Patriarchal society in today’s world

What Is the Patriarchy?
In many feminist theories, the idea of patriarchy has been at the centre. It is an attempt to explain the gendered stratification of privilege and power that is evident through a variety of objective measurements.

An ancient Greek term for a society where the older males held and passed down authority was a patriarchy. In a “patriarchal society,” as defined by contemporary historians and sociologists, men are in positions of authority and privilege, including those of head of the household, social group leader, employer, and head of government.

A hierarchy among the men exists in patriarchy as well. In traditional patriarchy, older men held authority over younger male generations. Because of their positions of authority, some males hold more power (and privilege) under the modern patriarchy, and this power structure is accepted.

Its root word is pater, which means father. In a patriarchal society, the father or father figures are in charge. The inheritance of titles and property occurs through male lines in traditional patriarchal civilizations, which are typically patrilineal as well. (As an illustration, note that the Salic Law rigorously followed male lines when it came to property and titles.)

Feminist Analysis
The term “patriarchal society” has been broadened by feminist theorists to include a bias against women that is institutionalised. Second-wave feminists saw female leaders and households headed by women while studying society in the 1960s. Of course, they were interested in whether this was unusual. More crucial was how society viewed women in positions of authority as an exception to a widely held perception of women’s “place” in society.
Most feminisms saw that women’s subjugation arose from the underlying prejudice of a patriarchal culture rather than from specific males.
When questioned about gender equality, even progressive individuals can have the most unexpected responses. comparable to “men and women are not the same.” Alternatively, “they can receive equity but they are not equal.” They are not just ambiguous responses, but also evidence of ignorance. And make clear why it is important to bring up gender inequity and patriarchy.

Men cannot cry, women must look pretty
We are subjected to a great deal of stereotyping from a young age. Males do not cry. Girls must be attractive. There are countless instances of normalised sexism that we are constantly exposed to. similar to “girls run like a female.” that we are unable to run.

We are all given some burdens to carry starting in childhood. Men and women, boys and girls. Like the humiliation of being “poor,” “big,” “unsuccessful,” or “racial,” which are social weights of oppression. I overheard a woman who had the ideal body shape refer to herself as obese. And a quite successful middle-class man who considers himself poor. because he could not afford the fancy car he yearned for and she could not fit into a particular dress.

Class, race, and imperialism are just a few of the powerful oppressive structures at work in our society today. One of them is also gender inequality. Victims come in various sexes, hues, and backgrounds. Of course, some more so than others.

Once upon a time
We may all be aware of this. But sometimes it’s beneficial to reflect on the past. In summary, our prehistoric, nomadic ancestors were members of a more or less egalitarian society. Men wanted to keep track of their descendants once agriculture and the concept of property were introduced. Women were thus kept within the house under lock and key. Additionally, having extra workers on the ground was very beneficial. Women were thus forced to continue having children. For generations, their participation was compelled to remain constrained to a household’s boundaries. Depending on the environment and the class, their roles changed. However, the length of the chain around their ankles was never greater than the doorway to the house.

A machine will rust if it is not used for a very long time. Women’s bodies and minds have endured ages of deprivation, repression, and malnourishment. In the same way that the merciless dictatorship of “beauty” or the trinity of being soft, pale, and weak imposed a heavy toll on their bodies each year, motherhood did as well. Deprivation occurs on both a physical and an intellectual level. Just think back to a time when women weren’t even permitted to take reading and writing classes. Numerous girls are still prevented from attending school. or from following their aspirations and developing their skills. This also constitutes social deprivation. Women were constantly reminded of their inferiority and still are. by ‘nature,’ i.e., by virtue of being a woman.

‘It’s by nature’: an all- invasive propaganda
When some people wanted others to be obedient throughout history, they used the nature card. Life is difficult for the impoverished, and that is only natural. They are content with things as it is. This categorization and the privileges enjoyed by the upper castes were also portrayed as being natural and provided by God to the people at the lowest levels of the caste system. A significant percentage of people once thought those with blonde hair and blue eyes belonged to a superior race that would conquer the globe. Similar principles govern gender disparity. Men have been asserting that women are inferior to them for ages in patriarchal societies and regimes. by default.

The real reason behind this propaganda is because some people simply enjoy remaining in positions of authority, so they create these useful contrasts. Nothing about it is organic. Everything about this is made up, socially manufactured, practised for convenience, and fostered. Every day, these structures are fed to us. through media, storytelling, norms, and literature. We practically breathe it. And we begin to accept this gibberish as truth.

It’s not just women
Millions of women starve themselves to seem skinny and attractive because it works so methodically. Aggression, power, obstinacy, and even avarice are praised while empathy, caring, and forethought are demonised traits. Men claim that they make an effort to handle all of the responsibilities. They suffer greatly when they fall short of these social expectations to be “manly” and “powerful,” according to this theory.

Numerous women in numerous nations are suffering atrocities as a result of these absurd stereotypes. Genital mutilation, hunger, domestic and sexual violence, cyberbullying, and casual everyday sexism are just a few examples.
The more privileged you are, the further up on the ladder you are in oppressive systems. At the top of the ladder stands a white, wealthy, European man. A poor, coloured woman from a low-income nation stands on the ground and can only look up at the ladder.

These repressive, unjust systems affect us all differently. But not all people experience suffering equally since predators prey on distinctions and weak points. These systems profit from injustice. In the end, organised inequality is the primary cause of racism, structural poverty, and sexism.

Equality is an attitude
Until everyone accepts that we are all equal, there can never be equality. Despite disparities in colour, gender, sexual orientation, background, and mental and physical ability, everyone can be treated equally. Differences do not automatically imply superiority. especially when the comparison criteria are themselves incredibly skewed, subjective, incorrect, and deliberately created.

There are still reasons for celebration
Women are advancing quickly and catching up despite decades of discrimination and tyranny. They are demonstrating that women can succeed in the world of men. They don’t require a man’s world, that’s the problem. We don’t need a world run by men. We require a world. where women take the lead and do things their way. men who are equal to them. a location where everyone experiences less suffering. And where some can repair more than others need to heal because they are more profoundly impoverished and repressed than others.

That’s what we’re doing. That world is being made by us. Give the men helping out a high five. Salutations go out in particular to poor women of colour, who are at the very bottom of today’s patriarchal and western system. They continue to struggle for a better society despite the brutality, violence, poverty, and the effects of climate change. It is better for both men and women.