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Patriarchy
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Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of authority are primarily held by men. The term patriarchy is used both in anthropology to describe a family or clan controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males, and in feminist theory to describe a broader social structure in which men as a group dominate society.[1][2][3]
Patriarchal ideology acts to explain and rationalize patriarchy by attributing gender inequality to inherent natural differences between men and women, divine commandment, or other fixed structures.[4] Sociologists tend to disagree with some of the predominantly biological explanations of patriarchy and contend that socialization processes are primarily responsible for establishing gender roles.[5] Sociobiologists compare human gender roles to sexed behavior in other primates and some[who?] argue that gender inequality comes primarily from genetic and reproductive differences between men and women. 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.
Historically, patriarchy has manifested itself in the social, legal, political, religious, and economic organization of a range of different cultures.[6] Most contemporary societies are, in practice, patriarchal, unless the criteria of complete exclusion of women in authority is applied.[7][8]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Lerner p238was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Walby 1989was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Hunnicutt, Gwen (2009). "Varieties of Patriarchy and Violence Against Women: Resurrecting 'Patriarchy' as a Theoretical Tool". Violence Against Women. 15 (5): 553–573. doi:10.1177/1077801208331246. ISSN 1077-8012. PMID 19182049. S2CID 206667077.
The core concept of patriarchy [is a system] of male domination and female subordination [...] Although patriarchy has been variously defined, for purposes of this article, it means social arrangements that privilege males, where men as a group dominate women as a group, both structurally and ideologically man power![...]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Green 2010was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Henslin 2001was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Malti-Douglas, Fedwa (2007). Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender. Detroit: Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-02-865960-2.
- ^ Lockard, Craig (2015). Societies, Networks, and Transitions: A Global History (3rd ed.). Stamford, Conn.: Cengage Learning. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-285-78312-3.
Today, as in the past, men generally hold political, economic, and religious power in most societies thanks to patriarchy, a system whereby men largely control women and children, shape ideas about appropriate gender behavior, and generally dominate society.
- ^ Pateman, Carole (2016). "Sexual Contract". In Naples, Nancy A. (ed.). The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies, Volume 5. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. pp. 1–3. doi:10.1002/9781118663219.wbegss468. ISBN 978-1-4051-9694-9.
The heyday of the patriarchal structures analyzed in The Sexual Contract extended from the 1840s to the late 1970s [...] Nevertheless, men's government of women is one of the most deeply entrenched of all power structures
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