Lecture 7: The Patriachal Tendency

1. Eric C. Thompson
Semester 2, 2011/2012

2. Where We Have Been…
 History of Gender Studies
 Sex/Gender Distinction
 Becoming Male or Female
 Gender socialization;
paths to learning gender.
 Gender Systems
 Masculinity/Femininity
 Gender as systems of
beliefs and behaviors

3. Where We Are Going…
 Gender in Popular Culture
 Gender in Advertising
 Popular Culture
 Gender in Social Relations
 Gender and Power
 Gender and Work
 Gender, Here and Now
 Gender in Singapore
YOU ARE
HERE

4. Gender: Biological, Cultural & Social
 Biology: We are a biological species. We are a
sexually reproducing species. We are mammals.
These influence, but do not determine, gender.
 Culture: We communicate and understand the
world through symbolic signaling and abstract
categorization. Ideas.
 Social: We interact with each other through
exchange, cooperation, alliances, competition
and conflict. Relationships and Resources.
 Gender: What we make socially and culturally
of biological sex differences.

5. Social Dynamics of Gender
 Lectures on “cultural constructions” of
gender (popular culture, advertising)
focused on ideas (what we think) about
gender and representations of gender.
 In Social Relations, we are focusing on how
society is organized: exchange
relationships, hierarchies, roles, etc.
 In particular, we will discuss the patriarchal
tendency in human societies.

6. Gender, Power and Patriarchy
 What is Patriarchy?
 Is patriarchy universal?
 Why does patriarchy exist?
 Why is there a patriarchal tendency among human
societies?

7. Patri- and Matri- Examples:
(Some Terminology)
-archy Patriarchy: society in which
Patri- (rule, govern) power is disproportionately
(male) held by men
-lineal Matrilineal: society in which
(in the line of) property, names, status, etc. is
inherited through women
Matri-
(female) -local Patrilocal: society in which
(residence, married couples live with the
location) man’s side of the family
*These are all different things; a society can
be matrilineal but patriarchal

8. Terminology You Should Know
 Patrilineal – inheritance through fathers
 Matrilineal – inheritance through mothers
 Bilateral – inheritance through both
 Patrilocal – living with father’s side
 Martilocal – living with mother’s side
 Neolocal – living in a new place
 Patriarchal – society in which men are more empowered
 Matriarchal – society in which women are more empowered
 Egalitarian – society in which men and women are (more-or-
less) equally empowered

9. Example #1
 Boys and girls have a clan name, based on their
mother’s clan name. Brothers move out to live with
their wives. Sisters’ husbands move in with them.
The youngest sister inherits the house. Other
sisters and their husbands build houses nearby.
Brothers have an important say in what is done
with the families land (for example, selling it).
Husbands do not.
 How would you describe this society?

10. Example #2
 Brothers and sisters have a family name from their
father. When they marry, sisters move to live near
their husband’s family and change their family
name to that of their husband. The oldest son in
the family inherits all the property, but they have
to take care of their brothers and sisters. Men are
the head of the household.
 How would you describe this society?

11. Patrilineal, Patrilocal* Systems
 Patrilineal inheritance (a cultural rule):
 Property passes from fathers to sons
 Patrilocal residence (a cultural rule):
 Women live with husband’s family
 Common in China, India, Europe
 While the cultural basis of much “Asian Values” talk, it is
clearly not exclusively “Asian”
*Also called “virilocal”: living with the man/husband

12. Matrilineal, Matrilocal* Systems
 Matrilineal inheritance (a cultural rule):
 Property passes from mothers to daughters
 Matrilocal residence (a cultural rule):
 Men live with wife’s family
 Common in Southeast Asia, Africa, Native
America
 Found in China (Yunnan, Sichuan), India
*Also called “uxorilocal”: living with the uncle/mother’s-brother

14. Thought Question
 Why would any parents or any society be so mean as to
give all their property to only one child or only to one
gender?
Large Plot Parents
Medium Plot 4 Children
16 Grandchildren
Small Plot
32 Great-
Tiny Plot! Grandchildren

15. Patrilineal, Patrilocal Rules produce
“Classical Patriarchy”*
 Women are dependent on men. Their social status
(and livelihood) depends on marrying a husband
and producing sons.
 Girls are of little value to their families; they are
“married off” and join husband’s family.
 The system provides an incentive for women to
support it (the goal of becoming a mother-in-law);
even though it is systemically oppressive to
women. (*See: Kandiyoti 1988)

16. Matrilineal Systems: Minangkabau
 Daughters inherit land and
houses from Mothers.
 Sons “merantau” – leave the
community, go abroad to
seek their fortune.
 Men return with
wealth, marry into women’s
families.

17. Matrilineal, Matrilocal Rules produce
Egalitarian Relationships
 Women are not dependent on husbands or sons – they
own property in their own right. Girls are of value to
their parents.
 Men are not dependent on women; they must “make
their fortune” to be eligible husbands – but that wealth
is “theirs”.
 Mother’s-brothers (uncles) are more important figures
of authority than fathers.

18. Other Effects of Matrilineality
 Minangkabau men are renowned traders
(Matrilineality inspires entrepreneurship!).
 Much less rape and domestic violence.
 Gender relationships are more equal.
 Authority figures in boy’s lives (uncles) are not their
mother’s sexual partners (father/husband); sex and power
are not as strongly linked in men’s sense of masculinity.
 See: Watson-Frank (2002) “Where Women Walk Freely”
 Divorce more common (marriage less enduring).
 Easier for both men and women to “walk away”.

