Scary thought that was running around in my brain. One of the best things about Battlestar Galactica is the depiction of absolute gender equality.
However, I have to wonder if it can last.
Lets say the fleet gets to Earth and there's enough of a population left to rebuild the human race. As Simon mentioned to Starbuck in "The Farm" the most valuable commodity the human race has is healthy women of childbearing age- more valuable than viper pilots. So what happens to say, all women under the age of 45 with healthy ovaries once they reach Earth? Will societal pressure build against them to settle down and have children? What happens to the ones who don't want to have children! Or lesbians? Or those who just don't want to have sex or can't find the right guy that they want to have children with? What happens to teen girls (say 16 and older)? Will they be pressured to start having children at a young age?
The bare facts are that if the human race doesn't start having children in vast quantities, they're extinct, and that frightening thing is that everyone knows that. It's an issue that has obviously been biding it's time in the show because in the fleet is not the ideal place to start addressing this, but as soon as they are out of these ships and down on the ground, and especially as that population count dwindles lower. If they settle on earth for the first few years things might be alright, but once the population starts to age, panic will ensue, and suddenly all value for women will go straight to those who have children. Preferably several. Female viper pilots? Nope, no use there. Working women in government/whatever infrastructure they establish who don't have time to have children? Nope, no use there. Men can do those jobs and be fathers!
We already saw Roslin ban abortion (anyone know if it still is banned? Baltar presumably de-banned it.....), and I have to wonder if that's the first step of a society devolving to a place where women are absolutely pressured and persecuted by other men and women to abandon their jobs, etc. and just start having children- a value that will then pass on to the next generation and so on. We're looking at a society that could potentially turn into what we've been for the last several thousand years. A society that looks at women as mothers first, and everything else is secondary/unimportant. If everyone had been settled on New Caprica for more than a year, this very well could have happened there.
Ironic that Adama's dark humour from the mini "They'd better start making babies", could become a line that tears down everything in terms of equality that the colonial society has achieved.
Any other thoughts on this? I absolutely hate to think of this, but knowing how human beings are, is there any other way for them to re-act? In times of crisis like this is equality optional?
Or am I just over thinking it?
Edit: not to mention if mothers/fathers don't stay home to look after the children, imagine the potential daycare crisis.....yet another reason to enforce women to stay home as mothers.
However, I have to wonder if it can last.
Lets say the fleet gets to Earth and there's enough of a population left to rebuild the human race. As Simon mentioned to Starbuck in "The Farm" the most valuable commodity the human race has is healthy women of childbearing age- more valuable than viper pilots. So what happens to say, all women under the age of 45 with healthy ovaries once they reach Earth? Will societal pressure build against them to settle down and have children? What happens to the ones who don't want to have children! Or lesbians? Or those who just don't want to have sex or can't find the right guy that they want to have children with? What happens to teen girls (say 16 and older)? Will they be pressured to start having children at a young age?
The bare facts are that if the human race doesn't start having children in vast quantities, they're extinct, and that frightening thing is that everyone knows that. It's an issue that has obviously been biding it's time in the show because in the fleet is not the ideal place to start addressing this, but as soon as they are out of these ships and down on the ground, and especially as that population count dwindles lower. If they settle on earth for the first few years things might be alright, but once the population starts to age, panic will ensue, and suddenly all value for women will go straight to those who have children. Preferably several. Female viper pilots? Nope, no use there. Working women in government/whatever infrastructure they establish who don't have time to have children? Nope, no use there. Men can do those jobs and be fathers!
We already saw Roslin ban abortion (anyone know if it still is banned? Baltar presumably de-banned it.....), and I have to wonder if that's the first step of a society devolving to a place where women are absolutely pressured and persecuted by other men and women to abandon their jobs, etc. and just start having children- a value that will then pass on to the next generation and so on. We're looking at a society that could potentially turn into what we've been for the last several thousand years. A society that looks at women as mothers first, and everything else is secondary/unimportant. If everyone had been settled on New Caprica for more than a year, this very well could have happened there.
Ironic that Adama's dark humour from the mini "They'd better start making babies", could become a line that tears down everything in terms of equality that the colonial society has achieved.
Any other thoughts on this? I absolutely hate to think of this, but knowing how human beings are, is there any other way for them to re-act? In times of crisis like this is equality optional?
Or am I just over thinking it?
Edit: not to mention if mothers/fathers don't stay home to look after the children, imagine the potential daycare crisis.....yet another reason to enforce women to stay home as mothers.
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