The berdache is not expected to suppress his tendency for feminine behavior. Neither does he internalize a low self-image. He thus avoids the tendency of those considered deviant in Western culture to engage in self-destructive behavior. Berdaches who value their traditions do not tend to be alcoholic or suicidal, even in tribes where such problems are common. They are too valued by their families.
Every person has their gift.
As the huge caseload of U.S. psychiatric therapy testifies, severe damage can result from these feelings of deviance or inferiority. The difference is emphasized, becoming a basis for respect rather than stigma. Anthropologists have debated whether male dominance is universal, and while such dominance clearly exists in many parts of the world, most specialists in North American Indian studies emphasize that at least aboriginally many societies operated on a gender-equal basis. Traditionally, women had a high level of self-esteem for they knew that their family and band economically depended on them as much as or more than it did on men. They were centrally involved in the society's economy, controlling distribution of the food they grew or gathered.