Preview

Patriarchy Is the Root of Gender Inequalities

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
810 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Patriarchy Is the Root of Gender Inequalities
Many feminist argue that patriarchy is the root of gender inequalities in the world. There are many formal definition of the term “patriarchy”, in general, patriarchy is a social construct in which masculine qualities are valued more than feminine qualities. Traditionally, patriarchy is explained in terms of the household. That is, a woman is limited to the household tasks, and her husband is the head of the house who determines how much freedom the wife has within the house. In this paper I argue that even when the private patriarchy is not visible, or none existing, the public patriarchy still limits female abilities compared to their male counterparts. I define public patriarchy as women’s ability to access the public sphere (employment outside of the house, education, religious institutions) where they are still inferior to men due to the societal structure. In order to support my argument, I will rely on the works of Lynne Haney “Homeboys, Babies, Men in Suits: The State and the Reproduction of Male Dominance”, Lourdes Portillo “Senorita Extraviada: Missing Young Woman”, and Cecilia Menjivar ``Corporeal Dimensions of Gender Violence: Woman`s Self and Body``.
The outline of this paper will be the following: first I will outline the main argument, historical contexts and theoretical traditions of each article individually. Next I shall compare and contrast author`s perspectives on the issue of the patriarchy. Lastly, I will provide a conclusion where my argument will be reinstated.
Lynne Haney criticizes the traditional approach to how feminists see the interaction between the state and women. In Haney`s view, the state is composed of multiple smaller components each of which has a unique way of dealing with women. Specifically she analyzes that the juvenile system has a coercive and a permissive arms simultaneously. The coercive arm organizations are concerned with the notion of public patriarchy. These institutions try to teach the women to be independent

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Feminists are a political movement who focus on the oppression of women and the struggle to end it. They believe that sociology has traditionally taken a ‘malestream’ view which ignores women. Feminism is a fairly new concept and it examines the women’s experiences and study society from a female perspective. In many of the original theories of sociology women were invisible and didn’t appear in ideologies. Feminists believe society marginalizes the roles of women and that society adapts a male perspective and their theory has been developed since the 1960s and they have attempted to explain women’s struggles by trying to place them at the centre of sociological studies. In this essay I will be assessing the contribution of feminist theorists and researchers to an understanding of society today.…

    • 1123 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marriage/Chana Miller

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In modern times, feminists have attacked patriarchy view and many women resisted male domination. The Feminist Perspective argued that the functionalist view is inadequate and idealized. It stated that gender defines social roles and cultural characteristics. Yet these roles have no biological reason behind them but are culturally dictated; therefore, they are socially constructed. These roles appear to be constructed to give men power. Experience of living in a family is different for women than it is for men. Families can be sources of social inequality, especially reinforcing the inequality of women. Women having economic power can lead to many challenges within the family, and within society (Strong et. al. 2011). Independence is a good quality for feminists, but not for…

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this essay I will explore the different schools of feminism such as Marxist, liberal and radical feminism, who share the view that women are oppressed in a patriarchal society but differ in opinion on who benefits from the inequalities. Each school of feminism has their own understanding of family roles and relationships which I will assess through this essay.…

    • 1343 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Traditional gender roles have existed for many centuries. Throughout the history of humanity among various cultures and eras, there are pieces of evidence and traces of unfair treatment of women. Women have a role of a wife waiting for her husband to return from the war, a mother of the conquering hero or a great scientist, or a daughter who is destined to marry the prince of another country in order to consolidate the alliance between the two countries. Life of a woman was determined by the man, whether it be her father, husband or son. It is not surprising that such a position in society led women to fight. Starting with the suffragettes and finishing with the third wave, feminism has become an integral part of the society. Women opened…

    • 1832 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This view is held by Radical feminists, they believe that patriarchy is society is the reason that women are oppressed and exploited by men, and Marxists for example hold the view that the capitalist system is the reason for the gender inequality. Feminists believe that women are unequal to men, and as a result society benefits men whilst exploiting men. Feminist investigate the effects that this inequality has on women’s power, status, roles and life chances. They believe that gender inequality is socially constructed an example is gender roles; these are taught to children at very young ages and encourage these gender inequalities to become part of society’s norms. The different type of feminists believe different reasons for gender inequality, there are liberal, radical Marxist and postmodern feminists, radical are arguably the most extreme and controversial feminist group.…

    • 1208 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As constantly seen throughout history, women have been battling and questioning society’s standard so they can be seen as individuals rather than a lesser being in comparison to men. These civil liberties of owning property and having the right to vote prolongs further than that. Women want to be seen in the same degree as men when it comes down having an education, a place in office, being in a predominantly male workforce, and the right to manage their reproductive lives. The fight for women's rights even extends to modern day with the rise of feminism and the demand that men and women should be considered equal in any social, political, and economic entities.…

