Sylvia Walby - Theorising Patriarchy (1989)
Introduction
● Patriarchy and capitalism are analytically independent
● Patriarchy can be modelled in terms of several partially interdependent structures
Definition
● Definitions of patriarchy differ
○ it has been used to describe relations in which men dominate both
women and younger generations of men
■ this is a mistake because it implies a theory of gender
inequality in which men’s domination of other men is central in men’s
domination of women
● Patriarchy can preliminarily be defined as ‘a system of social structures, and practices in
which men dominate, oppress and exploit women’
○ ‘structures’ allows for the fact that not all men are in dominate positions,
and likewise not all women are dominated
● Patriarchy exists primarily as a set of social relations, then as a set of structures, then as a
set of practices
Dual Systems Analysis
● Patriarchy pre-dates and post-dates capitalism, and hence cannot be derived from it
(likewise racism)
● Hence we need a dual or triple systems analysis, in terms of capitalism, patriarchy and
racism
● Are the different parts seen as fused into one system of capitalist racist patriarchy, or as
analytically distinct categories?
○ distinct
■ Hartmann’s analysis, though ostensibly retaining
distinctness, underestimates the tension between capitalism and patriarchy
● The conflicts of patriarchal and capitalist interests do not have an inevitable result, but
are based on local factors in patriarchal and capitalist relations
Ahistoricism, Universalism and Diversity
● Can patriarchy deal with different forms of gender inequality at different times and
places?
○ e.g. experiences of black women are very different to those of white
women - for black women the family is not a theatre of domination, but a relief from
racist domination
○ ‘We need a concept of patriarchy which is flexible enough to capture the
variation in women’s experience and inequality between women.’
● Is a concept of patriarchy essentialist in defining ‘woman’ etc? Does this view the place
of women as static?
○ often feminist writing does take one factor as the critical base of
patriarchy, creating a universalist and ahistoric theory
■ but even where feminist theory is like this, its empirical
Introduction
● Patriarchy and capitalism are analytically independent
● Patriarchy can be modelled in terms of several partially interdependent structures
Definition
● Definitions of patriarchy differ
○ it has been used to describe relations in which men dominate both
women and younger generations of men
■ this is a mistake because it implies a theory of gender
inequality in which men’s domination of other men is central in men’s
domination of women
● Patriarchy can preliminarily be defined as ‘a system of social structures, and practices in
which men dominate, oppress and exploit women’
○ ‘structures’ allows for the fact that not all men are in dominate positions,
and likewise not all women are dominated
● Patriarchy exists primarily as a set of social relations, then as a set of structures, then as a
set of practices
Dual Systems Analysis
● Patriarchy pre-dates and post-dates capitalism, and hence cannot be derived from it
(likewise racism)
● Hence we need a dual or triple systems analysis, in terms of capitalism, patriarchy and
racism
● Are the different parts seen as fused into one system of capitalist racist patriarchy, or as
analytically distinct categories?
○ distinct
■ Hartmann’s analysis, though ostensibly retaining
distinctness, underestimates the tension between capitalism and patriarchy
● The conflicts of patriarchal and capitalist interests do not have an inevitable result, but
are based on local factors in patriarchal and capitalist relations
Ahistoricism, Universalism and Diversity
● Can patriarchy deal with different forms of gender inequality at different times and
places?
○ e.g. experiences of black women are very different to those of white
women - for black women the family is not a theatre of domination, but a relief from
racist domination
○ ‘We need a concept of patriarchy which is flexible enough to capture the
variation in women’s experience and inequality between women.’
● Is a concept of patriarchy essentialist in defining ‘woman’ etc? Does this view the place
of women as static?
○ often feminist writing does take one factor as the critical base of
patriarchy, creating a universalist and ahistoric theory
■ but even where feminist theory is like this, its empirical
