What is Patriarchy? (And How Does it Affect Us Today?)
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Amy MC Alest explores the concept of patriarchy, its origins, and its pervasive influence on modern society. She discusses the historical roots of male dominance and how it manifests in various forms, from misogyny to benevolent patriarchy. Amy emphasizes the importance of understanding patriarchy's impact on both men and women, and she invites viewers to join her in examining its presence in our lives. The video aims to foster a compassionate and precise conversation about patriarchy, challenging viewers to consider its effects and the possibility of change.
Takeaways
- đ The script discusses the concept of patriarchy, exploring its origins and its ongoing impact on society.
- đ Patriarchy is a global phenomenon, with historical roots that have influenced social hierarchies across different cultures and eras.
- đšâđ©âđ§âđŠ The term 'patriarchy' is derived from 'pater' meaning father and 'archein' meaning rule, signifying a system where men hold power and authority.
- đ The speaker, Amy, embarked on a research journey to understand patriarchy's pervasiveness, reading extensively and consulting with experts worldwide.
- đ€ The video series aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of patriarchy, making the complex topic more accessible and engaging for viewers.
- đ¶ Patriarchy assigns elevated status to males from birth, influencing societal norms and expectations throughout their lives.
- đ« Patriarchy is not synonymous with men having easy lives; it can coexist with other forms of oppression such as caste and race.
- đ While some men may not feel the benefits of patriarchy, others may wield power over women, even within lower castes or racial groups.
- đ” There are exceptions where women hold power, but this is often 'in spite of' their gender, not because of it, highlighting the systemic nature of patriarchy.
- đĄ The script clarifies misconceptions about patriarchy, emphasizing that it does not imply all men are in positions of leadership or that all men are misogynistic.
- đ± The discussion invites viewers to reflect on their own experiences with patriarchy and to engage in conversations that challenge and dismantle these structures.
Q & A
What does the term 'patriarchy' mean and how is it defined in the script?
-Patriarchy is defined as a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it. It is derived from the Greek and Latin words for 'father' and 'rule,' literally meaning 'father rule.' It has expanded to mean men ruling over women, where men are given elevated status in relation to women just by virtue of being male.
What are the two main types of patriarchy mentioned in the script?
-The two main types of patriarchy mentioned are 'misogynistic patriarchy' and 'benevolent patriarchy.' Misogynistic patriarchy is based on the belief that men must be in charge of women because women are inferior and untrustworthy, while benevolent patriarchy suggests that men should be in charge to protect women, who are seen as weak and delicate.
How does the script differentiate between patriarchy and the individual experiences of men?
-The script clarifies that patriarchy does not mean that all men have easy lives or positions of leadership. It acknowledges that men can face hardships due to factors like poverty, race, and caste, and that patriarchy operates such that a small group of men often presides over others, sometimes excluding or oppressing them.
What is the purpose of the video series on patriarchy as described in the script?
-The purpose of the video series is to provide a summary of the research on patriarchy, its origins, and its impact on modern society. It aims to help viewers understand historical facts about patriarchy and engage in more comfortable and confident conversations about it.
Why does the script emphasize the importance of a common vocabulary when discussing patriarchy?
-The script emphasizes the importance of a common vocabulary to avoid misunderstandings and to facilitate productive conversations. It points out that without a shared understanding of terms like 'patriarchy,' discussions can lead to frustration and miscommunication.
What does the script suggest about the existence of women with power in a patriarchal society?
-The script suggests that while patriarchy is a system that privileges men, there are women who hold power, such as Queen Elizabeth or Oprah. However, these women have power in spite of being women, not because of it.
How does the script address the misconception that patriarchy implies all men are bad or women are good?
-The script addresses this misconception by stating that patriarchy does not mean that men are bad or women are good. It emphasizes that individual human beings are complicated, and patriarchy is simply a system that gives men power and excludes others, without making judgments about the inherent goodness or badness of individuals.
What is the script's stance on the idea that patriarchy is part of human nature?
-The script does not directly state that patriarchy is part of human nature but invites viewers to explore the origins of patriarchy in future episodes, suggesting that the concept is complex and not necessarily inherent.
What is the role of the audience in the discussion about patriarchy according to the script?
-The script encourages the audience, regardless of their gender, to participate in the conversation about patriarchy. It emphasizes that everyone is needed in these discussions to work towards a fair world that allows all individuals to thrive.
How does the script define 'de jure' and 'de facto' patriarchy, and why are they important?
-The script defines 'de jure' patriarchy as attitudes, policies, or practices encoded in law, and 'de facto' patriarchy as those that persist in fact, even if not legally mandated. These concepts are important because they explain how patriarchal structures can continue to influence society long after legal changes have been made.
