What is a patriarchal society?

Question

What is a patriarchal society?

Answer 1

A patriarchal society is one whereby men are the decision-makers and hold positions of power and prestige, and have the power to define reality and common situations.

For instance, in our North American societies, decision-making is largely governed by electoral politics and corporate interests, where men are over-represented.

Also, because most positions of power and prestige, such as doctor, lawyer, business executive and politician, are held by men, we would define our society as patriarchal.

Patriarchy therefore refers to a societal structure whereby men are dominant not in numbers or in force but in their access to status-related power and decision-making power.

It is also connected to economics in that patriarchal societies men will have greater power over the economy. In our society, because men have higher income and greater access to the economy, they are said to be dominant.

Power distribution in society should not be confused with power struggles at an individual level, although they can be reproduced in a smaller scale as well. For example, in many small businesses, the owner and top managers are male, and they will hire women to work for them.

Patriarchy can be enforced in a variety of ways, including intimidation of women through violence, sexual assault and other forms of harassment, and the discrediting of their efforts to organize and resist.

Patriarchal societies are typically more authoritarian and rely heavily on legal-rational modes of organization, show stronger military implication and more reliance on police repression to impose authority. It is a society that tends to hold contempt for women and for her attempts to emancipate herself.

In these societies, women are presented with an interpretation of the world made by men, and a history of the world defined by men's actions. For instance, in history we learn about war and read the stories of male writers, whereas the stories of women are scarcely told. This erasure of women's lives alienates women and fails to provide them with relevant role-models.

In contrast, matriarchal societies place women in central decision-making positions such as community leaders, where they play a central role in the community and in the society. In the few matriarchal societies that exist today it has been observed that the word rape does not exist, as women's rights are central in these societies; sexuality is practiced freely and women are given space to express their creativity and participate in society.

Thanks for a great question!

Answer 2

PATriarchial is a male dominated society.

MATriarchial is a female dominated society.

Wikipedia said it best:

Patriarchy is the structuring of society on the basis of family units, where fathers have primary responsibility for the welfare of, hence authority over, their families. The concept of patriarchy is often used, by extension (in anthropology and feminism, for example), to refer to the expectation that men take primary responsibility for the welfare of the community as a whole, acting as representatives via public office.

The feminine form of patriarchy is matriarchy, but there are no known examples of matriarchies from any point in history. Encyclopædia Britannica says it is a "hypothetical social system". The Britannica article goes on to note, "The view of matriarchy as constituting a stage of cultural development is now generally discredited. Furthermore, the consensus among modern anthropologists and sociologists is that a strictly matriarchal society never existed."

Matriarchy is a term, which is applied to gynocentric form of society, in which the leading role is by the female and especially by the mothers of a community. Some authors consider it as a hypothetical form of human society.[citation needed] There exist many matriarchal animal societies including bees, elephants, and killer whales. The word matriarchy is coined as the opposite of patriarchy, from Greek matēr "mother" and archein "to rule". Gynecocracy (γυναικοκρατία), is sometimes used synonymously.

Hope this helps.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚™Â¥ ∞

Answer 3

"Patriarchy is the structuring of society on the basis of family units, where fathers have primary responsibility for the welfare of, hence authority over, their families. The concept of patriarchy is often used, by extension (in anthropology and feminism, for example), to refer to the expectation that men take primary responsibility for the welfare of the community as a whole, acting as representatives via public office."

Basically, it's a society where men hold the power. It still exists in some cultures, but no longer in the West.

Answer 4

A society where Men make the rules and the others follow. One where the Men's desires are the others wishes.

That's a society that has vanished from the face of earth many many years ago. :-D

Answer 5

It is one where in families men are considered the head.  A matriarchal society is the opposite.

Answer 6

It describes a particular system that has been well and truly dead in the West for a long time. However feminists want us to think its alive so we don't notice that they have got a nice little matriarchy going on.

Answer 7

Star, you epigone you, imitating my name in such a way!

A patriarchy is a society that is contolled by men, psychically, financially and any other 'ially'

Answer 8

A patriarchal society is one dominated by men where women are discriminated against.

Answer 9

A patriarchal society is a society that is led by men.  All societies throughout history have been patriarchal, and I think probably always will be.  men are always going to predominate in leadership roles because they are more inclined to want those roles.

Answer 10

This can be a family, schools, or countries, where the males are in charge (or think they are) making rules and disregarding the females of the species

Answer 11

pa·tri·arch

1. the male head of a family or tribal line.  

2. a person regarded as the father or founder of an order, class, etc.  

3. any of the very early Biblical personages regarded as the fathers of the human race, comprising those from Adam to Noah (antediluvian patriarchs) and those between the Deluge and the birth of Abraham.  

4. any of the three great progenitors of the Israelites: Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob.  

5. any of the sons of Jacob (the twelve patriarchs), from whom the tribes of Israel were descended.  

6. (in the early Christian church) any of the bishops of any of the ancient sees of Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, Jerusalem, or Rome having authority over other bishops.  

7. Greek Orthodox Church. the head of any of the ancient sees of Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, or Jerusalem, and sometimes including other sees of chief cities. Compare ecumenical patriarch.  

8. the head of certain other churches in the East, as the Coptic, Nestorian, and Armenian churches, that are not in full communication with the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople.  

9. Roman Catholic Church. a. the pope as patriarch of the West.  

b. any of certain bishops of the Eastern rites, as a head of an Eastern rite or a bishop of one of the ancient sees.  

c. the head of a Uniate church.  



10. Mormon Church. any of the high dignitaries who pronounce the blessing of the church; Evangelist.  

11. one of the elders or leading older members of a community.  

12. a venerable old man.  

As it is in the dictionary.

Answer 12

A society which is controlled by the male gender in moralistic values and even to the point of no influence from the female gender!