Bowl

Gender stereotypes: desiring subject / desired object

Gender and life cycle: marriage

Gender and sexuality

The iconic representation of the Hand of Fatima in medieval ceramics was extremely common in Muslim countries, used as a symbol of protection against illness, misfortune and evil spirits. One of the legends associated with this symbol reveals the resigned attitude of Fatima towards her husband’s infidelity, signifying abnegation and patience as appropriate female attitudes in a relationship. An examination of this and other traditional narratives explains their role in reproducing gender inequality, articulating different socialization processes for men and women. Today, pedagogy and publishers convey this reality, overcoming it with ‘rereadings’ in teacher’s guides for the classroom and on the shelves.