Amaia Conde Redondo
LERNER, Gerda: The Creation of Patriarchy,
Oxford University Press, New York, 1986 [1986]
1. Origins
Traditionally, women subordination has been considered universal: a
natural and unalterable system. Some traditionalists argue that it is indeed
immutable for how sexual asymmetry have provided men with different, “more
important” social tasks. Their ability to run faster, their strength and their innate
aggressiveness resulted in men becoming hunters and therefore food providers;
this position was treated as superior. Women, contrarily, were expected to be
great in motherhood and nurturance; a vulnerable function where they needed
protection. Man-the-hunter theories have actually been discredited with
anthropological evidence that big game hunting was not that important, women
and children actually helped in hunting small animals to provide food; this has
not distanced traditionalist from their approach.
This traditional sense of male superiority developed through the years,
but the main idea endures along with traditionalists defending it. With the
development of society and labour being undermined by machines, only women
were left with their duty to society, motherhood. It is the biological function that
has doomed women to be looked over by society.
2. A Working Hypothesis
Women themselves are partly accountable for the patriarchal society of
today. This mode of though is so established into everyday life that it is
sometimes hard to think outside of it. The development of civilization came from
a necessity to adapt to the circumstances. In the process, women were
designated more vulnerable tasks and therefore ended up falling into a
disadvantaged role. Women followed cultural rules without realizing where they
were getting themselves into. They were once categorized to function as
biological machines and have had trouble distancing from that role since.
LERNER, Gerda: The Creation of Patriarchy,
Oxford University Press, New York, 1986 [1986]
1. Origins
Traditionally, women subordination has been considered universal: a
natural and unalterable system. Some traditionalists argue that it is indeed
immutable for how sexual asymmetry have provided men with different, “more
important” social tasks. Their ability to run faster, their strength and their innate
aggressiveness resulted in men becoming hunters and therefore food providers;
this position was treated as superior. Women, contrarily, were expected to be
great in motherhood and nurturance; a vulnerable function where they needed
protection. Man-the-hunter theories have actually been discredited with
anthropological evidence that big game hunting was not that important, women
and children actually helped in hunting small animals to provide food; this has
not distanced traditionalist from their approach.
This traditional sense of male superiority developed through the years,
but the main idea endures along with traditionalists defending it. With the
development of society and labour being undermined by machines, only women
were left with their duty to society, motherhood. It is the biological function that
has doomed women to be looked over by society.
2. A Working Hypothesis
Women themselves are partly accountable for the patriarchal society of
today. This mode of though is so established into everyday life that it is
sometimes hard to think outside of it. The development of civilization came from
a necessity to adapt to the circumstances. In the process, women were
designated more vulnerable tasks and therefore ended up falling into a
disadvantaged role. Women followed cultural rules without realizing where they
were getting themselves into. They were once categorized to function as
biological machines and have had trouble distancing from that role since.
