Patriarchy

Patriarchy (from Greek: patria meaning father and arché meaning rule) is the anthropological term used to define the sociological condition where male members of a society tend to predominate in positions of power; with the more powerful the position, the more likely it is that a male will hold that position. The term patriarchy is also used in systems of ranking male leadership in certain hierarchical churches or religious bodies (see patriarch). Examples include the Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox churches. Finally, the term patriarchy is used perjoratively to describe a seemingly immobile and sclerotic political order.

Related Topics:
Greek - Patriarch - Greek Orthodox - Russian Orthodox

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The term "patriarchy' is distinct from patrilineality and patrilocality. "Patrilineal" defines societies where the derivation of inheritence (financial or otherwise) originates from the father's line; a society with matrilineal traits such as Judaism, for example, provides that in order to be considered a Jew, a person must be born of a Jewish mother. "Patrilocal" defines a locus of control coming from the father's geographic/cultural community. In a matrilocal society, a woman will live with her father and/or brothers after marriage, and those males will hold a higher influence on the women's offspring to the detriment of the children's father. Most societies are predominantly patrilineal and patrilocal, but this is not a universal.

Related Topics:
Patrilineality - Patrilocality - Matrilineal - Judaism - Jewish - Matrilocal

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