“Patriarchy, the System”

WGS 2900
Violence Against Women
 Gender

 Gender refers to the socially constructed

characteristics of women and men – such as norms,
roles and relationships of and between groups of
women and men. 
 Patriarchy

 Patriarchy is a system of inequality organized around

gender categories.
 It is a type of social system, so what is a social system?
 Explaining Bad Things

 Frequently the occurrence of bad things is attributed

to individual actions…
 Racism, sexism, classism etc. occur as a result of the
actions of bad people.
 Or the situations of minorities, women, poor people is a
result of their own personal failings. (Victim blaming)
 Does it make sense to think about social problems
only from the perspective of individual behavior?
 “the system”

 Have you ever heard the phrase “the system”? What

is it referring to?
 By trying to understand how “the system” works, we
can begin to ask questions about “persistent
patterns” in society.
 Example: violence against women
 Social Systems

 Social Systems: “It’s an arrangement of shared

understandings and relationships that connect people
to one another and something larger than
themselves.” (pg. 72)
 How does the game of Monopoly (or any other game)
provide an example of how social systems work?
 Our Participation

 “To participate is simply to have a part in what goes

on, to do something (or not) and to have the choice
to affect the consequences , regardless of whether it
is conscious or unconscious, coerced or not.” (pg 70)
 The diagram on pg. 70 represents the relationship
between individuals and the social system.
 Socialization refers to the process through which we
learn society’s rules.
 Path of Least Resistance

 Paths of least resistance refers to the conscious and

unconscious choices we make from one moment to the next.
They define certain behavior and values as appropriate and
expected.
 How does Johnson explain the idea of the path of least
resistance using the example of a sexist joke?
 “If a society is oppressive, then people who grow up and live
in it will tend to accept, identify with, and participate in it as
‘normal’ and unremarkable life. That’s the path of least
resistance in any system.” (pg 72)
 Conclusions and Preview

 Patriarchies are social systems.

 Patriarchal social systems are characterized by male
dominance and hierarchy.
 Male dominance and hierarchy are reinforced and
perpetuated through a gender system that
emphasizes the need for men to have power over
women.