Women and Touch

Constance Classen's The Deepest Sense discusses touch in relation to women's historically social roles.  Traditionally, women were connected to the lower senses because of the scripture of Adam and Eve.  Because Eve gave into temptation, she was constructed as a sensual being without high intellect and easily swayed by her lower senses. Classen links this to the place of women in the household and the fear of a woman's touch affecting male dominance.  Her discussion of the connection between women and animals is interesting because it depicts the desired woman and the feared woman.  The desired woman is like a tortoise and lives within its cold, west shell, while the feared woman is like a spider, continually spinning her web of seduction like her household handwork. The spider is also connected to Delilah in the story of Samson and Delilah, as she seduced him and then destroyed him, this story serves as an example of a woman's touch to male dominance.  Throughout the centuries, women continued to remain in the home even when administering medical care.  Their care was based on the senses rather than a medical degree, because they were not able to attend school.  This resulted in the increased reliance on male medical professional, even for childbirth.  I found this discussion especially interesting as it related to my senior thesis and the intuitive and sense based part of midwifery even today.