Patriarchy (CONTINUED!) Why Many People Think Patriarchy is Inevitable •God/gods/similar powers made us this way •Biology/physiology predestined patriarchy •Women are the “weaker” sex •Men’s and women’s reproductive capacities shape their participation in social life But…Is patriarchy universal? Nope! ◦Anthropologists have documented cultures in which gender was not a major organizing system in society in Alternatives to patriarchy oSocial inequalities based on some trait other than gender (most often age/seniority, family lineage), or no inequality oWomen and men alternate tasks (including care giving) and share religious and leadership responsibilities) Example: Vanuatu Melanesian island culture of the Vanatinai is organized around the principle of personal autonomy ◦No ideology of male superiority ◦No economic exclusion of women The past wasn’t always more patriarchal than the present Many countries were home to more gender egalitarian cultures in the past than they are today: oCleopatra’s Egypt oThe Amazons (Scythian women) oNorthern and Western African tribes pre‐colonial contact oNative Americans/First Nation Canadians pre‐conquest Patriarchy’s many manifestations Patriarchy can take many different forms and can operate through many different institutions Is the expression of patriarchy universal? • Nope! Patriarchy operates in many different ways 4/4/2020 1 CORE CONCEPTS IN GSST PATRIARCHY Patriarchy •A system in which men hold power and are the central figures in the family, community, government, and larger society. •…”A system of social structures and practices in which men dominate, oppress and exploit women” (Walby 1990). 4/4/2020 2 Important related concepts oPower: the capacity to influence the behavior of other people and/or the course of events oIn patriarchy, power=power over oResources: A source of support or aid that can be drawn on as needed Important related concepts See Johnson #2, page 23, in our text 4/4/2020 3 Features of patriarchal societies (Johnson, The Gender Knot) ◦Male dominance: positions of authority are generally reserved for men ◦Male centeredness: focus is primarily on men and what they do ◦Obsession with control (esp. male control): controlling women and anyone who might threaten male privilege ◦Male identification: core ideas about what is considered good/desirable/preferable is associated with how we think about men and masculinity 4/4/2020 4 Susan B. Anthony #17 Male dominance: Judge and complainants men; all positions of formal power are held by men; as Anthony notes, all men are her political sovereign Male centeredness: The law is, in Anthony’s words, “all made by men, interpreted by men, administered by men, in favor of men…” (126). Obsession with control: The law (among other institutions) is used to silence women, such as by denying a woman a right to vote Male identification: Concept of citiz ...