Story: Tradition: Roles in Society
Summary: This story brings to mind the opening scenes of "Fiddler on the Roof" where we're reintroduced to Tevye the dairyman and the character of the Fiddler. It establishes the central tension in the story between tradition and change. The video in this segment includes the traditional roles of men, women, and children in the fictional town of Anatevka. Use this story as a trigger to talk about traditional occupations and stereotypes in the small Russian village of Anatevka. What do we recall about our childhood memories of adulthood? What can we remember about the roles of men and women in our family stories? How have roles, especially gender roles, changed?
Page: 1 Men's roles in society
Traditional roles for men
In Anatevka, tradition guided the villagers: how they slept, how they ate, how they dressed, and what they did. Men could become carpenters or butchers or blacksmiths, for example.
Page: 3 Talking about Traditional Men's Roles in Fiddler
Blacksmith in Anatevka
What would you like to talk about.
Page: 4 Roles for Women
Traditional roles for women and children
Traditional roles helped everyone understand who they were and what was expected of them. Women were responsible for preparing meals, washing and caring for children. But they were also expected to make clothing and would even work in the fields.
Page: 7 Talking about Traditional Roles
Traditional roles for women
What would you like to talk about.