The Next Phase of Feminism is Matriarchy

[neverfstop]

I thought this was an interesting read, tying together many of the topics we discuss around here- climate & social justice, capitalism, devaluing of women's work/child rearing, wealth inequalities, community vs. isolation, etc. 

chixmag.com/editorial/the-next-phase-of-feminism-is-matriarchy

Mainstream feminism has been focused on giving women more legal rights and “empowerment” with the assumption that the patriarchy will go away when more of us are CEOs and presidents. But it’s clear now that the corporate feminist dream of being able to “smash”, “lean in”, or “girlboss” our way out of the patriarchy is dead. It turns out we can’t take down the patriarchy with the patriarchy.
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A matriarchy is a social structure where women (mainly mothers) are at the center. The idea that every human being originates from a mother is reflected in the cultural norms of a matriarchal society.

[mrsukyankee]

and then we have these sorts of people living in the US:

[underwaterrhymes]

mrsukyankee - holy shit. That literally made me gasp. What a fucking idiot.

[basilosaurus]

Apr 22, 2024 6:00:07 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

mrsukyankee - holy shit. That literally made me gasp. What a fucking idiot.

yeah, wtf.

I just finished a book set in the 19 teens, and those were the arguments they used then.

But, sure, the men who want to take away my bodily autonomy should be entrusted to strengthen my family and speak for me.

[pinkdutchtulips]

household voting ?!? What the bloody hell ?!?

I realize that this was presented as an argument as to why women shouldn't vote. Women had few personal rights then. I can only imagine what my never married, childless great aunt (born in 1912) would have said about this. I'm pretty sure, I'm voting bc I 'AM' my 'household' would have flown out of her mouth.

Also this explains part of the reason why the GOP has a stranglehold on the conservative fundamentalist Christian South that follows this ...... wives follow their husbands lockstep in the voting booth.

[katfco]

Apr 22, 2024 13:03:46 GMT -5 pinkdutchtulips said:

household voting ?!? What the bloody hell ?!?

I realize that this was presented as an argument as to why women shouldn't vote. Women had few personal rights then. I can only imagine what my never married, childless great aunt (born in 1912) would have said about this. I'm pretty sure, I'm voting bc I 'AM' my 'household' would have flown out of her mouth.

Also this explains part of the reason why the GOP has a stranglehold on the conservative fundamentalist Christian South that follows this ...... wives follow their husbands lockstep in the voting booth.

Oh yes, growing up I heard a lot about how it’s the job of a good Christian man to make wise decisions for his family and the job of a good Christian wife to pray that his decisions are wise and to support him.

While the topic of voting was never applied, I’m sure there are some who would say if your husband tells you to vote a certain way, you are bound to do so.

[wawa]

I realize we're all mostly talking about the fucking pinhead in the posted tweet - but the OP article?  I'm sorry, but what?  It feels very JK Rowling to say that we need to center motherhood in order to fix our fucked up dominance based, white supremacism power structures.  Like...not just truly value femininity and connection and reject toxic masculinity and dominance, but center child bearing?  errrr.  no?  

I am taking this too literally?

I also got very sidetracked in my own head in the ridiculousness of considering the root of the -iarchy in patriarchy to be one meaning, while using a different meaning for a word with plainly the EXACT SAME CONSTRUCTION, even if just for effect, so I'm struggling to read that whole piece as anything other than some overly academic wordy theoretical nonsense. 

Anybody nodding enthusiastically along able to translate this for me to something that doesn't make me want to roll my eyes?  Maybe I still need to do some healing...

[basilosaurus]

wawa, you are not wrong. I'm sorry for the eyes that have rolled out of your head

[jane6672]

Apr 22, 2024 15:48:37 GMT -5 wawa said:

I realize we're all mostly talking about the fucking pinhead in the posted tweet - but the OP article?  I'm sorry, but what?  It feels very JK Rowling to say that we need to center motherhood in order to fix our fucked up dominance based, white supremacism power structures.  Like...not just truly value femininity and connection and reject toxic masculinity and dominance, but center child bearing?  errrr.  no?  

I am taking this too literally?

I also got very sidetracked in my own head in the ridiculousness of considering the root of the -iarchy in patriarchy to be one meaning, while using a different meaning for a word with plainly the EXACT SAME CONSTRUCTION, even if just for effect, so I'm struggling to read that whole piece as anything other than some overly academic wordy theoretical nonsense. 

Anybody nodding enthusiastically along able to translate this for me to something that doesn't make me want to roll my eyes?  Maybe I still need to do some healing...

It was a lot of semi-coherent poorly formed arguments.

