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When looking upon many other cultures and the affects globalization and centralization has had on their lives, in comparison to Junk men and women, we find there to be a generally beneficial outcome. Although in contrasting of gender, we find women to be doing exceptionally well with the connection to Molar making. From the centralization of their hand crafted products we are able to see them becoming active in marketing, retaining control over land and economic resources, learning and developing business skills, as well as controlling Income In the household.
Since globalization has changed the cash economy of San alas, women have become heavily involved through the marketing of their Molar. Before this shift from self-sufficiency to dependency on International markets, Junk women were traditionally part of an egalitarian society where they contributed equally to men, But from an International standpoint the range of sales In Panama City for male Intermediaries Is larger and more profitable. Offering a way for Inequality to step In. However within the household, globalization In Panama has offered the Junk women a higher level of control.
The Molar Cooperative in particular has helped to ensure this existing egalitarian relationship between Junk men and women stays intact. Here we can see the centralization of hand-crafted goods to be used as a “stepping- stone” toward gaining local control over important economic resources and providing for women’s increased participation on an overall level. By this it would be benefiting the community as a whole through the wave of change, in way of international economy. Since the major increase of tourism to San Blabs in recent years, there has been a shift in the lives of the Junk men and women.
Among the many changes, we find the agricultural integration and general household tasks in the lives of the Junk women, have decreased quite a bit. Before the production and centralization of Molar, women would gather fruit, catch crabs and shrimp, prepare and preserve food, as well as plant and harvest in the field with the men. However, now the organization of women’s labor among generations has changed with this centralization. Women no longer have much time to spend doing household tasks or even productive, past time activities such as fishing, for they are spending far more of their time In the reduction of Molar.
This increase in production has now offered a greater flexibility In the dividing of labor between Junk men and women, and even between younger and older women. Since selling directly to tourists Is more profitable that selling through the Cooperative the increase In tourists visiting the area In the ass allowed the production of Molar to be women’s primary dally activity. This has turned the younger Molar producing women In to so called “bread-winners” of the household.
Although men were still primarily responsible for providing their family with food aught and gathered from the Jungle and sea, much of the food now has been purchased Instead. In way of this, the women have started to become money earners and purchasers of food for the household. One of the disadvantages with slightly of roles caused by tourism, is since the sale of Molar has become the primary source of sales. If there are no sales or very few, it then becomes rather difficult to purchase food and materials necessary for the household. It has now become a shift from self- sufficiency to dependency on international markets.