineage, within the limits of his ward, and his clansmen had helped in its construction. It was his duty to maintain the house and the granaries and to provide or replace the furnishings. He produced or purchased all wooden and metal implements as well as all the baskets required in the household. The wife prepared and cooked the food and wove all textiles not purchased from other villages. Just as a man owned his weapons and working implements, so a woman had her personal cooking utensils, looms, and textiles. While the husband concerned himself with the cultivation and storage of rice, the wife was responsible for the planting, harvesting, and drying of taro. |