    • 701 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The main theme in this book is feminism, which is a movement to put an end on sexism, sexist exploitations, and oppression. Throughout the chapters, Hooks, protests against the anti-feminist movement because they have been misguided by patriarchal mass media spreading lies that males are not welcomed by feminists. The patriarchal mass media tends to focus more on the feminists who are anti-male and depict a picture to everyone else that feminist are anti-male as well. This is not the case according to Hooks, a prominent writer about popular feminist theory and cultural criticism. She examines how the feminist movement branched into two different groups; the reformist thinkers and the revolutionary thinkers. Reformist thinkers tended to fight more for gender equality especially in the work force which was a quicker endeavor. A major problem with this group is that they do not practice equality among other females when pertaining to race or class. The latter wanted to transform the entire social system in order to bring an end to patriarchy and sexism all together regardless of class or race. In the end the reformist won out by convincing the government for equal pay between men and women but failed in putting an end to sexism. This group, once obtaining equal status amongst male in the work force gave up the fight to end…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The issue of gender inequality is one which has been visibly echoing through society for decades. The problem is inequality in employment being one of the most pressing issues today. In order to examine this situation one must try to get to the root of the problem and must understand the sociological factors that cause women to have a much more difficult time getting the same benefits, wages, and job opportunities as their male counterparts.…

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Many may think that patriarchy only existed a long time ago, in the times where women were seen as property, where they were sold and traded as commodities, where things such as foot binding existed, but the truth is patriarchy is still alive and well in today’s society. Today, patriarchy has manifested its casual ways into society, tending to go unnoticed by the…

    • 1335 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The gendering process frequently involves creating hierarchies between the divisions it enacts. One or more categories of sexed identities are privileged or devalued. In modern western societies, gender divides into two. This is not necessarily the case in other times, places and colures. Gender in the modern west usually refers to two distinct and separate categories of human beings as well as to the division of social practices into two fields. “The gendering of social practices”, according to Beardsley, “may be found, for example in contemporary western societies, in a strong association between men and public life and between women and domestic life, even though men and women occupy both spaces” (10). The more gender differences are narrowed down, the more optimistic scope feminism…

    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Feminism In Canada Essay

    • 1074 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Feminism is a huge controversial topic that is still present in today's society. The question that is often asked is do we still need feminism today, in reality feminism should never be forgotten because it was what brought equality to so many people today. However, in our society is feminism really needed, or could it be more beneficial to other countries who still fight for equal rights? On the other hand Canada isn’t perfect and the fight for equal rights among the opposite sex is still an issue. In hindsight, the citizens of Canada would gain a better understanding for each other if feminism continues to stay present in our daily lives.…

    • 1074 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Feminists such as Serena Parekh argue that there is a clear separation between the public and private realms in human rights laws, as the private realm (places such as the home) are assumed to be power-neutral and are shielded from Government interference. Furthermore, the power of law enforcement is only exercised in the public realm. Because of this, it is argued that the division between the public and private is creating permissive laws where instances of marital rape and domestic violence, for example, can be ‘ignored’. As cases of marital rape and domestic violence are often instigated by men against women, it can then be argued that the division of the public and private is working against recognising and enforcing women’s human rights.…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Originating from the French and American revolutions in the late 18th century, titled as the First Wave of Feminism, however political views did not come into action until late nineteenth century. It wasn’t until mid-nineteenth century (1960s) that the ‘Second Wave’ of feminism arose with an emphasized support towards sisterhood and unity. Second Wave Feminism is also referenced as the Women’s Liberation Movement, began as what was later called Liberal Feminism. This type of feminism was believed to reform existing political structures to advance the interests of women along civil rights model. Around the world, we are able to see there are few societies, which are not patriarchal. Men have been rulers and are embodiments of power over woman for century’s, their dominancy have created much controversy and struggle around the world. Thus, the strong uprising movement of feministic power and the advocacy of equal dominancy between the…

    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Oppression in Gender

    • 3244 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Oppression is defined as: ‘Inhuman or degrading treatment of individuals or groups; in hardship and in justice brought about by the dominance of one group over another; the negative and demeaning exercise of power. Oppression often involves disregarding the rights of an individual or group and this is a denial of citizenship’ (Thompson, 2001). A person or group of people may experience oppression due to a number of factors such as, age, race, gender, sexuality or because of a disability. This essay will look at oppression of women in the home and in UK society. Scruton (1983) defined feminism as: “a movement advocating the rights of women and of their social, political and economic equality with men.” There are many diverse views to Feminism. Nevertheless, it shares the common assumption that society is male-controlled; men are to blame for the oppression of women in the home and in society. They see men as having most of the power in the home along with higher paid jobs. Gender equality is described as "A social order in which women and men share the same opportunities and the same constraints on full participation in both the economic and the domestic realm" (Bailyn, 2006). Gender inequality in the home is a reflection of society’s patriarchal values that continue to hinder the lives of women who earn less than men. This essay will explore how women’s roles in the family have changed over the last sixty years and also look at how gender can impact on the lives of women as individuals and their roles in the community. Along with this, some social policy responses to the issues will be presented throughout each section.…

    • 3244 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Best Essays

    All that would have seemed incredible hundred years ago is now seen as nothing unnatural for women by the vast majority of the population in Western countries: women’s right to vote, to choose their spouse or not to choose anyone, and to own land. Women are now having the freedom to choose more opportunities for themselves. Instead of bestowing all of the responsibility for caring for the children exclusively on the mothers, many fathers have become more actively involved in this process, understanding that it is their responsibility too. In liberal branches of Protestant Christianity, women may be members of the clergy. Moreover, they can become priests and choristers. The fact of intensification of women’s movement contributed to the formulation of a number of serious theoretical and philosophical problems. A German feminism, Alice Schwarzer, was asked about the role of feminism today, she answered, “Today, the world is open to women! And women have access to all areas of public life. We have reached this great success thanks to our persistence and struggle for justice. But nevertheless, these results should be protected every…

    • 1101 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Best Essays