Whats is Patriarchy? Explained
In the previous post we learned about Gender and Sex in the field of social work
Through this post readers will gain a better understanding of what is meant by the term patriarchy and how it affects society as a whole. They will be able to better understand the conceptual, theoretical, and philosophical disputes surrounding the idea. The feminist approach and perspective in tackling gender inequality and the issue of women's subordination also stands to be significant, even though scholars and academicians have developed a variety of definitions for the term "patriarchy." Readers will be able to identify the ways that patriarchal norms are upheld and challenged in the dominant society after completing this post. It will assist readers in comprehending the idea of patriarchy as a system rather than in terms of a guy or group of men. Readers will learn about the ideas of male privilege, male domination, male-centeredness, gender roles, gender stereotypes, etc., and how this contributes to the oppression of women through the essay's content and visuals. Finally, it will assist readers in applying such intricate ideas and meanings to their current situations and experiences.
Contents
- Introduction
- Patriarchy: Concepts, Meanings and Theories
- Patriarchy: A Feminist Perspective
- Movement from private to public patriarchy
- Caste and Patriarchy
- Language and Words: A Patriarchal Expression
- Resisting Patriarchy
- Summary
Introduction
In every women's studies course, patriarchy is viewed as a threshold concept, a key disciplinary idea that is particularly problematic and transformational for students (Meyer and Land 2006). In the history of the women's movement is where the intellectual and theoretical understanding of patriarchy is rooted. The idea of patriarchy as it has been established in feminist works is not a straightforward one, although it does have a number of connotations (Beechey 1979). Patriarchy has a long history of oppressing women, which has presented two significant obstacles. The first is identifying the patriarchy's historical roots, and the second is the patriarchy's apparent ahistoricity. The main issue with the feminist project of writing and rewriting women's history has been patriarchy. Even though patriarchy exists everywhere and takes many different shapes and tones, it is not the same everywhere. Patriarchy is contextually situated and expressed in all of its enormous variety.
One of the earliest attempts to place women's subordination within a larger social framework was possibly Engels' analysis of the roots of patriarchy (Geetha 2007). He proposed that early human communities were built on a straightforward and practical division of labour between men and women, with men taking care of hunting and gathering while women looked after the home. Only once private property was established and money began to accumulate did the dynamic between men and women shift (ibid, p. 36). Contrarily, Walby (1989) contends that patriarchy predates and follows capitalism, meaning that patriarchal relations persist in feudal cultures just as much as they do in capitalist society, despite changes in gender relations over time and in various circumstances.
Patriarchy: Concepts, Meanings and Theories
There are three primary definitions of patriarchy. The first speaks about the ecclesiastical authority held by Christian leaders, especially those who follow the Greek orthodox tradition. The second definition of patriarchy refers to the legal authority that the husband or father has over the wife, children, and other family members who are reliant on them. The third definition of patriarchy is more inclusive and is influenced by feminist critiques of male dominance (Bennett 2006). This helps us to realise that patriarchy refers to a larger system of social structures and behaviours that marginalise, oppress, and exploit women rather than just a single guy dominating women or fatherly domination in the family. It alludes to a social framework in which men's actions and opinions outweigh women's (Soman 2009). Rich, Johnson, and Walby have all provided varying descriptions of this view of patriarchy as an oppressive system. There is no doubt that men have contributed to patriarchy. While some people have embraced patriarchal institutions and beliefs, the majority of people have benefited from the authority and privilege that the system has granted them. But as history demonstrates, not all men have benefited equally from patriarchal institutions and customs. Men who identify as gender nonconforming have experienced direct harm from patriarchy and misogyny in many civilizations (Bennett 2006: 56). Every society's patriarchy gives gender a certain sociocultural significance (Soman 2009).
