The Gender Of Livehood-The Field Study Of Gender Division Of Labor In A Dong Minority Village

Economy is always embedded and fits in society.What hides behind the economic phenomenon is the profound cultural logic.It appears that the implementation of gender division of labor is to achieve the allocation of human resources,and it is a measure to pursuit economic benefits.However,to understand the existing meaning of gender division of labor,people need to put it in a specific culture.It not only embodies the interaction between human beings and nature but also contains the relationship between people and society as well as one himself and the others.What's more,it reflects the attention and understanding to the “humankind” itself.Trough carrying on the field study of gender division of labor of family livelihood in Gaolu village,this paper analyses existing reasons of gender division pattern of labor and latent cultural mechanism,and then discusses gender equality and the endemic culture.This article believes that,from the perspective of the Dong nationality,a seemingly unequal gender division pattern of labor conforms “the rational”actually.Because of the gender differences,the local people have to comply with this objective reality and promote the harmonious development among human beings,livelihood and nature.As economical peasants,the local people merely pursuit economic benefits maximization.This allocation of human resources reflects their investment to the future and their expectation.The particular Dong culture of Gaolu village imperceptibly affects local people's identity and choice of labor division.It also helps the construction of gender division of labor.Besides,when division of labor relates to their survival and development,when paying attention to the intergenerational inheritance,birth custom and life ethics,especially in the local historical memory,makes reproduction become an unavoidable topic and when the formation of ethnic consciousness is considered,the division of labor is inevitable.Therefore,in a particular culture,the relativity of equality should be understood through differences,the main body and discourse and then to rethink the existing meaning of countryside culture.