Life in Xilosirti through the Women's Eyes

Abstract

The following transcripts are the result of my attempt to comprehend the position of women in a Greek village. The project consists of four oral interviews of women in the ,· ~ Greek village of Xilosirti on the island of Ikaria. These women are Eftihia Facaros, age 78, Maria Binikos, age 56, Argiro Bratsis, age 48, and Katina Binikos, age 17. Aside from the interviews I have added some of my own revelations, reflections, emotions, and observations. Prior to the actual interview process, I spent a few weeks reacquainting myself (it had been three years since my last visit) with Ikaria, Xilosirti, and its residents. During this period I chose the women I wanted to learn from considering, among other things, their accessibility to me. My study process had as much to do with observing these women going about their daily business as it did speaking with them. I prepared questionnaires, varying some of the questions with respect to each woman's particular situation. For instance, I omitted queries pertaining to children that weren't suited for Katina because she didn't have any children. Important to understanding the following text is recognizing the difficulty posed by translating from Modern Greek to English. Because I've decided to translate exactly the words each woman used to describe her experiences, the reader may have trouble with certain passages. Also, keep in mind that I've included any contradictions, and although this method of transcribing may sound stiff at times, I feel it was essential in accurately relating the stories of these exceptional people.