Could it be instinct or necessity?... I don't know!

I saw the documentary, Babies last night! I laughed throughout the entire movie. The film follows the earliest stages of the journey through life of four babies from Tokyo, Mongolia, Africa (Namibia), and the United States. It really showed that though we are raised so very different across the world there is still a universal understanding and commonality for all of us. Here is a link to the main site about the film: http://focusfeatures.com/film/babies/

I did find it interesting and wanted to raise a question (I am not sure where I really stand on the notion). “Is the stereotypical role of women instinctual or was it created out of necessity (for survival)?”

I noticed the role of the mother in all four of the babies that were filmed, was the dominate role, at least in the beginning of the child rearing (the film followed each baby to age 1). This was especially true in the more primitive upbringings. For example, the African baby lived with her other 8 siblings as a part of a Himba tribe. The men of the tribe were never seen throughout the entire film. I asked my friends what they thought about that and one said, “Well you could tell that they were well fed, I assume that the men do the hunting and bargaining, while the women stay in the village and rear the children.” This to me seemed natural, especially given the circumstances that the family lived in. The fathers interestingly enough in the more devolved cities (Tokyo and San Francisco) were much more involved in the rearing of their baby. They had resources and lifestyle opportunities that were not available to the other to families.

This got me thinking… that as our society changes and we are exposed to more and more opportunities to share the responsibility of raising a child, the role of the father becomes much greater. The difference that I felt was evident in the movie was the unique bond and connection that the mother had with her newborn. The fathers from Tokyo and San Francisco both participated in the birth of their newborn, but it was apparent that both mothers were dominant in the interaction. This is when I felt like it was more instinctual… that maternal instinct.

What do you think, because obviously I am unsure and seem to see them both as a natural reason why specific stereotypes have been created around the roles of both men and women.

Again, you have to go see Babies!