Humanities modern movements Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Humanities modern movements - Term Paper Example The specific issue of gender, according to the authors, has begun to give new and added focus on the role of women. Archaeological research into gender varies from an emphasis on class and occupation to an interest into the ways in which the meaning of gender has evolved over time. As well, the authors point to a rise in biographies being written about female archaeologists as evidence that the field has begun to change. Interestingly the authors of the article claim that there is a correlation between research into gender inequities and work-place inequities within the field of archaeology itself. The idea that the field is sexist has, in their opinion, given rise to the increased interest and study into questions of gender. Concerning methodology, and its relation to an â€Å"engendered archaeology,† the issue of gender as a social construct is put into perspective. According to the authors, gender has always been viewed as a social construct, though in varying degrees and depending on the given scholar. In their view, a gender-based archaeology would first and foremost seek to challenge any and all â€Å"starting assumptions† relating to the issue of gender in human history (Conkey 1997, 411). The issue of gender would be interpreted as it relates to human-constructed reality and the material foundations of that same reality. By relating it to feminist thought, gender-based archaeology is able to show the areas where gender studies shed light: methodology, research, and intra-professional issues (hiring of archaeologists, male-female relations within departments, etc.). Most of all, they wish to show how a feminist archaeology might better approach â€Å"gender† than traditional a rchaeology. A parallel movement has been feminism in general, one which is partially derived from the humanistic belief that all humans deserve freedom and dignity, women