Outlines
đ Introduction to Patriarchy
The speaker, Amy, introduces the concept of patriarchy and its pervasive influence in society. She recounts her academic journey at Stanford, where she observed the consistent dominance of men across various social hierarchies throughout history. This observation led her to an extensive research endeavor, involving reading hundreds of books and consulting with experts globally. The video series aims to condense her research into an accessible format, enabling viewers to understand and discuss patriarchy confidently. Amy emphasizes her approach with love and compassion, aiming for a fair world that allows everyone, including men, to thrive. She also stresses the importance of precision in language to facilitate productive conversations about patriarchy. The paragraph concludes with a definition of patriarchy, derived from its etymology, which literally translates to 'father rule,' and explains how it manifests in society as male dominance over women.
đ The Complexities of Patriarchy
Amy delves into the complexities and misconceptions surrounding patriarchy. She clarifies that patriarchy does not imply that all men lead easy lives or hold positions of leadership. It also does not mean that all men are misogynistic or that women are inherently good. Patriarchy can coexist with other forms of oppression, such as caste and racial hierarchies, where men from lower castes may face significant challenges. The paragraph also addresses the idea that some men may not feel the privileges of patriarchy, while others may choose to renounce it. Amy discusses the existence of powerful women, like Queen Elizabeth or Oprah, who have power despite the patriarchal system, not because of it. She distinguishes between de jure and de facto patriarchy, explaining how patriarchal attitudes and practices can persist even when not legally enforced. The paragraph concludes with a call for viewers to reflect on their experiences with patriarchy and engage in the conversation, inviting them to share their stories.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄPatriarchy
đĄMale Dominance
đĄSocial Hierarchies
đĄMisogyny
đĄBenevolent Patriarchy
đĄEtymology
đĄPrivilege
đĄAuthority
đĄDe Jure and De Facto
đĄInequality
Highlights
The term 'patriarchy' is often misunderstood and can mean different things to different people.
Patriarchy is a system of male dominance that has been prevalent throughout history.
The speaker's journey to understand patriarchy began during her master's program at Stanford.
Patriarchy is not just a historical concept; it continues to affect our lives today.
The video series aims to provide a summary of the speaker's research on patriarchy.
Patriarchy can be both overtly oppressive or subtly benevolent, but both versions place men in a position of primacy.
Patriarchy does not mean that men have easy lives; it can coexist with other forms of oppression.
Patriarchy does not mean that all men hold positions of leadership; often a small group of men presides over others.
Some men may feel uncomfortable with the unearned privilege that patriarchy affords them.
There are women with power, but they often have it despite being women, not because of it.
Patriarchy can persist in secular society through de facto practices, even if it's no longer legally encoded.
Patriarchy does not mean that men are bad or women are good; it's a systemic issue, not an individual one.
The speaker emphasizes that patriarchy is not about individual men but about systemic structures that privilege men.
The etymology of 'patriarchy' reveals its meaning as 'rule by fathers', which has expanded to mean 'men ruling over women'.
The speaker discusses the different cultural manifestations of patriarchy, from misogyny to benevolent protection.
Patriarchy can be seen in wedding vows, where women may still pledge obedience to their husbands.
The speaker invites viewers to share their experiences with patriarchy in the comments.
Transcripts
patriarchy patriarchy patriarchy bring
back the patriarchy patriarchy a society
built by men for men how a system of
male dominance no it's not that's not
true at some point you've probably
stumbled upon the word patriarchy maybe
at school maybe at church maybe in your
social media feed after the Barbie movie
or at a Thanksgiving dinner that got a
little awkward regardless of where you
first heard the word patriarchy I'm
going to take you on a journey today to
discover the origins of patriarchy and
how it still affects our lives today I'm
Amy MC alest my journey to understand
patriarchy began during my master's
program at Stanford we were learning
about the foundations of philosophy and
art and politics and religion and
history and I noticed that all over the
world throughout almost every era of
time men were on the top of all the
social
hierarchies I wanted to know how and why
that happened these questions led me to
read literally hundreds of
books and talk with experts all around
the world I've learned fascinating
lifechanging information as I share my
research with other people the two
things I hear most often are why didn't
I learn this in school and how can I
learn this now without having to read
all of those books so this video series
will provide the tldr for my research
we'll dive deep into patriarchy's
Origins and Trace its development all
the way through Modern modern times this
way you'll be able to understand the
historical facts and be able to talk
about it more comfortably and
confidently when it comes up in
conversations so whether you're a
staunch defender of patriarchy a fierce
critic or simply curious stay with us as
we unpack the huge questions what is
patriarchy how has it shaped our world
and how does it continue to affect us
today before we start I want to
establish two important points first of
all I talk about patriarchy with love
and compassion for people and that means
the whole Human family including boys
and men my favorite people in the whole
wide world are my husband and our four
children and we want a world that is
fair and allows all of them to thrive
our daughters and our sons so whoever
you are regardless of your gender I will
be addressing you with kindness and
respect you're not only welcome here
you're needed in these conversations
second I talk about patriarchy with
Precision have you ever had a
conversation where both of you just
talked past each other and ended up
feeling frustrated and
misunderstood I have and a lot of times
that happens because people lack a
common vocabulary if when I say
