The economy , social organizations, and political organizations have had different effects on gender relationships in different cultures.  Matrilineal cultures are affected by economics and politics in different ways compared to patrilineal cultures.  I will be comparing the Masuo of China to the United States in the mid-twentieth century.  The Masuo are an ethnic group residing near Lugu Lake in China.  They celebrate a matrilineal culture and participate in “walking marriages”.  These type of marriages happen often, and seem to attract a plethora of tourists.  Women can have an unlimited amount of marriages, but people in this group always reside in the house of their mother.  So there are no aunts and uncles, husbands go back to their mothers home after spending time with their wives.  There can be up to three generations of the family residing in one house at the same time (Kuhn 2016).  This type of set up has reduced the possessiveness and jealousy in male-female relationships.

The Masuo’s economy is based off of tourism, but this abrades social structure and motivates families to become smaller so that they income increases.  Since tourism has become lucrative among the Masuo, many women have left their mother’s homes due to the insufferable pressure that the outside world was bringing to their society.   Globalization and tourism has also changed the Masuo’s politics; political leaders used to be women, but since the surrounding states are politically dominated by men they have decided to appoint men for political roles.  Social organizations with the Masuo and neighboring communities are rare due to the prejudice put upon the Masuo for their unique relationship practices (Kuhn 2016).  Social organization within the Masuo is characterized by gender.  Men are in charge of funerals and slaughtering animals, while the women are in charge of giving birth and maintaining life within their society.  The women manage the farms, livestock, foraging, and preparation of meals and are highly independent from sterotypical gender stigmas.  Patrilineal cultures survive and presume different social roles than matrilineal cultures.

The United States celebrates a patrilineal culture and is known for presuming gender roles while using prejudice as their weapon.  Men did not believe that women were their equal, so they judged any woman who refused to submit to them.  During the Industrial Revolution, some women defied their social roles and worked in factories despite their husbands and daddy’s approvals.  This actually helped improve the United States’ economy status, but started to hinder women’s domestic lives due to lack of childcare.  Since women were seen as secondary to men, this was a huge step towards their rights to participate in society through politics and social organizations.  Due to the establishment of textile industries, women were allotted to be mill operators, which were crucial to the factories production and success rates.  Women received much lower work wages than men did and could only work in the light industries like soap factories.  Some women stepped out in prestige and became nurses, teachers, and secretaries- subsequent to the invention of the typewriter (The Industrial Economy, Chapter 6).  Politics, social status, and the economy were dominated by men.  Women were taught to bow down to their husbands and were expected to complete the domestic needs of the family- such as cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the kids.  Men did all the “dirty work” and were in charge in providing the income for their families.

In the Unites States, the stereotypical roles of men and women have dramatically changed over the last century.  Although women are still underpaid, they have rights to own property and reside within whichever occupation they choose.  Women are allowed to vote and are free to identify what they want in life and obtain it.  The playing field has become more equal between genders.  Globalization and development has shaped gender roles in the United States by learning from different cultures that women are just as equal as men.  Religion may also have a part in how women’s rights were established in the United States.

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