A Feminist Perspective
Women's subordination is a problem that feminists of all ideologies have tried to understand and remedy by dissecting the meaning of the term "patriarchy." Marxist feminist researchers have demonstrated the connection between women's subordination and the structuring of the modes of production, whilst radical feminist writers like Kate Millet have focused on the system of male dominance and women's subordination (Beechey 1979). The Marxist feminist literature makes extensive use of the idea of patriarchy. According to Juliet Mitchell (1974), the term "patriarchy" refers to kinship relationships in which males trade women as well as the symbolic authority that dads hold over their daughters and the effects of that authority. On the other side, Hartman (1979) makes an effort to connect the radical and Marxist feminist conceptualizations of patriarchy. She investigates the connections between this and how the capitalist labour process is organised, while maintaining the radical feminist use of the term patriarchy to refer to male dominance over women. According to Einstein (1979), patriarchy is a form of sexual hierarchy that is exemplified by women's roles as mothers, domestic workers, and consumers in the family (cf, Beechey 1979).
Women perceive gender and patriarchy in different ways, according to feminist scholars, who have recognised these disparities. The claim that mainstream feminism tries to treat women as a homogenous group and ignores distinctions among women based on factors such as ethnicity, caste, class, marital status, religion, and sexual orientation has also been challenged. Dalit or Black women experience many and systemic types of oppression as a result of the intricate interactions between caste or race, class, and gender. This, however, does not invalidate the essential tenet of mainstream feminism, which holds that women are oppressed "as women." Comprehending the mutual systems of dominance and subordination between these interrelated elements is crucial to understanding the oppression of women across castes, classes, and races (Roberts 1993). Since feminists, sociologists, anthropologists, and ethnographers have all put out distinct theories regarding patriarchy, it is crucial to examine each of these theories in order to comprehend the issue.
According to Bartky (1977), the female form is inherently a sign of inferiority. Feminine bodily discipline is infused with specific rules of nutrition, exercise, movement, demeanour, style, smile, etc., which are symbolic of a patriarchal structure that views women as submissive and men's complements. Women have absorbed this standard and the idea of femininity, so sticking to it appears natural and choice to them. According to Foucault, the female body is only slightly different from the standard for men. In this regard, feminists have contended that the gender-neutral social theory's pervasive sexism and patriarchy are reproduced by its silence on the issue of the production of female bodies (Soman 2009). On the other hand, Connell (1987, 2001, 2005) incorporates the ideas of patriarchy and masculinity into a general theory of gender relations. According to him, gender relations are a byproduct of daily life and behaviour and are subject to change throughout time. He refers to the interplay of gender relations in particular institutional structures like the home and the state by using the phrase "gender regime" (Giddens 2006).
The idea of patriarchy, as created by Sylvia Walby, served as a foundation for the comparative classification of gender inequality. Six patriarchal institutions that oppress and take advantage of women are described and elaborated by Walby. These include male violence, the patriarchal state, the patriarchal mode of production in the home, the patriarchal relations in paid employment, the patriarchal relations in sexuality, and the patriarchal interactions in cultural institutions. According to Walby (1994), there is a clear distinction between the degree and the form of patriarchy. The relationship between various aspects of patriarchy, such as whether or not women have easy access to full-time employment, etc., is referred to as the form of patriarchy. On the other hand, the level of patriarchy relates to how much or how strongly women are treated as inferior to men. For instance, how much of a pay gap there is between men and women who work for pay (Duncan 2000).
Movement from private to public patriarchy
According to Walby (1990), both the degree and the nature of patriarchy in Britain have changed during the past century, but the changes are analytically separate. Degree shifts can be attributed to changes in gender relations, such as a minor narrowing of the pay gap between men and women in paid work and a shrinking of the educational achievement gap between young men and women. She goes on to say that while there have been changes in degree, some aspects of patriarchal connections have become more intense (p. 23). Over the past century, patriarchy in Britain has evolved from a private to a public form. The location of oppression serves as the primary dividing line between the two patriarchal systems. While women's oppression is mostly grounded in private patriarchy in the home, it is primarily based in public patriarchy in places like the workplace and the government (p. 24).
