What is Harsneren?
Brand new suffix “-eren” (-????) is often added to the name out of a location including, places or regions and you may means what employed by the brand new population of these lay. “Hars” and “-eren” matched along with her produces the phrase Harsneren, which comes to suggest “Code of Fiance” inside the Armenian.
Harsneren was a motion-centered signing code inside Armenia and that set-up on account of speech taboos and you may a rule off silence implemented into the hitched females. It actually was a low-verbal, gestural sort of communication employed by lady unlike its spoken language. My personal constant data examines lower than what issues Harsneren build, from the what minutes in their schedules female made use of it, and you may precisely what the additional signs and gestures are that ladies frequently showed.
Fieldwork and you may Results
Take a look at regarding the family of one of the interviewees during the town from Voskevan on northeastern province of Tavush inside expose-time Armenia.
Within the operate for more information on Harsneren, We moved towards towns of Baghanis, Voskepar, Voskevan, and you can Noyemberyan on Tavush Province regarding introduce-big date northeast Armenia, in which the first and only examination of the fresh new signal vocabulary was presented during the early 1930’s. Correct observation and you will records regarding Harsneren was only you’ll be able to by way of when 
you look at the-person talks which have local ladies towards early spends of signal words, you can modern-day spends in progressive communities, and you can an examination of distinctions of one’s body language one of several various other interviews victims.
Because of these within the-person interview, it absolutely was discovered that younger brides functioning this sign code to display very first must members of their loved ones; yet not, only if essential, given that telecommunications are usually banned into the younger bride to be particularly in the presence of the girl partner, in-laws and regulations, and specific almost every other family. During the time, Armenian female forgotten just what little company they’d up on matrimony, plus it are the latest patriarchal and public norms implemented to them in public places as well as personal areas and therefore lead to the rise and use out-of Harsneren over the years.
Harsneren no longer is into the active include in the five towns now. Specific girls revealed the accessibility they after they were more youthful brides, when you are other girls recalled their mothers’ usage of it. Particular girls reported these were quiet for decades, although some claimed your rule away from quiet was more relaxed inside their family. The severity of this new silencing of young bride-to-be together with the total amount that she utilized so it sign language (when the she used it) ranged amongst family members and you can relied to your gender character out-of variety of domiciles. Yet not, the ladies who did remember spends of your own signal vocabulary have a tendency to displayed similar gestures. These provided gestures to possess “father-in-law”, “mother-in-law”, “husband”, “hungry”, “bread”, and “water” one of a couple of anybody else. Thus, it can be believed to date, that particular uniformity performed exists among the many body gestures utilized by additional women.
Furthermore, it is very possible that the usage of Harsneren try common in different aspects of Armenia while the things one to produced it lengthened around the historical Armenian places. For example factors integrated a rule out-of silence implemented to your married girls, ladies obligation to produce their speech because a form of respect for males and you may affinal household members, together with socially approved form and you can minutes out of communications for women during the time.
Why is Harsneren important?
Whenever you are far continues to be unknown about Harsneren, the fresh new preliminary results achieved as a result of my current fieldwork inside the Armenia enjoy to have uses of the almost destroyed indication words becoming seen, reported, and you can reviewed. Talks with different local women (it doesn’t matter if or otherwise not they talked Harsneren by themselves), plus greeting for additional study of social norms and you will family and gender assistance within the Armenian culture at the time. On the other hand, such conclusions permitted a deeper comprehension of culture of betrothal and relationship and you can attitudes regarding your role and obligations from Armenian girls during the people at the time, plus now.
What exactly is second?
Carla Kekejian in the center of a basketball video game between local people on the village regarding Baghanis within the Armenia while in the their very first visit to the area from inside the 2014. At the time, Carla choose to go just like the a volunteer june camp therapist; absolutely nothing performed she be aware that the fresh community do feel one of the woman number one lookup internet sites age afterwards hence she would return there constantly just like the an student and you may scholar pupil researcher.
So it lingering study on Harsneren untangles and you may unravels the new indication code and social situations one to led to their go up and slide. Past patriarchy and you can sex norms since factors to your innovation and you may proceeded entry to Harsneren to have years, you should think about this process of interaction out of a larger framework which explains where sex-certain and you will patriarchal norms come from and you will perpetuate including techniques. Plus a study of Harsneren especially and also the greater design where they falls inside, I additionally seek to talk about and you will see gender-certain languages and you can different interaction certainly most other societies, also. Ultimately, that it coming june, We expect you’ll make further papers out-of Harsneren and its own use all over individuals regions of Armenia.
I want to stop of the thanking UCLA’s Center toward Examination of Lady due to their recent help away from could work, plus the Federal Relationship to own Armenian Degree and Research (NAASR) on research grant it provided me with as the an student pupil and this anticipate my personal search to take of.
Carla Kekejian was a good Master’s student from inside the Human Innovation and you will Mindset within UCLA Scholar School regarding Knowledge and you will Advice Sciences. She is actually given a good CSW travel offer from inside the Fall, 2016.