Culture and Modernity among the Dinkas (Part 3)
By Amer Mayen Dhieu, Australia
TO THEM “KAWAJAAT” I AM THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL AND TO JIEENG “EE XEN EKE NYAN CIN DIR KU ANGUEM”
HOW OUR SOCIETY MAKE WOMEN FEEL BAD ABOUT THEMSELVES.
In Jieeng domain society, women are the precious gift a family could have but there are some piont that women are bullied for thier physical appearance. Traditionally “nyan nong diir” and tall is the most beautiful among all. Such judgement of women phsical appearances is more common in women than men.
In comparison I would say the most ugly look if there is one can be found in men. In somewhat I am not saying there is an ugly creature among humans and neither don’t believed there is one that exist, but our social concept make our perception toward our fellow humans applicable.
ARE WOMEN MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN MEN? This question can be the answer in two perspective. Socially yes women are said to be more beautiful than their men counterparts. This is justified, for example, when there is one beautiful man out there people will be saying oh he is handsome as girls. His face is like a girl. He even laugh like a girl and so forth. Most qualities of a handsome man are related to female.
However in the humanistic perspective both women and men are beautifully equal. No one is superior than the other. As long as both are breathing they are performing what a beautiful human being should perform. In this regard, both human beings are beautiful regardless of their high,weight and skin tone.
IS ONE WOMAN MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN THE OTHER? This is the main thesis of this article. Even woman themselves felt that they are more beautiful than their fellows. This remark leave a bell ringing on my mind. Many question remained unanswered. What is beauty? What are the attributes of a beautiful women? Word “beauty” was socially constructed and often differ in some cultures. In Australian’s perspective there are two different type of beauty; natural beauty and artificial beauty. Natural beauty is that tall and skinny/slim women while artificial beauty is when one put her make up and dress beautifully. In African perspective there is one type of beauty; the natural one that’s involved “(diir, Anguem, shape and height).
AMONG THESE BEAUTIES IS THERE ONE BIG BEAUTY? Women are the same and are beautiful in one way, or another. One can be beautiful because she got booty, boobs and shape… such beauty is characterise by our social concept and it is this characteristic that make one felt beautiful. Again one is beautiful because she puts her beautiful make up and a beautiful dress.This type of beauty is cheap and can be assessed by any women. Another beauty is that one is tall and slim. Most people especially in the current century go for this type yet some complain about it.
WHAT IMPACT DOES THIS JUDGEMENT HAVE ON WOMEN? 21st century women are working so hard globally to transform their look; however, the desire to change defend on how she define beauty. Two years ago I went for shopping with one of my friends. While waiting on the line one man (a white fellow) approach me and ask “where are you from? I said Sudan. He said to me that you are the most beautiful young women he ever seen. I smile and said thank you. After he was gone my friend turn to me and whisper “I think he didn’t look very well at your skinny leg and bottom.”
Again in the same year I was in Brisbane Airport waiting to check in. A flight attendance said to me “I think you are the most beautiful passenger I ever serve since morning” plus many more compliments on a daily basis. Since i often get these type of compliments a lot from the first time I came to Australia I was comfortably happy with my look because I am naturally tall and skinny until something recently put me in Jieeng’s spotlight. My height and body weight were extremely under attack from both men and women. Some describe me in a way that make me felt negative about myself. In response I am now struggling to put more weight on to change my look.
Similarly many fat women, girls and kids are bullied because they are fat. For these reasons many of them have committed suicide, abandon their marriage while many starved themselves to lose weight. Some work out five days a week to keep themselves in shape. Some waste million of dollars to go under the knives for plastic surgery and some are trying so hard to change their body tone with moisturisers. All these efforts don’t only have an adverse impact on women’s life but to the whole society in different ways either socially, financially or politically.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? Both men and women are responsible, however men are the root cause.
Our cultures are mostly men centered and behind every negative cultural perspective about women is a man.
Nevertheless men failed to appreciate women beauty publicly and domestically. Men are quick to figure ugly women in public and at home. It’s this criticism mostly from men that let women felt competitive and negative about their look.
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