Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Assistant Professor of Women Studies, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
2 PhD student in social welfare, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Nomadic women play a vital role in the economic and social spheres of their communities, contributing to sustainable development through their indigenous knowledge. Despite facing significant challenges such as deprivation of welfare and healthcare, they exhibit considerable agency. This study challenges the perception that agency is exclusive to modern societies by demonstrating that nomadic women exercise their influence both overtly and covertly. Through a qualitative approach and thematic analysis of interviews with 17 women from Chah-Gholamali, two main themes (realized agency and resistance as hidden agency), four sub-themes (marital life management, persuasion power, decision-making agency, and facilitating agency), 10 concepts, and 115 meaningful phrases were identified. "Realized agency" refers to agency that is visibly observable. In the case of "facilitating agency," women do not hold a decisive role but act as facilitators. Findings show that while these women often hold decisive roles in family decisions, they also maintain the symbolic authority of men. The study highlights the complex and varied ways nomadic women experience and exert agency within their family structures.
Keywords: Nomadic Women, Agency, Resistance, Gender Division of Labor, Bargaining.
Introduction
Nomadic women, who lead challenging lives, play a crucial role in economic and social activities, contributing to the sustainable development of tribal communities through their indigenous knowledge. In many rural and nomadic societies, these women face significant deprivation of welfare and healthcare services, enduring arduous labor in their daily lives. Despite these challenges, nomadic women are not powerless. At first glance, the concept of agency may seem exclusive to modern societies and may not appear to align closely with the characteristics of traditional communities. However, this study aims to demonstrate that such perceptions often arise from the assumption that centralists believe desirable traits and concepts are exclusive to urban and central societies, while peripheral communities are perceived as inferior. Such assumptions result from a lack of understanding. During the researcher's field visit, it became evident that nomadic women are far from powerless and, in fact, exhibit significant influence in critical moments, either openly or covertly exercising their agency. This article seeks to answer a key question: How is agency understood through the experiences of nomadic women?
Literature Review
This section draws on four key concepts: agency, resistance, bargaining, and gender-based division of labor. Numerous definitions of agency exist in the social sciences. Emirbayer & Mische describe agency as the involvement of actors in various structural environments. For the concept of resistance, we have drawn on Foucault’s work, which links power relations with various forms of resistance. To explain bargaining, we refer to household decision-making bargaining models that clarify the mechanisms through which resources are allocated between men and women in households and the outcomes of such processes. Finally, we address theories related to the gender-based division of labor, including exchange theory and feminist perspectives.
Methodology
This study uses a qualitative approach with thematic analysis. The study population consists of 17 nomadic women from the village of Chah-Gholamali, located in the rural district of Zarand County in Kerman Province. Participants were selected through non-random, purposive sampling.
Results
From the analysis of in-depth and semi-structured interviews, two main themes (realized agency and resistance as hidden agency), four sub-themes (marital life management, persuasion power, decision-making agency, and facilitating agency), 10 concepts, and 115 meaningful phrases were identified. "Realized agency" refers to agency that is visibly observable. In the case of "facilitating agency," women do not hold a decisive role but act as facilitators. In other words, while they may not be the primary decision-makers or play a significant role in shaping decisions, they create conditions that facilitate the implementation of their desires. In this context, women notably encourage their families to migrate or focus on their children's education. In the case of "decision-making agency," women occasionally make decisions independently, or if they are not the primary decision-makers, they still play a decisive role in family decisions. For instance, they influence final decisions in matters such as their children's marriage or family finances. Agency is not always overt or easily identifiable; in many instances, it manifests subtly and covertly. The strategies employed by actors in hidden agency tend to have a more significant impact than direct or overt displays of power. One of the primary strategies women use to assert their resistance is persuading their husbands. Moreover, women are not solely focused on persuading their husbands; they also strive to manage their family lives through other methods discussed in this paper.
Conclusion
Field observations and interviews with participants reveal that nomadic women are not powerless contrary to common stereotypes. On the contrary, they are influential and active participants in their families' and communities' economic and social spheres, consistently striving to play these roles through various means. However, it is essential to acknowledge that their efforts are not always successful. The findings indicate that, due to unavoidable circumstances, the full burden of family life, including principal and minor decisions, rests on their shoulders. For instance, when the father was ill or incapacitated, the mother assumed the household responsibility. Despite these significant responsibilities, the women in the study made deliberate efforts to preserve the authority of men, even when this authority was more symbolic than real. For example, even if they were the key decision-makers behind essential matters such as their children’s marriages or family migrations, they often chose to include men in the process, ensuring their involvement was acknowledged. The study concludes that nomadic women experience agency in diverse and intriguing ways within the family structure, with no uniform pattern across their experiences. Their agency manifests both openly and subtly, underscoring the complexity of their roles in family dynamics and the wider community. This diversity of agency is a testament to the multifaceted nature of their influence.
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