Patriarchy

This article is about the social system. For other uses, see Patriarchy (disambiguation).
"Macho politics" redirects here. For the concept of pride in male domination, see Machismo.
"Patriarchal system" redirects here. For the political hierarchy of the Western Zhou, see Patriarchal system (Western Zhou).
Not to be confused with Patriarchate.
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Patriarchy is a social system in which men typically hold authority and responsibility. In anthropology, it refers to a family or clan structure where the father or eldest male holds supremacy within the family, while in feminist theory, it encompasses a broader social structure where men collectively dominate societal norms and institutions.[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.[7][8]

  1. ^ "Definition of PATRIARCHY". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 3 June 2023.
  2. ^ "patriarchy". Britannica. 2 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Meaning of patriarchy in English". Cambridge Dictionary.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Green 2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Henslin 2001 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Malti-Douglas, Fedwa (2007). Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender. Detroit: Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-02-865960-2.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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