Some aspects of family life in an Afghan village
Journal name: Acta Orientalia
Original article title: Some aspects of family life in an Afghan village
ACTA ORIENTALIA is a journal focused on the study of Oriental languages, history, archaeology, and religions from ancient times to the present. The journal includes articles reviewed by a senior scholar in the relevant field.
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Bodil Hjerrild Karlsen
Acta Orientalia:
(Founded in 1922 and published annually)
Full text available for: Some aspects of family life in an Afghan village
Year: 1977 | Doi: 10.5617/ao.5137
Copyright (license): CC BY 4.0
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Summary of article contents:
1) Introduction
This article by Bodil Hjerrild Carlsen presents an investigation into family life in an Afghan village, specifically Sangona in Panjšir, conducted in July 1976. The focus is on the role of women in the household, the distribution of work between genders, and aspects of pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing. Additionally, the article features samples of local poetry sung by the women of the village, enriching the cultural context of the community.
2) Gender Roles and Household Structures
The dynamics of gender roles within the household in Sangona reflect a distinct division of labor. The eldest wife oversees the distribution of household tasks, while the other wives contribute to various responsibilities according to their seniority and experience. Men and women rarely share tasks, as it is considered shameful for men to engage in traditionally female activities. Women manage household duties, prepare food, and care for children, while men participate in farming and harvest activities, especially during the summer months. This gendered division underscores the cultural expectations and norms that dictate family life and work distribution within the village.
3) Pregnancy and Childbirth Practices
In Sangona, pregnancy and childbirth practices are deeply rooted in the local culture, where superstitions and traditional knowledge play crucial roles. Upon revealing a missed menstruation, women believe they are pregnant and engage in dietary practices tailored to the expected sex of the baby based on the fetal position. The birthing process is primarily assisted by the mother or mother-in-law, with no medical personnel involved. Pain relief is not utilized, leading to potential health risks. Post-delivery practices include the burial of the placenta and a strict 40-day period during which mothers limit their activities, highlighting the cultural significance of childbirth and maternal care in the community.
4) Child-Rearing Methods and Cultural Expressions
Child-rearing in Sangona is characterized by traditional methods, including nursing practices that span two to thirty months. Mothers avoid certain foods for 40 days after giving birth to maintain the child's health and rely on swaddling techniques to keep infants calm. The article also captures aspects of cultural expression through lullabies sung by village women, which serve both as a means of nurturing and as a preservation of local poetry. These expressions contribute to a sense of community and pass down cultural heritage from generation to generation.
5) Conclusion
The exploration of family life in Sangona provides valuable insights into the intricate roles and practices that shape the daily lives of its residents, particularly women. The rigid gender roles, traditional practices related to pregnancy and childbirth, and the cultural expressions found in children's lullabies collectively illustrate a community deeply connected to its customs and beliefs. This portrayal not only enriches our understanding of Afghan village life but also highlights the importance of studying such cultural nuances to appreciate the diversity of human experiences worldwide.
FAQ section (important questions/answers):
What was the main focus of Bodil Hjerrild Carlsen's investigation?
The investigation aimed to describe women's roles in Afghan households, focusing on work distribution, pregnancy, childbirth, child-rearing, and local poetry from the village of Sangona.
How is the Sangona village and its community structured?
Sangona consists of about 100 Tadjik households engaged primarily in farming maize and wheat, with communal living structures where extended families share responsibilities and property.
What are the gender roles in the household work distribution?
The eldest wife organizes household tasks and avoids hard work, while younger wives take on more responsibilities, highlighting a distinct separation between men’s and women’s roles.
How do women manage pregnancy and childbirth in Sangona?
Pregnant women eat according to the baby's expected sex and give birth with familial support. Childbirth is managed without professional help, relying on traditional methods and beliefs.
What customs are associated with childbirth and early child care?
Following childbirth, the umbilical cord is bound and the placenta buried. Newborns are swaddled tightly and breastfeeding occurs exclusively for the first 24-30 months.
What local poetry was collected during the study?
