Quote: "Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are primarily held by men."
A social system in which men hold primary power and dominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property.
History of Patriarchy: Patriarchy has been a part of human society for thousands of years. The history of the patriarchy includes its origins, evolution, and effect on society.
Gender Socialization: Gender socialization refers to the process by which individuals learn what it means to be male or female in a particular society. Patriarchy influences the socialization process by promoting stereotypical gender roles, which in turn lead to gender inequality.
Structural Inequalities: Structural inequalities are social, economic, and political factors that contribute to the perpetuation of patriarchy. These inequalities manifest in various forms, such as unequal pay, limited access to education, and limited representation in government.
Intersectionality: Intersectionality helps us understand how different social identities (race, class, gender, etc.) intersect and create unique experiences of oppression. Patriarchy intersects with other forms of oppression and creates unique challenges for women from different backgrounds.
Feminist Theory: Feminist theory is the study of the ways in which gender inequality manifests in society. Patriarchy is a central concept in feminist theory as it is seen as the root of gender inequality.
Feminist Activism: Feminist activism is a movement that seeks to address gender inequality and promote gender equity. Patriarchy is a primary target of feminist activism as it is the social structure that perpetuates gender inequality.
Women's Health: Women's health refers to the unique health concerns and experiences of women. Patriarchy contributes to women's health disparities by limiting access to healthcare and promoting harmful gender norms regarding women's bodies.
Masculinity Studies: Masculinity studies examine the construction of gender identity for men in formal and informal settings. Patriarchy plays a key role in enforcing harmful ideas about masculinity, which can lead to negative health outcomes for men and women.
Media and Representation: The media plays a significant role in shaping cultural narratives around gender. Patriarchy influences media representation by perpetuating gender stereotypes and limiting representation of women in various industries.
Globalization and Patriarchy: Globalization has had a significant impact on the perpetuation of patriarchy, particularly in developing countries. Globalization has led to the exploitation of women's labor and the creation of global economic structures that perpetuate gender inequality.
Traditional patriarchy: This refers to the historical system in which male dominance and female subordination was entrenched in societal norms, laws, and customs. Traditional patriarchal societies tended to be hierarchical, authoritarian, and valorized masculine traits and roles while limiting women's opportunities and agency.
Modern patriarchy: This refers to the continuation of patriarchal values, beliefs, and structures in contemporary societies, despite some improvements in women's rights and visibility. Modern patriarchy can involve subtle or overt forms of sexism, misogyny, and gender discrimination that affect women's access to education, jobs, health care, politics, and media representation.
Intersectional patriarchy: This refers to the recognition that patriarchy intersects with other forms of oppression, such as racism, classism, ableism, homophobia, and transphobia, to create multiple layers of disadvantage and marginalization for certain groups of women. Intersectional feminism seeks to understand and address the interconnectedness of these structural inequalities and uplift the voices and experiences of marginalized women.
Global patriarchy: This refers to the fact that patriarchy is not limited to one geographic location or culture but is a widespread phenomenon that operates differently depending on local contexts and histories. Global patriarchy can be perpetuated through colonization, neo-imperialism, and neoliberal policies that prioritize profit over people.
Patriarchal violence: This refers to the prevalence and normalization of violence against women and girls in patriarchal societies, including domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, honor killings, and trafficking. Patriarchal violence is a tool of control and intimidation that reinforces gender hierarchies and perpetuates a culture of fear and silence.
Benevolent patriarchy: This refers to the notion that some men may display supportive or caring behavior towards women but still benefit from patriarchal structures and perpetuate gender inequality. Benevolent patriarchy can involve paternalistic attitudes, tokenism, and a belief in "chivalry" that upholds gender stereotypes and limits women's agency.
Post-patriarchy: This refers to a hypothetical state in which patriarchy is eradicated and gender equality is fully achieved. Post-patriarchy is an aspirational goal for many feminist activists and scholars but has not yet been realized on a global scale.
Quote: "It is used... both as a technical anthropological term for families or clans controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males and in feminist theory where it is used to describe broad social structures in which men dominate over women and children."
Quote: "In these theories it is often extended to a variety of manifestations in which men have social privileges over others causing exploitation or oppression, such as through male dominance of moral authority and control of property."
Quote: "Patriarchal societies can be patrilineal or matrilineal, meaning that property and title are inherited by the male or female lineage respectively."
Quote: "Sociologists hold varied opinions on whether patriarchy is a social product or an outcome of innate differences between the sexes."
Quote: "Some argue that gender inequality comes primarily from genetic and reproductive differences between men and women."
Quote: "Social constructionists contest this argument, arguing that gender roles and gender inequity are instruments of power and have become social norms to maintain control over women."
Quote: "Historically, patriarchy has manifested itself in the social, legal, political, religious, and economic organization of a range of different cultures."
Quote: "Most contemporary societies are, in practice, patriarchal."
Quote: "Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are primarily held by men."
Quote: "Patriarchal societies can be patrilineal or matrilineal, meaning that property and title are inherited by the male or female lineage respectively."
Quote: "It is... used in feminist theory where it is used to describe broad social structures in which men dominate over women and children."
Quote: "Such as through male dominance of moral authority and control of property."
Quote: "Sociologists hold varied opinions on whether patriarchy is a social product or an outcome of innate differences between the sexes."
Quote: "Sociobiologists compare human gender roles to sexed behavior in other primates."
Quote: "Some argue that gender inequality comes primarily from genetic and reproductive differences between men and women."
Quote: "Social constructionists... argue that gender roles and gender inequity are instruments of power and have become social norms to maintain control over women."
Quote: "Historically, patriarchy has manifested itself in the social, legal, political, religious, and economic organization of a range of different cultures."
Quote: "Most contemporary societies are, in practice, patriarchal."
Quote: "In these theories it is often extended to a variety of manifestations in which men have social privileges over others causing exploitation or oppression."