patriarchy

Rule by men

Patriarchy is social organization in which men hold primary power—in government, family, property, and cultural authority.

Feminist analysis uses the term for systemic male dominance: Patriarchy shapes everything from workplace hierarchies to domestic expectations.

The word can also mean a society or institution governed by a patriarch, an elder male authority figure.

dominance

oppression

Unjust exercise of power

subjugationForcing into submission
supremacyHighest rank or power
hegemonyDominant group's control

control · domination · exploitation · subordination · misogyny · sexism · chauvinism · disenfranchisement · marginalization · silencing

kinship

patrilocal

Residing near husband's kin

lineageDescent from progenitors
descentDownward slope or lineage
genealogyStudy of family descent

clan · kinship · progenitor · forefather · patrimony · inheritance · primogeniture · patronymic · birthright · heir

tradition

customs

Traditional practices or import taxes

conservatismPreference for existing institutions
orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs
ritualsCeremonial repeated practices

religious · cultural · ancestral · feudal · tribal · conventions · norms · legacy · conformity · traditionalism

governance

rule

Governing principle or standard

authorityPower to enforce obedience
leadershipAbility to direct others
sovereigntySupreme independent authority

headship · elders · tribal · chieftain · council · law · decision-making · control · lordship · stewardship

critique

feminism

Advocacy for sex equality

resistanceCapacity to withstand force
dismantlingTaking apart systematically
reformImprove by correcting faults

equality · liberation · empowerment · intersectionality · activism · suffrage · consciousness-raising · deconstruction · subversion · challenging

structure

hierarchy

Ranked authority structure

stratificationDivision into distinct levels
inequalityUnequal distribution of resources
systemicAffecting an entire structure

institutional · male-dominated · gatekeeping · exclusion · double-standard · underrepresentation · structural

Categories

social theoriesfunctionalism, Marxism, feminism, structuralism, postmodernism
anti-feminismanti-feminism, misogyny, male supremacy, manosphere, men's rights
familymother, father, parents, siblings, parent
governancegovernance, government, democracy, vote, parliament
social systemspolitical systems, capitalism, feudalism, economic systems, socialism
women's historywomen's history, herstory, women's movement, suffrage movement, notable women

Opposites

gender dominance in social systems

patriarchymatriarchy

Female-dominated social system

matriarchal society · matrilineality · female dominance · gynarchy

hierarchical vs egalitarian structure

patriarchyegalitarianism

Philosophy of universal equality

gender equality · feminism · equalitarianism · gender parity · egalitarian society

lineage and inheritance

patriarchymatriliny

Descent through maternal line

matrilineality · mother's line · matrilineage

Phrases

patriarchal societySocial order favoring men
patriarchal traditionsCustoms centered on male authority
family patriarchMale head of household
patriarchal valuesBeliefs privileging male dominance
patriarchal societiesCommunities where men dominate
patriarchal structureSystem favoring male authority

Family

patriarch, patriarchal, patriarchs, patriarchies

Familiarity: Top 200,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Negative · Rated PG