African Women

Freakonomics:

In a sample of 13 African countries between 1999 and 2004, 52% of women surveyed say they think that wife beating is justified if she neglects the children; around 45% think it’s justified if she goes out without telling the husband or argues with him; 36% if she refuses sex, and 30% if she burns the food.

Comments

[Alex]

To be fair, if you had surveyed black slaves a hundred years ago, I'm sure many of them would have said that "beating a slave is justified if....".

It's an interesting testament to how adaptable human beings are. All of our beleifs and preconceptions are based on what's "normal" for us. Take the same people, give them 10 years to integrate into north-american society, and then ask them the same question, and I guarantee the answer will be the complete opposite; however, at the moment they can't even comprehend that a different way of life is possible, let alone try and see things from our perspective.

[Isaac Schrödinger]

That's true.

If one has only lived inside a cage, then the limitless possibilities of the dignity of freedom remain unknown.

That's a large reason for the hatred of globalization in such societies. Take, for example, the television and Western programs. It showcases, among other things, the equality, leisure and comfort in the First World.

I bet that if a double-survey was done in Africa--one of women with TV and the other not--then significant differences in responses would show up.