When patriarchal logic is used, notably as tiered gender power relations in the private sphere, the phenomena is known as "patrifocality," as described by Sharma and Gupta (2002). The social practise of patrifocality is influenced by a variety of social factors, including caste, class, religion, and geography. This concept places a strong emphasis on female sexual purity and household responsibilities, treating women as the keepers of family honour and the entryway to the caste system (Soman 2009). In addition to the patriarchy that exists in the home, there is also significant and varied oppression of women in public settings. The lives of women are so heavily shaped by their responsibilities as mothers and wives that their marginalisation and exclusion from public life persist unabatedly. There is, however, no alternative for the majority of families in a system of private reproduction, rigid sexual division of labour, and income inequality between men and women (German 2006, cf. Soman 2009).
Martin (1990) defines patriarchy as a set of social relationships and structures that allow for the collective dominance of men over women and describes this as oppression in the public domain. The predominance of men in important positions throughout a range of societal structures, such as the government, business world, military, and professional organisations, is at the heart of patriarchy. The gender-typing of certain jobs in professional bodies and their associated with male values sustain patriarchy to an even greater extent than the dominance of positions of power. According to a materialist viewpoint, Hartman (1981) explains the persistence of women's oppression in terms of women's role as childbearers and caregivers. She defines patriarchy as a system of social relations between men that has a material foundation and that, despite being hierarchical, fosters male solidarity and allows men to dominate over women. Limiting women's access to vital economic resources and denying them control over their sexuality, especially their reproductive capabilities, constitutes this dominance and control over women's labour power (Tong 1989, cf. Soman 2009).
The primary source of conflict between capitalism and patriarchy is the use of women as cheap labour. However, because of patriarchal structures, capitalists are interested in hiring and using female labour, which is less expensive than male labour. The patriarchal system exploited women's labour both in paid work and domestically. The sexual segregation of workplaces and paying women less than men is another patriarchal tactic that has evolved to enable women to engage in paid employment (Walby 1990: 185).
In light of all these beliefs, we can now see how patriarchy oppresses, exploits, marginalises, and subjugates women, making them the weaker party in both private and public spheres. Women have been oppressed historically, thus it is important to raise awareness of their plight and to take action to redefine their status and position. The challenge of social norms and systems that support patriarchy and stereotyped gender interactions is essential to the advancement of women's status. However, Connell argues that although being repeatedly reproduced, these gender relations are also susceptible to change.
Caste and Patriarchy
One of the key elements in characterising Brahminical patriarchy is the idea of caste with endogamy as its guiding principle. The notion of caste purity frequently conceals all manifestations of power that take place locally, whether in the home, village, or caste, with women bearing the brunt of upholding caste purity (Abraham 2014). According to Chakravarti (1993), protecting women's sexuality is necessary to preserve caste purity. According to Das (1976), women are the caste system's entry points and must be preserved in order to maintain its purity. Although endogamy seems to be a constant norm, it is frequently variable. Endogamy has two characteristics that make it a particular social ideal. The first is the established or approved circle of endogamy, which changes over time and in different situations. Second, across time and in various circumstances, the violence or fear of violence associated with the enforcement of endogamy has also evolved. Endogamy is crucial to the creation and maintenance of caste, according to Ambedkar, whose comprehension of it was long overlooked (Rege 2013). According to Chakravarti (1995), despite their differences, the patriarchal behaviours of various castes are a part of a larger caste, production, and reproduction structure (p. 2248, cf. Abraham 2014).
It was believed that human labour and female reproductive ability were both exploited in the process of production and reproduction. Since caste patriarchies are a reality in India, the caste system is thought to lie at the heart of both types of exploitation. In terms of men, lower caste men, especially dalit men, are denied the same rights with respect to upper caste women, whilst upper caste men can and do violate the bodily integrity of lower caste women (Geetha 2007). The primary indicator of maintaining the social hierarchy of caste is the sexual purity of upper caste women. Since endogamy is essential to understanding caste and the practises of Brahminical patriarchy, feminist studies has changed our understanding of how caste is gendered.
