Man the hunter woman the gatherer debate postulates that there existed a division of labor based on the sex of the species where males hunted for the game while women gathered fruits and roots closer to their homesteads. The paper, therefore, seeks to highlight the merits of the argument: Labor is divided according to sex because both sexes have different abilities.
The male species has a better physical build suited to run after the game for long distances. Males are stronger, faster and more agile than females and hence, these physical attributes help them to track animals and run after them. Additionally, a male's strength helps to overpower the animals, make the kill and carry the game home. This practice would not be possible for women who are less fast and lack physical strength. The sexual evolutionary theory as explained by Jordan (2008) argues that males evolved physically to handle the physically demanding tasks while females developed spatial memory abilities leading to the difference in roles.
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Females have the responsibility of taking care of the young ones, stay home and only venture out for short distances to pick fruits, dig up edible roots, and catch insects. The food these females collect supplements the game brought home by the males ( Jordan, 2008 ). Gathering suits females because they are weaker and slower than males. The optimal foraging theory supports this assertion because the division of these duties guaranteed the harvesting of various food groups that were essential to the nutrition of the species.
In summary, the traditional roles of hunting for men and gathering for women are of benefit based on the different abilities that each sex possesses. The unique abilities aid in sustaining the species. This attribute is because they ensure that food of different nutritional value is collected for the survival of the species.
Reference
Jordan, P. (2008). Hunters and gatherers. In Handbook of archaeological theories (pp. 447-465). Rowman and Littlefield New York.
