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What are the origins of patriarchy? We need to look at how and why it evolved, to be able to find a way to uproot it from today's society.
What are the origins of patriarchy? We need to look at how and why it evolved, to be able to find a way to uproot it from today’s society.
Most large societies have evolved to be patriarchal, and most of us today, are fighting against this patriarchy and struggling to rectify the situation. But a question does come to mind. How or why did most large societies evolve to be patriarchal? What is the evolutionary biology explanation for this?
Oddly, for me, this question came up for discussion twice in the last month, with two different people, and before that I had never really considered it. Thinking on my feet, the only explanation I could come up with was, that uncertainty of paternity of a baby led to patriarchy. While there is little question as to who the mother of a baby is, until recent medical and genetic advances and the advent of DNA testing, it was quite difficult to ascertain the paternity of a person.
I argued, that in hunter gatherer societies, paternity was not an important issue, because the children were probably brought up by the tribe, and hence hunter gatherer societies were relatively egalitarian with respect to the sexes.
But in agrarian societies, with land ownership, paternity became important for a man investing resources in a child who may or may not be his own, and oppression of women was one way to ensure paternity. If women were frightened in to monogamy, then the husband may have more confidence, that his wife’s offspring is also his own.
This seemed like a reasonable, but simplistic explanation to me. Then, yesterday, I read this article by Roy F. Baumeister, who tackles the issue with a logical and balanced approach. Do consider reading it with an open mind. It does not distinguish between the abilities of men and women, but does emphasize that statistically men and women have evolved to have different interests and priorities. It is a theory, and in my opinion, an interesting one.
Please understand that neither I, nor as I understand, the author of the article, is either advocating, or justifying patriarchy, but only trying to understand how it came to be. In order to fight something effectively, we must first understand what causes it. Only if we are able to understand the evolutionary and social processes that led to patriarchy, can we fight it effectively by addressing the insecurities and motivations, in both men and women, that cause and perpetuate it.
For example, if my idea of uncertainty of paternity is the cause, then that can be addressed today, as paternity can easily be determined. If instead, the difference in the nature of socializing in men and women, as the article by Baumeister suggests, is one of the issues that has led to patriarchy, then men and women who want to break gender norms can learn alternate methods of socializing, that best suits their purposes.
The article mentioned earlier by me outlines evolutionary reasons for which women tend to prefer few intimate relationships, while men tend to favour many shallow relationships. Many shallow relationships are conducive to building large networks and thereby cultures. Thus, possibly, cultures came to be male dominated leading to patriarchy.
The article makes several other interesting points too, including one startling piece of information, that does not seem too surprising when I think about it, but it is something I did not know. Today’s human population is descended from twice as many women as men. This asymmetry, the article claims, must have impact, when viewed from the perspective of evolutionary biology.
It is important to note that the conclusions in the article are statistical in nature, using evolutionary biology techniques, and not applicable to individuals, but only to large populations. It gives some insight into what might have (a possible theory, and probably has limitations) led to patriarchal societies, which may help us figure out a way out of it.
Many things about the world have changed since patriarchy evolved, in terms of automation, connectivity, family structure, available services, and progress in genetics, and the factors that led to the evolution of patriarchy may no longer be relevant. So trying to figure out the reasons for the origins of patriarchy and addressing them in modern times, may help weed out deep rooted practices continuing through social inertia.
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Kanika G, a physicist by training and a mother of 2 girls, started writing to entertain her older daughter with stories, thus opening the flood gates on a suppressed passion. Today she has written over read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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