What is the Patriarchy Anyway?

The term ‘patriarchy’ is thrown around loosely, and many people equate the patriarchy to men, which is not accurate, nor fair. The patriarchy is not a group of people, but rather is a set of beliefs which both men and women can hold. It places value on the negative, or unhealthy, aspects of the masculine and not only does it damage women, but it also harms men. Marion Woodman defines patriarchy as “a culture whose driving force is power. Individuals within that culture are driven to seek control over others and themselves in an inhuman desire for perfection”. Patriarchal values are often misogynistic as they disregard many key “feminine” attributes such as intuition, creativity, emotions, and the need for community. The patriarchy demands that women meet unattainable physical standards and sets expectations of what a “good” woman is, which leave us pigeonholed into narrow, demeaning roles.

The feminine has also been deeply connected to earth, nature, and all of her creatures, which the patriarchy does not seem to value. Instead, the patriarchy focuses on progress at the expense of the natural world. Patriarchal views also inhibit compassion for fellow humans and exclude people who do not fit the mainstream. Patriarchal values shame men for being sensitive, creative, or for being in touch with their emotions. Rather, men are expected to engage in the usual male bravado and locker room talk and judge their worth by financial and career achievements.

The healthy masculine, on the other hand, is important to all of us individually and collectively. The healthy masculine includes discipline and focus and an ability to get things done. And, although our society puts far too much focus on the rational and logical, they are also essential to our well-being. As there are positive and negative aspects of the masculine, there are also positive and negative aspects of the feminine. This is relevant for everyone, as all people, however, they gender identify, have feminine and masculine aspects to themselves.