Why I don't blame the patriarchy
I've written before about the importance of the language we use. Words have direct meanings and they have resonances, and we need to make sure that these match what we're trying to say. In particular, I think the more precise our language is, the better we can communicate our ideas.
I try really hard not to use the word 'patriarchy' on this blog, because I don't know what it means. When a woman, or a man, talks about 'the patriarchy' it doesn't tell me anything about how they think the world works, or how men's power over women is maintained.
Instead of 'patriarchy' I tend to say 'sexist and misogynist society' - which isn't much more precise, but has the advantage of not sounding as though I'm describing a system that everyone understands how it's work. That's why I think 'patriarchy' is particularly difficult word - it sounds as if it's describing a quite precise system, but for all I know everyone who used the word could be meaning something slightly different.
This is of course part of a wider problem for feminism, I don't think any feminist, or feminist theory, has a complete and coherent explanation or how men's power over women is maintained. But I think the most important thing we can do is meet that problem head on, keep on thinking about, writing about, and analysing the world we live in. We need to find the precise words to describe all that, not rely on imprecise words to do our work for us.
Heh. I use "patriarchy" all the time, but it's more because it's the closest word I know to describe the thing I can't stand, i.e. the sexist/misogynist society. Which is fraught with difficulties and misinterpretations too. I can't just call it "the bullshit" because I occasionally discuss feminism with my 90-year-old great-aunt, and she wouldn't like that.
ReplyDeleteI always got the impression hidden in its usage was the idea that it was somthing the user understood but no one I know does.
ReplyDeleteI think feminism is a problematic term. I still use it because there is no alternative but I have to restrain myself when I see people saying things like "I hate feminists" from saying "what exactly do you mean?" and then launching into a big explanation of all the various strands theory and their many contradictions- difference feminism, dominance feminism, domesticity feminism which I'd probably follow by a short list of recommended readings. But probably I'd just be wasting my time if I did this because what they mean is really they hate upppity women who make them feel threatened.
ReplyDeleteInteresting -- I've never taken "patriarchy" to imply any sort of detailed analysis.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it necessarily sounds like a detailed analysis Stetnor. But if someone writes 'the patriarchy wants women to do X' - that does imply that the patriarchy is some sort of unified coherent system, and we all agree how it works and how it conveys what it wants. As that's generally not the case, I think talking about what the patriarchy wants (for example) only confuses our analysis.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point about "patriarchy" conveniently glossing over ignorance, confusion and/or disagreement, but I have to object to "sexist/misogynist society" as a substitute. "Patriarchy" designates a person or group believed to rule a society, like oligarchy, monarchy, etc. and highlights its role in shaping society, while sexism and misogyny are only two of the many devices used by the Patriarchy (or whatever you want to call The Man, our Corporate Masters) to divide and control the oppressed. By mandating, encouraging, perpetuating and manipulating not only sexist and misogynist attitudes and practices among the oppressed, but also racism, xenophobia, heteronormativity, etc., The Man keeps us fighting with each other instead of addressing the true perpetrators and beneficiaries of oppression. Calling the problem "sexist/misogynist society" both is too narrow (because sex is too interlocked with race, etc.) and directs attention away from the real villains. If you want a substitute for Patriarchy, how about "Capitalism"?
ReplyDelete*Looks at title of blog, scratches head.*
I agree sexist/misogynist clarifies the attitudes and behaviour that is the key problem. It also gets over the idea that there is a conscious system promoting those values, there are many who do, but also many who don't
ReplyDeleteKC Sheehan I agree with your points about inter-related systems - but I don't think using the term 'patriarchy' solves any of those problems. Since it sounds like one over-arching system of gender oppression, and even if the person who uses it intends to use it to describe a set of interlocking systems there's no way anyone's every going to know that.
ReplyDeleteWhen I talk about capitalism I'm talking about a very specific economic system, I have a rough idea of how it works and assume that anyone I'm talking has the same undrstanding. While it's a useful term I don't think it's a substitute for 'patriarchy' they don't mean anything like the same thing.