Custom «Woman the Gatherer» Essay Paper Sample

Scolum’s criticism is based on the fact that there were redefining differences between humans and nonhuman primates. Differences were mainly featured in their brain sizes and language. Slocum is keen to spot that there existed a gap between the beginning trends of neoteny and increased brain size as the story jumps to Man the Hunter. According to Slocum, females are being devalued as they are seen as poor dependents on the males as they do not go hunting. Indeed, all through her work Slocum is keen on giving a convincing portrait of the females that are not biased. As a physical anthropologist, she argues against the approach that Elaine Morgan used as it aimed at a popular rather than a professional audience.

Slocum seeks out to reconsider and revalue women’s role in human evolution as contrary to how they were viewed in the early theories. As it tended to portray violent competition between the male and the female as they remained passive. However, she is profound to note the changes as she emphasizes the role of females in sexual selection thus diminishing the importance of male aggression. Though Slocum justifiably criticizes speculative stories about the human evolutionary past for being projections of present-day biases and preconceptions, she also does the same. This is signified in Slocum’s perception about her change in her political consciousness that causes a change in the theoretical position thus, prefigures her in postmodern anthropology. However, she does not portray the characteristics in her writing.

According to my perspective, it is not possible to be completely unbiased or not have a point of view based on issues. However, in some instances we tend to be neutral and not declare clearly what we stand for based on various reasons. According to Rosaldo, positioning is one of the techniques of avoiding biasness based on the different opinions. With regards to anthropologists, there is a need for them to be neutral and not have sides in their views as this will influence their work as Rosaldo points out that on the need of relevancy.