Why does society try to prevent women from direct power?

Question

It seems like society/Patriarchy has the goal of keeping women from direct power by encouraging them to marry, manipulate and be financially dependent on a man. Religion and government forces seem to try to reinforce these agendas. While women now own property, vote and work, we are less likely to indirectly rely on gaining power and status through a man. But there are still heavy messages that keep women believing that traditional roles are good for them and every body else. What is the best way for women to gain better and more access to direct power?

Answer 1

I hate to break it to you but society does that to everyone who doesn't already have power.  They aren't just giving away CEO positions to homeless folks.

Answer 2

"When couples split, the wife's standard of living dives by 30 percent the first year after a divorce, while the husband's rises 10 percent or more."

ivillage.com ( a women's site)

^ That's why, because WOMEN WANT to get married and such.

The straight forward answer from me would be that women are simply inept, and have always been. I don't see the point in trying to deny that, then associating blame in various directions for all the failures of women when experimenting with equality.

Answer 3

I completely disagree.

Women who choose to marry, manipulate and be financially dependent on men do so because they don't want to take the hard road.

A good education and well rounded experience, coupled with a level head above the shoulders, should let a woman get where she wants to go.

Answer 4

You need to get out of this victim mentality of yours.  It is an insult to anyone whao has truly ever been oppressed.

There is no Patriarchy.  It is a myth and ever has been.  It is easy to look back at history and find someone to blame  for the world not being as you would wish it, but your idea of a perfect world differs from mine, and what makes you coerrect?  Agendas?  Most men are concerned with their own lives and families.

There is no lack of power in the hands of women.  Your suggestions, as with those of Elmer Fudd, for quotas of women in power are dangerous.  If we start insisting on a 50% quotas of women in all positions of power, then we will have political chaos.  50% of women in power is fine: if society gravitates naturally that way, but it must not be enforced in government or bureaucracy.

Hilary Clinton lost.  Deal with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As long as any woman seeks a role that YOU deem to be traditional, you will not be happy, but do you believe that men must be traditional too, or would you define our roles and where we should be in society?  If you want to do that expect most men AND women to decide otherwise.

Answer 5

So exactly how do you explain the fact that we had a woman running for president who had a serious shot?

I'm sick of hearing about this Patriarchal Conspiracy.

Elmer Fudd- Voting for a bad candidate for president just to get a woman in is one of the dumbest things we could do.  The Presidency is not a place for affirmative action.

Answer 6

I think that nobody listens to the Church other than it's followers, it's kinda powerless when you speak of government.

And the real people who have power are organizations who feed from the actual countries, and it's not so easy to enter in those groups :P...

There is still some message, but not really a lot....most people reliaze that families are gonna need both parents to work,,,sucks for the children but it's the sad truth.

Also.....in case you haven't noticed...the government promotes feminism, cuz they NEED NEED everyone to work not just  men.

Everyone needs everyone to work, both men and women...in some families even the young ones work..

Answer 7

All societies have always been predominantly led by men, and I think probably always will be.  it is not a question of society trying to prevent women from gaining power, it is the biological fact that most women are simply less interested in gaining power than men are.  Women do not, on the whole, seek leadership roles the way men do.  And whether women work or not has nothing to do with women having power, women have always had to work, but in most cases it did not make them powerful.

As for there being 'heavy messages' that women should stay in 'traditional' roles, that's rubbish.  On the contrary, there has never been a society that is keener or seperating women from their children and getting them out to work than ours.  We are constantly urged to shove our children into daycare and go back to the workplace, which is designated as the 'real world'.   Why the world of work is considered more real than the world of home I have no idea, but there it is.

If you want direct power, then you need to go after a position where you can have direct power.  Few women do however.  Those that are serious about gaining power will very likely make it if they try hard enough.  Mrs Thatcher managed to become Prime Minister, and stay in that position for eleven years.  Good for her.  There aren't that many Mrs Thatchers though.

Answer 8

You see the glass half empty. You have a lot of pessimism. With marriage, if anybody is constantly harassing you it is your mother, not the grand patriarchal conspiracy. Money in a marriage is 50/50.

