ABSTRACT
A constant theme in discussions and reminiscences about "the old years" was the claim on the part of both women and men that there used to be women's rule, or "matriarchy" on Kalymnos. Young women may be the main contributors of funds in the construction of the "dowry" house, normally built prior to marriage, and often attached to, or adjacent to the parental house. Scholars working from a political rather than anthropological perspective have tended to see the dowry in more negative terms for women, as part of a patriarchal culture intent on preserving women's "traditional" subordination. The term family inheritance needs explanation, since women owned most of the property on Kalymnos. The fact that young children were regarded as no longer demonstrating such respect to either their parents or to older people in the community, was a prominent theme in discussions of the changes Kalymnos has undergone.