patriarchy I'm picturing the Taliban and
when you say patriarchy you're picturing
your sweet gentle Grandpa it's likely
that we're going to misunderstand each
other and we won't be able to have a
productive conversation if only there
were some sort of book or online
reference that we could all go to for a
common definition of what words mean oh
wait the dictionary definitions of
patriarchy are a system of society or
government in which the father or eldest
male is head of the family and descent
is traced through the male line and a
system of society or government in which
men hold the power and women are largely
excluded from it now let's go to the
etymology which means the roots of the
word patri comes from the Greek and then
the Latin Potter which means father and
Ary comes from the Greek AR which means
domination Authority or sovereignty so
literally patriarchy means father rule
just like monarchy or monarchy means one
person ruling and Anarchy or Anarchy
means nobody ruling patriarchy means
father Rule and it's expanded to mean
men ruling over women the way that it's
practiced means that when a baby is born
and someone says it's a boy that baby
inherits elevated status in relation to
women that will Pur IST throughout its
life just by virtue of being male this
little boy might grow up in a culture of
misogyny which in Greek means hatred of
women he might learn that men have to be
in charge of women because women are
inferior and untrustworthy and so they
need to be controlled another little boy
might grow up in a culture of benevolent
patriarchy he might learn that men need
to be in charge of women because women
are weak and delicate and need to be
protected misogynistic patriarchy and
benevolent patriarchy come from very
different beliefs and intentions but
both versions put men in a position of
Primacy where they get to define the
terms for everyone else now there may be
some men watching this who think wait I
don't feel this privilege and Power in
fact in some cases I feel the opposite
and that makes sense because there are
some things that patriarchy does not
mean patriarchy does not mean that men
have easy lives a boy who suffers from
chronic pain may have a much more
difficult life than a girl who doesn't a
man who lives in poverty may experience
much more hardship than a woman who has
access to material wealth in fact in
some circumstances like cast systems and
racial hierarchies men belonging to a
lower cast can have challenges that on
the balance make their actual everyday
lives much harder than the lives of
dominant cast women men in these
circumstances May struggle in nearly
every sector of society except at home
these same men who operate in a race or
cast based hierarchy out in the world
can come home and find themselves in a
gendered hierarchy that gives them
Authority and privilege in relation to
women of their same cast and remember
that women experience race and cast
oppression too and by the way women also
experience physical and mental illness
and poverty and on top of that in
patriarchy women also experience gender
based depression another thing that
patriarchy doesn't mean patriarchy does
not mean that all all men have positions
of leadership usually the way patriarchy
works is that a small group of men
presides over all the other men and they
may exclude or oppress other men for a
whole host of reasons that may not be
fair at all and that cause real
Injustice and pain we see this in the
United States Constitution which
completely excluded men of color and men
who were too poor to own land from civic
participation and it excluded all women
because they were women
next patriarchy does not mean that every
man uses his authority and privilege
over the women in his life many men feel
uncomfortable with this unearned
privilege and some men may even abdicate
that privilege the way King Edward VII
abdicated the throne as king of England
but keep in mind that his Birthright was
his to keep or his to give away and
patriarchy doesn't mean that there are
no women with power think of Queen
Elizabeth or Oprah or maybe your own
very spunky Grandma these women do have
a lot of power but they don't have power
because they're women they have power in
spite of the fact that they're women
let's talk about that spunky grandma she
may rule the roost and everyone
including your grandpa May defer to her
in the family but if she happens to be a
member of a conservative religion for
example then it's likely that on her
wedding day she pledged obedience to her
husband husband and just in case you're
thinking that nobody pledges obedience
in wedding ceremonies anymore I attended
a wedding in 2022 where the husband
promised to love and cherish his wife
and the bride pledged to love and
cherish and Obey her husband now you may
be thinking okay sure maybe most
religions are patriarchal but even if
you're not religious almost every sector
in the secular world still has residual
patriarchy left over from thousands of
years of this ideology we might think of
it in terms of du and de facto in Latin
du means of law think of it like the
jury the jur and it means that an
attitude or a policy or a practice is
encoded in the law and de facto means of
fact in Latin so things that aren't
necessarily legal but happen anyway even
though certain attitudes or policies or
practices aren't necessarily legal
anymore they can persist for centuries
in our language in our attitudes in our
relationships I want to emphasize one
more thing that patriarchy doesn't mean
patriarchy does not mean that men are
bad or that women are good everybody has
good and bad traits individual human
beings are complicated and as I said
earlier many men would never be
misogynistic and they never ask to be in
charge and they themselves are harmed by
patriarchal structures remember
patriarchy simply means a system of
society or government which privileges
men so that they have power and it
excludes everyone else now if you've
ever seen patriarchy at play and you
have you might be wondering where it
came from or maybe even asking yourself
if it occurs all over the world is it
just part of human nature the answer is
even more intriguing than you might
think so join us on our next episode of
Breaking Down patriarchy how have you
experienced patriarchy in your life drop
a comment below we're eager to hear your
[Music]
stories
I'm so excited to share this work with
you and you can support the project by
liking this video and subscribing to the
channel for more content to
come
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