From Ancient Greek to Ancient China to the Medieval Ages, patriarchy has been extremely prominent throughout human history. Although we may think that we’ve long since moved past such ‘primitive’ social structures, it is undeniable that the many centuries of patriarchy have left a long-lasting mark on our modern social systems. Some communities and cultures are still following patriarchy nowadays, such as the tradition of dowry (the money a bride’s family has to pay to her husband) or having the family name come from the male parent. While these traditions may seem insignificant in the larger picture, it is still a sign showing how patriarchy continues to influence us until this day, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
Patriarchy can be defined as an institutionalised social system in which men dominate over others, or women more specifically. While historical research has not yet found a specific event that initiated patriarchy, some scholars point to about six thousand years ago, when the concept of fatherhood first took root, as the beginning of the spread of patriarchy. Since then, patriarchy has been present in almost all civilizations up until now, including Ancient Greek, Ancient Egypt and even all contemporary societies. Even famous figures such as Aristotle considered women inferior to men and should be the property of men. Patriarchy has also been observed to influence many ideas, including political, religious, cultural and social ones. The patriarchal political theory is closely associated with Sir Robert Filmer, who defended the divine rights of kings as having their titles inherited from Adam, the first man of the species according to Judeo-Christian tradition, in the 17th century. A patriarchal interpretation of Christian scriptures had been commonly accepted up until the 19th century as well. And in China, the widely-known Confucian teachings also value women’s obedience towards their father before marriage, their husband after marriage, and their first son if widowed. With patriarchy so deeply rooted in our society, is there any way we can escape from its grasp?
While gender roles exist in many species of animals, and males and females have inherently different strengths and weaknesses, we should not let that fact influence how we view genders as a whole. It is true that the bodies of males are more suitable for heavy-lifting, but that doesn’t mean females cannot do the same too. And in this day and age, the exchange of gender roles in a family is becoming more and more common. That alone is proof that people are slowly disregarding the limitations placed on themselves by gender roles defined by society. If that’s the case, why can’t we disregard the idea of patriarchy as well? While males are usually stronger physically, we are past the ages when physical prowess alone defined dominance, which is why we should stop considering the other gender to be inferior automatically. Rejecting patriarchy does not equal destroying our traditions as well. As long as the newer generations are conscious of the faults behind patriarchal traditions and know how to distinguish between unhealthy ones, they can carry on our precious culture, and with proper education they may be able to shed some new light or provide new interpretations on such practices.
Writer: Joshua Lee
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