Local women shared dobayts, which are traditional poems and lullabies reflecting their cultural heritage. These poems often express themes of love, nostalgia, and familial bonds.
Glossary definitions and references:
Oriental and Historical glossary list for “Some aspects of family life in an Afghan village”. This list explains important keywords that occur in this article and links it to the glossary for a better understanding of that concept in the context of History, Linguistics, Religion, Philosophy, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism etc.
1) Woman (Women):
The woman in the village has a defined role, especially in the household, and handles pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing traditions.
2) Child (Children):
Children in Sangona are looked after by women, who manage feeding and care practices, including specific customs for newborns.
3) Village:
The village of Sangona, located in Panjšir, consists of about 100 households that engage in farming and animal husbandry.
4) Family:
The extended family in Sangona includes multiple generations living together, with clear roles and responsibilities among family members.
5) Birth:
Childbirth practices in Sangona involve assistance from the mother or mother-in-law, specific post-birth customs, and naming ceremonies.
6) House:
Each couple in the extended family has a separate sleeping room, while common areas are shared by all household members.
7) Milk:
Milk from cows, sheep, and goats is used in Sangona for breastfeeding, as well as for making butter and cheese.
8) Heart:
Expressions of love and sorrow often mention the heart, as seen in the collected local poetry.
9) Dari:
The people of Sangona are Tadjiks and speak Dari, the local language used in everyday communication.
10) Summer:
During summer, women work hard gathering mulberries and caring for livestock in the mountains, living separately from their families.
11) Breast:
Breastfeeding in Sangona involves feeding the child on demand and continues for 24-30 months, with specific dietary restrictions for the mother.
12) Cattle:
Cattle are grazed in the mountains during summer, with women from different households taking turns to look after them.
13) Food:
The village's diet mainly consists of wheat, maize, dairy products, and locally grown fruits, with specific foods recommended for pregnant women.
14) Stomach:
The position of the child's head in the mother's stomach is believed to indicate its sex, influencing dietary practices during pregnancy.
15) Animal:
Animals such as cows, goats, and sheep are essential to the village economy, providing dairy products and labour for the households.
16) Black:
$[see source text or glossary: Black]$
17) Pari:
$[see source text or glossary: Pari]$
18) Poem:
Poems collected from the women of Sangona include lullabies, love songs, and other traditional dobayts, reflecting local culture.
19) Goat:
Goats in Sangona provide milk and meat, and the number of goats slaughtered is indicated by the number of shots fired after a boy's birth.
20) Afghanistan:
The study took place in 1976 in the village of Sangona, Panjšir, Afghanistan, with a focus on family life and women's roles.
21) Singing:
Singing is a part of cultural expression in Sangona, with women singing lullabies and local poetry during gatherings.
22) Cotton:
Cotton is used for swaddling babies and making cushions in the village, with women sewing and replacing cotton stuffing in winter.
23) Finger:
In the local poetry, the little finger is mentioned, symbolizing rings or intimate gestures.
24) Sex (Sexual):
Sexual activity in the village is paused 40 days before childbirth and is resumed 40 days after birth.
25) Takai:
$[see source text or glossary: Takai]$
26) River:
The Panjšir river runs through the fertile valley where the village of Sangona is situated.
27) Sleeping (Sleep):
Newborns are swaddled tightly to ensure they sleep well and do not wake up frightened.
28) Sheep:
Sheep, like cattle, are used for their milk and meat, and women work hard in summer to care for them in the pastures.
29) Fire:
Firing shots by the father announces the birth of a boy, with the number of shots indicating the number of goats to be slaughtered.
30) Face (Facing, Faced):
In local poetry, turning one's face to a stranger or looking at someone's face is a recurring theme, symbolizing interaction and emotion.
31) Little finger:
The little finger is referenced in local poems, often in the context of wearing rings as a symbol of affection.
32) Pomegranate:
Pomegranates are symbolically referenced in poems to represent beauty and fertility.
33) Knowledge:
Most knowledge about childbirth and child care is passed down through oral traditions and practices, as shared by elder women.
