Phyllis Kaberry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Phyllis Kaberry
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Phyllis Kaberry in 1946, after 15 months in Cameroon
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Phyllis Mary Kaberry
17 September 1910 San Francisco, California
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| Died | 31 October 1977 (aged 67) London, England
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| Education | |
| Known for | Aboriginal Woman: Sacred and Profane |
| Awards | Sterling Fellowship, Carnegie Fellowship |
| Scientific career | |
| Thesis | The Position of Aboriginal Women (1938) |
| Influences | Bronisław Malinowski, A. P. Elkin |
| Influenced | Sandy Toussaint |
Phyllis Mary Kaberry (born September 17, 1910 – died October 31, 1977) was a special kind of scientist called a social anthropologist. She studied women in different cultures, especially in Australia and Africa. Her work helped start a new way of looking at women's roles in anthropology.
Kaberry's research on the important lives of Aboriginal women was quite new. At the time, most anthropologists were men. They often thought men were more important in society. Kaberry showed that women played a very big and sacred part in their communities. Her work proved how important women are to how societies grow and are organized. This makes her a very important anthropologist.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to Australia
Phyllis Kaberry was born in San Francisco, USA. Her parents were from England. In 1913, when Phyllis was three, her family moved to New South Wales, Australia. They later settled in Sydney.
Phyllis went to Fort Street Girls' High School. In 1930, she started studying at the University of Sydney. She stayed there until she earned her master's degree.
Education and Learning
Phyllis Kaberry studied at two important universities:
- 1933: She earned her first degree (BA) in English and philosophy from the University of Sydney. She also studied Latin and history.
- 1934: She completed her master's degree (MA) in anthropology at the University of Sydney.
- 1938: She earned her PhD, which is a very high degree, in anthropology from the London School of Economics.
Her Work as an Anthropologist
The University of Sydney was the first university in Australia to teach anthropology. Many famous anthropologists taught there. Kaberry learned from a professor named A. P. Elkin. He believed that women anthropologists could offer special and helpful views on women in different societies. This was a topic that had not been studied much before.
When she was a graduate student, Kaberry became interested in New Guinea. Her master's paper looked at how government rules affected local people. She later went to New Guinea in 1939 to study the Abelam people. She was curious about their diet, especially how important yams were to them. Sadly, World War II cut her trip short.
Research in Western Australia
After her master's degree, Kaberry received money to study in Australia. Her professor, Elkin, suggested she go to the Kimberley region. He wanted her to study the Aboriginal people there. Elkin cared deeply about treating native Australians fairly. He knew they faced hard lives and were losing their traditions.
Kaberry followed his advice and went to the Kimberley region. She faced tough conditions, but she handled them well. She worked near cattle farms and mission stations. She also dealt with language barriers and people moving often due to seasons.
Kaberry used a method called participant observation. This means she lived closely with the people she studied. She became deeply involved in the daily lives of the women. She often needed a translator. She chose the most talkative women to help her. This also encouraged other women to share private details about their lives.
Her work changed with the two main seasons. During the dry season, she stayed at the stations. She collected family histories by talking to women from different camps. She wondered if her research during this time was truly traditional. This was because life at the stations was changed by contact with Europeans.
She found that traditional Aboriginal life was stronger in the wet season. During this time, Kaberry saw real customs and traditional ceremonies. This was a chance to see "native life" as it truly was. For about three years, she studied the Aboriginal society in Kimberley. She focused on family ties, religion, and how women organized their economy and society. She also looked at the effects of European contact.
After her fieldwork, she went to the London School of Economics on a scholarship. In 1938, she got her PhD. A year later, she published her famous book, Aboriginal Woman Sacred and Profane.
This book had a quiet but strong impact on women's studies in anthropology. At the time, most anthropologists were men. Her book received much criticism for saying that women were equal to men and had their own sacred value. Many people thought women were just "domesticated cows." They believed women had little influence in culture and no sacred life. Even Kaberry's mentor, Elkin, thought women were less important.
Aboriginal Woman Sacred and Profane challenged these ideas. Kaberry wrote that Aboriginal women were complex people. They had their own rights, duties, beliefs, and rituals. She showed that women had their own sacred ceremonies that men were not allowed to see. She proved that women were not just "profane" (not sacred) while men were "sacred."
Her book was one of the first to describe native women worldwide. It set the stage for future women's studies. This field was largely ignored until women's movements later in the century.
Working with Malinowski
Kaberry received a special award called a Sterling Fellowship. She went to Yale University to give talks about her research. There, she met Bronisław Malinowski again. He had been her teacher at the London School of Economics.
Kaberry and Malinowski were both interested in how different cultures affect each other. They decided to write a book together. Sadly, Malinowski died before they finished it. Kaberry used his notes to complete the book in 1945. It was called The Dynamics of Cultural Change. Kaberry greatly admired Malinowski. She dedicated Aboriginal Woman Sacred and Profane to him. She wrote that he approached the study of culture like an artist.
Research in Cameroon
Kaberry moved back to London. She later received a request to do research in the Bamenda region of Cameroon, Africa. A council wanted to know why this colonized region had low development and poor nutrition.
The British government funded Kaberry's trip. She lived among the Nso' people. She formed close friendships with them. The Nso' people valued her friendship and her help in solving problems. In 1946, the Nso' were losing their land because of colonial rules. Kaberry spoke up for them to the British, and the problem was solved.
The Nso' people were so grateful that they made Kaberry a Queen Mother. This was a title Kaberry treasured very much.
Kaberry spent about 46 months in Bamenda between 1945 and 1963. She sometimes worked with another researcher, Sally Chilver. In 1952, Kaberry wrote Women of the Grasslands. This book described the economic role of Nso' women. It was another important step towards a more feminist way of studying anthropology.
Later in her career, Kaberry taught at University College London. She retired one year before she passed away in London at age 67. When the Nso' community heard about her death, they held a mourning ceremony for her. Ten years later, they started the Kaberry Research Centre in their region. At Oxford University, a special lecture is given every three years to honor her work in women's studies.
Her Important Contributions
Phyllis Mary Kaberry was a pioneer in studying women in anthropology. She had to fight against many criticisms of her work. Her passion helped to correct wrong ideas about the value of women in different societies.
Kaberry showed that women make very important contributions to their communities. She proved that they are not just in the shadow of men. Her work has inspired many future anthropologists, including Sandy Toussaint.
A street in Canberra, Australia, called Kaberry Place, is named in her honor.
Awards and Fellowships
- Yale Sterling Fellowship
- Carnegie Fellowship
- Rivers Memorial Medal of the Royal Anthropological Institute
- Wellcome Medal in Applied Anthropology
Images for kids
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Phyllis Kaberry in 1946, after 15 months in Cameroon
See also
In Spanish: Phyllis Kaberry para niños
