Chapter 3 - Patriarchy

Question- What is meant by patriarchy?

Related Short Answer Questions

1. Give the meaning of patriarchy and give any two definitions of it.
2. How is the patriarchal system defined as a system dominated by men?

Answer -

Societies in which generations of families are related to each other on the basis of father's lineage, those societies are said to be of patriarchal nature. Such societies are also called patrilineal societies. On the other hand, societies in which generations are related to each other on the basis of the mother's lineage are called matrilineal societies and are called matriarchal societies.

The line of descent in a society depicts the succession of names, property, titles and other valuable things in the family. These things are passed from one generation to the next, either according to the lineage of the male or according to the lineage of the female. Due to the fact that most of the world's societies are patrilineal, the world's cultures are dominated by patriarchal societies while matriarchal societies tend to be primitive societies.

Scholarly Views on Patriarchy

(i) Sociologist Sylvia Welby defines patriarchy as "a system of social structures and practices in which men dominate, oppress and exploit women."
(ii) Broadly speaking : "Patriarchy is the control of a disproportionately large part of power by men." Patriarchy - Patriarchy is a term used very commonly by feminist scholars. The term is used by the majority of the population in their daily lives. But what exactly does patriarchy mean?

Patriarchy

The word Patriarchy is derived from the ancient Greek word Patriarches. A patriarchy is a society where power is vested in senior men and it is through these senior men that the transfer of power is further accomplished. Another rather easily understood definition of this definition of patriarchy is given in the Oxford Dictionary. According to this, patriarchy is such a system of society or government in which the father or the senior most male is the head of the family and the lineage is calculated according to the male line. The term patriarchy is used to describe the society in which we currently live. This society is characterized by the existence of unequal power relations between women and men. These unequal power relations exist in the present as well and have existed historically earlier also. Women are systematically denied and oppressed by these unequal power relations. This happens in almost all walks of life in the form of under-representation of women in the workforce, in decision-making positions and in government institutions. Violence by men against women is also one of the main features of patriarchy. Women from minority groups face many forms of oppression in this society as race, class and sexuality intersect sexism. For example, during wars and conflicts women’s bodies are at stake because such patriarchal oppressive ideologies are practiced there; Like gang rape. The concept of patriarchy that has been developed within feminist writing is not a single or simple concept, but it also encompasses a wide variety of different meanings. On a very general level, the term patriarchy is used to indicate the dominance of men and the power relations through which men establish their dominance over women (Millett, 1970).

...Prev | Next...