34) Mountain:
Sangona is surrounded by high, bare mountains, with women often tending to livestock in the mountains during summer.
35) Pregnant:
Pregnant women in Sangona follow dietary practices based on the child’s expected sex and avoid heavy work.
36) Hundred:
$[see source text or glossary: Hundred]$
37) Powder:
Women grind and press mulberries into powder lumps after the summer, which are used for food.
38) Window:
$[see source text or glossary: Window]$
39) Winter:
During winter, men in Sangona do little work due to snow-covered fields, while women engage in sewing and maintaining the house.
40) Poetry (Poetic, Poetical):
The article includes a collection of local poetry, mostly dobayts, that reflect the cultural and social life of the village.
41) Valley:
Sangona is located in a fertile valley in Panjšir, with agriculture being the main occupation of the villagers.
42) Fruit:
Mulberries and other locally grown fruits are essential to the diet and economy of the village, with women playing a key role in fruit gathering.
43) Sugar:
Sugar is occasionally mixed with butter to feed newborns until the mother’s milk starts flowing.
44) Green:
Greens, like vegetables, are specifically consumed by pregnant women expecting a girl, as part of their dietary practices.
45) Light:
$[see source text or glossary: Light]$
46) Anger (Angry):
$[see source text or glossary: Anger]$
47) Kona:
$[see source text or glossary: Kona]$
48) Anar:
$[see source text or glossary: Anar]$
49) Sang:
Sang is used in reference to the village of Sangona in the article.
50) Tree:
Mulberry trees in Sangona are significant for both food and local economy, with the fruits being gathered and dried by women.
51) Hair:
Customarily, a child's hair is not cut in the first year, and its nails and hair are buried under a rose tree after being cut.
52) Crop:
Crops like wheat and maize are the primary agricultural products of Sangona, harvested and cultivated by the men.
53) Pain:
$[see source text or glossary: Pain]$
54) Cold:
$[see source text or glossary: Cold]$
55) Nail:
The first time a child’s nails are cut, they are taken to the mullah for a blessing and then buried under a rose tree.
56) Doll:
Children’s toys are basic handmade rag dolls, called güdi, without arms and legs, made by the women of the village.
57) Foot (Feet):
$[see source text or glossary: Feet]$
58) Snow:
Snow covers the fields in winter, limiting agricultural work and influencing the seasonal activities of the villagers.
59) Sexual intercourse:
Sexual intercourse ceases 40 days before childbirth and resumes 40 days after, as part of the local customs in Sangona.
60) Young wife:
A young wife receives special treatment for the first year of marriage, exempt from hard work to foster affection in her marriage.
61) Conversation:
Interviews with women took place in the form of conversations to gather information about their roles and practices.
62) Inflammation:
$[see source text or glossary: Inflammation]$
63) Discussion:
$[see source text or glossary: Discussion]$
64) Experience:
Bodil Hjerrild Carlsen’s article is based on her direct experience and investigation of family life in the village of Sangona in 1976.
65) Sacrifice:
$[see source text or glossary: Sacrifice]$
66) Language:
$[see source text or glossary: Language]$
67) Marriage:
In Sangona, a marriage involves special rituals and duties for the family, including roles for the newlywed wife within the household.
68) Caravan:
$[see source text or glossary: Caravan]$
69) Leopard:
$[see source text or glossary: Leopard]$
70) Harvesting (Harvest):
Harvesting wheat takes place in July, with men preparing the soil for maize right after, signifying the main agricultural activities.
71) Sorrow:
$[see source text or glossary: Sorrow]$
72) Sewing:
Women engage in sewing during the winter months, creating clothes or embroidery work for family use or for sale.
73) Labour (Labor):
Labour is 'exported' to the nearby city of Kabul, with men working there to provide additional income for their families.
74) Gravel:
$[see source text or glossary: Gravel]$
75) Stream:
$[see source text or glossary: Stream]$
[Note: The above list is limited to 75. Total glossary definitions available: 104]