Language and Words: A Patriarchal Expression
The language and words we use in daily speech reinforce the usage of patriarchal and power expressions that normalise their meanings and indicate a particular perspective of the gendered social realities. For instance, the concept of fertility is used to gauge a woman's worth in her family and society as well as her ability to bear children, almost as if it were an extension of her physical or biological existence (Geetha 2007). In the discourses surrounding parenthood, fertility is increasingly normalised. Motherhood is seen as being natural to women. While some cultures associate puberty with sexual awakening and sexual self-awareness, other cultures see it as a girl's preparation for motherhood. Once more, the language and words utilised serve as indicators (ibid.).
Even more so, the phrases we casually use when speaking to our friends and acquaintances have gendered connotations. For instance, saying "Hey guys" or "Oh Man" in regular conversation may seem like innocent gestures, but they actually serve to highlight how deeply ingrained the patriarchal system is in our speech and language. These kinds of masculine expressions are frequently used to refer to both men and women, whereas feminine expressions are only intended to be used to describe women. Numerous feminists have noted how the structure, content, texts, and language of contemporary society have been impacted by the sexual disparities ingrained in patriarchy over the years. Scholarly texts frequently portray men as the standard for expressing articulation. Language maintains a certain level of power that negatively affects women by robbing them of their sense of identity and self and forcing them into predetermined societal positions.
Resisting Patriarchy
The phrase "patriarchal bargain" is used by Kandijyoti (1988) to describe how women in a specific community plan within a set of practical limitations depending on numerous characteristics like caste, class, and ethnicity. Patriarchal agreements have a significant impact on how women perceive themselves in terms of their gender and how they respond to persecution. This patriarchal bargain, however, is not eternal and is rather sensitive to historical change, opening up fresh fronts for conflict and a rethinking of gender roles (p. 275).
The choice to oppose patriarchy is a difficult one. It goes much beyond simply giving up or assimilating into the culture at large. The position that women occupy in negotiating with daily reality is determined by how they situate themselves in relation to patriarchy and how they make decisions that consistently challenge or oppose patriarchal norms. Resistance can occur in a variety of social, political, and cultural contexts. For instance, as Ruby (2003) argues, there are many different ways to oppose patriarchal cultural values. These include supporting gay marriage, marrying a man while keeping one's own name, challenging the institution of marriage and monogamy, choosing not to have children, practising celibacy, choosing an alternative sexual orientation, having children outside of wedlock, etc. She goes on to say that one way to combat patriarchy is to fight it while living within it. The goal is to continuously look for, probe into, and confront the institutions of male dominance and privilege in society.
Summary
The post sought to understand the countless experiences of men and women in a variety of circumstances through the theorization of patriarchy in addition to highlighting the fact that patriarchy exists everywhere. It is well known that patriarchy has historical roots. Although the term "patriarchy" was originally intended to refer to the father's or the eldest male member's absolute dominance over the other male members of the family, it is now used somewhat differently. Today, it is used not only as a descriptive term but also as an analytical category that describes the key elements of authority and power in any social organisation. Different feminists have made various attempts to comprehend and define the term patriarchy. Marxist feminists have examined women's subordination in relation to the structure of modes of production, whereas radical feminists have concentrated on the system of male dominance and women's subordination. Patriarchies come in many different shapes and operate at various levels and to different degrees. It's crucial to recognise that patriarchy does not exist in a vacuum; rather, it refers to a broad set of social behaviours that interact with the institutions of caste, class, race, religion, and area in order to oppress and take advantage of women. Continuing from Sylvia Walby, patriarchy is both public and private. The extraction and exploitation of women's labour is what causes the most conflict between capitalism and patriarchy. Women continuously attempt to bargain and negotiate with patriarchal systems within the bounds of a particular society since fighting patriarchy is a difficult undertaking.
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