If anybody is manipulating, it is the feminist. You need to understand that the second wave second generation propaganda you are using is atheistic and Marxists in origin. This female obsession with power, much like males that have an obsession with power, is neurotic.

Answer 9

Traditionally it was the mothers, grandmothers, Aunts and other female relatives who pushed for younger females to get married.  

I'm not sure what you mean that society/Patriarchy is encouraging women to marry and be dependent on men?  Can you give us some examples or links?  I think your views are about 50 years old.  

Anyhoo how is "society" keeping women from getting direct power?  The latest laws (including Divorce, Employment, etc) is practically putting power in women's laps.  

How is Government (America & Western Civ)

reinforcing these ideas?  What branch of the government is doing that?  The only heavy messages that I know of is to help the children with two parents.  But feel free to live life your own way.  

If you want access to power, do what men did to get it.  Work for it.  And say goodbye to family life.

Edit: Holy Bull c**p Joker, have you been hitting the bong again!?  Shhh!  You're not paranoid are you?  Oh wait the CIA is here, and "the Patriarchy"

is right behind them.  Burn all your notes...

Answer 10

Are you living in the 50's?  The only thing holding you back is yourself.

EDIT-

"It seems like nonsense to fight a war without logic to back it up. A war fought out of fear is a war fought with self assumed inferiority, and thus lost."-  Me

You lack a lot of logic and have a lot of fear.  I think if you change your mindset it will greatly improve the quality of your life.

Answer 11

fill half the seats in congress with women

you COULD HAVE put in a woman president and broken that barrier, she would surely have increasd the percentage of women legislators on her way in.

It didnt matter WHAT she was like..she was a she.

It was stupid not to put her in when you had ONE shining opportunity.

When do you suppose the next one will be?

Do you REALLy think a black man will be allowed to be president?

You all had a chance to take the ball away from the ugly boy's party and you didnt.

I'm very disappointed in your lack of commitment.

You talk of wanting the change, but you wont play the game as its played and as it comes.

from Shakespeare..

  "There is a tide in the affairs of (women and) men

    which - taken at the flood- leads onto their fortunes and    

    adventures.

    

    Ommitted, all their lives must be spent in shallows and in

     miseries.

    

    On such a full sea are we now afloat, and we must take the

    current as it serves, or we will surely lose our ventures."

Answer 12

If you and all the women in the world were in power we would also try to keep men as our little pets and not give them direct power. It is human nature to want to control people,  behold dictators. I have never heard of a female dictator. Men like power therefore they brainwash women into thinking it is not a bad thing to get married, have kids, and never work towards their personal dreams. It keeps the world a boys club. All women have to do is say "No, I am going to do what I want to do in life and that's it."

Answer 13

as more and more women gain entry into management, this trend will revert.  I see this happening at my place of business - like most everywhere else, discrimination, although alive and well, has become more invisible.  Those in positions of hiring, will more than likely hire 'their own kind' whatever that 'kind' is.  The only thing new about this dynamic, is women assuming more positions of power.

A recent study showed girls not only gaining but surpassing males in the sciences and math fields - because society no longer supports the idea that those fields are for males.  It never had anything to do with intelligence - it only had to do with social expectations and opportunity.

Answer 14

I think it is well known that women can be stupid sometimes...not saying there not successful, Though sometimes they can be sh*theads.

Answer 15

Betty, you're absolutely delusional.

Patriarchy has benefited women. Nothing has freed women more than the birth control pill, which is a product of patriarchy. You cannot say patriarchy is oppressive unless you can prove that non-patriarchal society is non-opressive, which you can't.

Also, as far as direct power is concerned, women have more spending power. Women also have more voting power. If you're so oppressed, quit voting for your oppressors.

Women make up most of the television viewers, consumers of luxury goods, and spend over 50 billion dollars on cosmetics a year..... Oh woe is you, you poor darling.

Answer 16

More fairy tales about the big bad patriarchy? The only thing reinforcing the "depend on a man" agenda right now is you. Nobody is forcing you to marry anyone or need anyone else for anything. Traditional roles are an option, nothing more. If you want to gain access to power you do what everyone else in power did, you work for it.