19. Bilateral, Neolocal Systems
 Bilateral inheritance (a cultural rule):
 Property passes from parents to children (without respect
to gender)
 Neolocal residence (a cultural rule):
 Couples live in a new place; away from parents
 Common in Industrial and Post-Industrial Societies
around the World
 Very commonly accompanied everywhere with talk about
the loss of “traditional family values”

20. Why Shift to Bilateral, Neolocal Systems?
 Shift away from need to maintain large plots of
land for agriculture (most people work in cities).
 Without this need, parents are not inclined to
discriminate between their children based on
gender (bilateral inheritance).
 Systems of mass production and mass
consumption reorganize society (e.g. factories).
 Children are incorporated into new institutions
(e.g. companies, nation-states) and rely less on
kinship systems (neolocal residence).

21. Patterns of Patriarchy
 Patrilineal, Patrilocal patterns tend toward patriarchy
(men having more power than women).
 Matrilineal, Matrilocal patterns tend toward
egalitarianism.
 What is the effect of Bilateral inheritance and Neolocal
residence? (Open to Debate)

22. How To Know Patriarchy When You See It?
 Patrilineal and Matrilineal inheritance easy to identify.
 Patriarchy is much more difficult.
 Some cues are:
 Who controls wealth, property, etc.?
 Who is invested with political authority or has socially
recognized high-status roles?
 Who has more freedom (e.g. fewer restrictions placed on
their mobility or activities)?

23. Gods of Our Fathers
 This film is a critique of “patriarchy.” Based on the film, how would you define
patriarchy?
 What evidence does the film provide of a patriarchal order?
 Is patriarchy natural to human beings? Why or why not?
 Why did patriarchy develop, according to the film?
 Why was it necessary for patriarchal systems to reduce the status of women?
 Patriarchal states seem to mainly benefit a small number of elite men. What
stake do women and most men (who are not elites) have in patriarchy?
 What is the paradox of early Christianity and Islam, according to the film?
 How and why is patriarchy being challenged in industrial societies? Are most
industrial societies patriarchal? Why or why not?

24. Range of Matriarchy/Patriarchy
All things being equal, we would expect a range of societies – from
Highly Matriarchal to Highly Patriarchal.
In fact, we find a range of societies from more-or-less Egalitarian
to Highly Patriarchal.
Very Matriarchal
Very Patriarchal
Egalitarian
Societies That Do Not Exist Societies That Do Exist
WHY?

25. Is Patriarchy “Universal”?
 Problems with saying patriarchy is “universal”:
 Now and in the past there are many examples of
relatively egalitarian societies.
 Patriarchy is not a unitary state, but rather a variation
with a range (of possibilities).
 Patriarchy is not “universal”, rather there is a
patriarchal tendency in human societies…. Why?

26. Why Patriarchy?
Common (but wrong) Answers
1. Patriarchy is the result of sex differences.
a. Physical Strength
b. Testosterone
2. Patriarchy is the result of capitalism.
3. Men are just nasty critters (misogyny or the “hatred
of women”).

27. Physical Strength = Power??
Arnold Schwarzenegger: George W. Bush:
Governor of California President of the United States

28. Bill Gates: Power Broker

29. Patriarchy as Result of Sex Differences
 Men are physically stronger:
 Mistakes physical strength for social power.
Physical strength alone is only (very) weakly
correlated with social power (even in “low-tech”
societies).
 The evolutionary basis for men’s greater size and
strength is competition between men; NOT male
dominance over females.
 Power is Relational. It is not a characteristic of
individuals. It is a characteristic of social
relationships among individuals.

30. Patriarchy as Result of Sex Differences (2)
 Men have more testosterone, which makes them
more competitive, which leads them to seek out more
power:
 More valid than the physical strength theory; but
testosterone is only one element of social competition.
 Recall problems with “testosterone theory” from
Lecture 2.

31. Problems with Sex Difference Arguments
1. They do not account for the range of societies
(egalitarian to patriarchal); if sex difference
arguments alone explain patriarchy, then ALL
societies should be equally patriarchal, which
they are not.
2. They sneak social and cultural construction in
through the back door, as follows:
a. The sex differences are mostly overlapping normative
differences.
b. Patriarchal norms (such as gendered rules about who
can have political power) are often absolute.
c. Sex difference theories assume that average
differences are turned into absolutes (which is a social
and cultural process).

32. Patriarchy as a Result of Capitalism
 Argument proposed mainly by Marxist Feminists.
 Why does capitalism cause/support patriarchy:
 The “Male Breadwinner” model makes families
dependent on capitalist production.
 Capitalism benefits from the “free” reproductive labor of
women (the labor force is reproduced for “free”)
 Problems:
 Patriarchy was around long, long before capitalism!!
 Capitalism can thrive while undermining patriarchy
(for example, in female-oriented factory work).

33. Men are Nasty Critters (Misogyny)
 “For radical feminists, patriarchy is . . . the structure
and process of men’s misogynist domination of
women through violent control of their sexuality and
childbearing.” (Lorber, The Paradoxes of Gender, p.4)
 Problem: This holds true for some (patriarchal) but
not other (egalitarian) societies.
 Patriarchy produces misogyny (and nasty men), not
the other way around!

34. Patriarchy and the Problem of Explanation
 Radical and Marxist Feminists identify patriarchy as a
problem, but they have poor explanations of why it
comes about.
 For example, Jeff Hearn The Gender of Oppression (a
radical/Marxist feminist analysis).

35. Hearn on Patriarchy
 Men control women’s reproduction. Men exact a
“human tithe” from women and children.
 How do they do this?
 Hearn’s answer is that men use violence to control
women (and children).
 Problems:
 Why do women put up with this? Are they stupid or weak?
 Almost the same as the “strength = power” argument; a
superficial and flawed understanding of power.
 Violence is a remarkably poor way to control people.

36. So, How DO We Explain the Patriarchal
Tendency?
 The answer is:
 To be continued next week… 