Patriarchy and Beyond

 Patriarchy and Beyond 

Unit III. Patriarchy and Beyond 

• Capitalist patriarchy

• Comparing variants of feminist interpretation on patriarchy

• Patriarchy in everyday life: household and intra-household bargaining

Required readings

Lerner, Gerda (1986) "Origins," The Creation of Patriarchy, Chapter 1, Oxford: OUP, pp. 15-35.

Eisenstein, Zillah (1999) "Constructing a theory of capitalist patriarchy and socialist feminism,"

Critical Sociology, vol. 25(2/3), pp. 196-217.

Beechey, Veronica (1979) "On patriarchy," Feminist Review, vol. 3, pp. 66–82.

Kandiyoti, Deniz (1988) "Bargaining with patriarchy," Gender and Society, vol. 2(3), Special

Issue to Honor Jessie Bernard, pp. 274-290.

Agarwal, Bina (1997) “Bargaining and gender relations: within and beyond the household,”

Feminist Economics, vol. 3(1): pp. 1-51.

Additional reading

Bhasin, Kamala (1993) What is Patriarchy? New Delhi: Kali for Women.

Unit III of your course, **Patriarchy and Beyond**, explores how patriarchy operates within different social, economic, and household structures, offering critical insights from various feminist perspectives. Let’s go through the key themes and readings in this unit:

### 1. **Capitalist Patriarchy**

   - **Capitalist patriarchy** refers to the intersection of capitalist economic systems and patriarchal social structures, which together reinforce women’s oppression. This perspective argues that both capitalism and patriarchy rely on women’s subordination to sustain their power and organization.

   - **Zillah Eisenstein** (1999) in her article *Constructing a Theory of Capitalist Patriarchy and Socialist Feminism* explores how patriarchy and capitalism are intertwined, creating a system where women’s reproductive and domestic labor is undervalued and exploited. She argues that socialist feminism is necessary to critique both patriarchy and capitalism, as both systems are inherently oppressive to women.

   - This reading is crucial for understanding the economic dimensions of patriarchy and how feminist theory has evolved to challenge not just gender inequalities but economic ones as well.

### 2. **Comparing Variants of Feminist Interpretation on Patriarchy**

   - Feminist scholars have offered various interpretations of **patriarchy**, some focusing on its historical origins, others on its manifestations in different social structures.

   - **Gerda Lerner** (1986) in *The Creation of Patriarchy* looks at the historical development of patriarchy. In Chapter 1, "Origins," Lerner traces the origins of patriarchal systems to ancient civilizations, where women were subordinated through legal, religious, and cultural norms. She argues that patriarchy is not a natural system but a historically constructed one.

   - **Veronica Beechey** (1979) in her article *On Patriarchy* explores different feminist approaches to patriarchy, distinguishing between radical feminist theories that see patriarchy as the primary system of oppression and Marxist feminist theories that emphasize the relationship between capitalism and patriarchy. Beechey’s work helps students compare how different feminist schools of thought interpret the root causes of gender inequality.

   - This section emphasizes the diversity of feminist thought on patriarchy, showing how scholars from different perspectives have critiqued patriarchy’s role in sustaining gender inequality.

### 3. **Patriarchy in Everyday Life: Household and Intra-household Bargaining**

   - Patriarchy is not just an abstract system but one that operates in everyday life, particularly within households. **Intra-household bargaining** refers to the negotiations and power dynamics that occur between family members, often reflecting broader patriarchal structures.

   - **Deniz Kandiyoti** (1988) in her influential article *Bargaining with Patriarchy* examines how women in different cultural contexts "bargain" with the patriarchal systems they live under. Rather than simply being passive victims of patriarchy, Kandiyoti shows how women navigate and negotiate their roles within these systems to maximize their benefits or reduce their oppression. Her work highlights the agency of women even within patriarchal structures and introduces the concept of "patriarchal bargains," where women may accept certain forms of subordination in exchange for security or other gains.

   - **Bina Agarwal** (1997) in *Bargaining and Gender Relations: Within and Beyond the Household* further explores how bargaining processes shape gender relations not only within households but also in wider social contexts. Agarwal’s work looks at how economic, social, and cultural factors influence power dynamics within households and how women can resist or negotiate patriarchal constraints. This reading connects feminist economic theory with real-world gender relations, making it particularly relevant for understanding patriarchy in a Nepali context.

   - **Kamala Bhasin’s** (1993) *What is Patriarchy?* provides a simple yet powerful explanation of patriarchy, especially focusing on South Asian contexts. Bhasin’s work is useful for understanding how patriarchy manifests in everyday interactions and institutions, making it an accessible entry point into the study of patriarchy.

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### Key Takeaways:

- **Capitalist Patriarchy**: Zillah Eisenstein’s work demonstrates that patriarchy and capitalism work together to reinforce women’s subordination, especially through the undervaluing of women’s domestic and reproductive labor.

- **Feminist Interpretations of Patriarchy**: Gerda Lerner and Veronica Beechey provide different historical and theoretical analyses of patriarchy. Lerner traces its origins, while Beechey compares different feminist critiques of patriarchy, highlighting the complexity of the system.

- **Intra-household Bargaining**: Deniz Kandiyoti and Bina Agarwal examine how patriarchy operates within households and how women "bargain" within patriarchal systems to assert their agency. These readings explore the micro-level dynamics of gender relations, linking personal experiences to broader structures of inequality.

This unit provides a comprehensive look at how patriarchy operates at both macro (societal) and micro (household) levels, combining economic, social, and cultural perspectives. By understanding these different approaches, you’ll be able to critically analyze the persistence of patriarchy in Nepalese society and beyond.