Also any time somebody starts going off on how modern society/diets/relationships “should” be, based on some fantastical reconstruction of how they imagine ancient hunter-gatherers behaved, my eyes roll out of my head and I tune out.

[jlt19]

Apr 22, 2024 3:05:47 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

and then we have these sorts of people living in the US:

Pioneer’s Wife*, is that you?

*I honestly can’t remember her name but this was the only thing that sounded somewhat right. The old poster that literally admitted this was how her house worked, except sadly they utilized HER vote, she just did whatever he told her to do.

[Saudade]

Apr 22, 2024 20:10:03 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Apr 22, 2024 3:05:47 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

and then we have these sorts of people living in the US:

Pioneer’s Wife*, is that you?

*I honestly can’t remember her name but this was the only thing that sounded somewhat right. The old poster that literally admitted this was how her house worked, except sadly they utilized HER vote, she just did whatever he told her to do.

Adam’s Wife?

[bee20]

I mean, it's an editorial on ChixMag, the author isn't proposing new policy. While reading it I caught the same patriarchy/matriarchy thing and as a non-mother female rolled my eyes a bit at that part. But mostly I was wondering if a female-led society would really be more equal and community-minded. I work in a male-dominated industry and have seen all sorts of toxic patriarchy situations. But I also worked in high school and college in all female offices and...I didn't exactly see "reciprocity, community, love, and regeneration".

I like the idea of looking to history for other models that work, and spending less time on "fuck the patriarchy" and more on talking about what we DO want, but I'm not sure unfettered womanhood will save us from our ills.

[aurora]

Apr 22, 2024 15:48:37 GMT -5 wawa said:

...
I am taking this too literally?

I also got very sidetracked in my own head in the ridiculousness of considering the root of the -iarchy in patriarchy to be one meaning, while using a different meaning for a word with plainly the EXACT SAME CONSTRUCTION, even if just for effect, so I'm struggling to read that whole piece as anything other than some overly academic wordy theoretical nonsense. 
...

This is also the part where I started to scratch my head. Don't get me wrong: I think we could get a lot further as a society with collaboration instead of competition, but don't think this piece is especially compelling about why.

I guess we're here talking about it, though, so there's that?

[wawa]

Apr 22, 2024 22:09:57 GMT -5 bee20 said:

I mean, it's an editorial on ChixMag, the author isn't proposing new policy. While reading it I caught the same patriarchy/matriarchy thing and as a non-mother female rolled my eyes a bit at that part. But mostly I was wondering if a female-led society would really be more equal and community-minded. I work in a male-dominated industry and have seen all sorts of toxic patriarchy situations. But I also worked in high school and college in all female offices and...I didn't exactly see "reciprocity, community, love, and regeneration".

I like the idea of looking to history for other models that work, and spending less time on "fuck the patriarchy" and more on talking about what we DO want, but I'm not sure unfettered womanhood will save us from our ills.

I've also worked in some very female heavy spaces, some within male dominated industries, and it's better.  Often.  Though sometimes that seems to be generational.  A lot of older women who had to fight through SO MUCH BULLSHIT seem to resent those of us who had an easier time of it because they paved the way.  But also the most toxic awful ego driven person I've ever worked with was a woman.  So like...we're not special?  Women can suck too.  And men aren't inherently driven by dominance and ego from birth. And this kind of framing just totally erases all non-binary people anyway  so it's inherently lacking in my mind.

I think talking about "if not patriarchy, then what" is worthwhile. 
But "down with patriarchy, bring on the matriarchy!" is a cry for action that would cause more confusion than clarity if (general) you really meant it.
I'd be interested in conversations about how we can pivot our current nonsense into something community focused, loving, collaborative, helpful, etc - without having to continue to make everything so gendered.  

and finally....I read a little of the paper she cites there, and maybe it's my raising in the current dominance based patriarchal structures - but the idea of government/society run on the idea that decision making processes aren't done until consensus is reached makes me itch.  Sometimes no action IS an action, and spinning endlessly on a decision can be it's own problem. 

[jlt19]

Apr 22, 2024 21:04:14 GMT -5 Saudade said:

Apr 22, 2024 20:10:03 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Pioneer’s Wife*, is that you?

*I honestly can’t remember her name but this was the only thing that sounded somewhat right. The old poster that literally admitted this was how her house worked, except sadly they utilized HER vote, she just did whatever he told her to do.

Adam’s Wife?

Yes! Not sure why, but I guess I was combining her with the Pioneer Woman, lol

[Saudade]

Apr 23, 2024 19:05:51 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Apr 22, 2024 21:04:14 GMT -5 Saudade said:

Adam’s Wife?

Yes! Not sure why, but I guess I was combining her with the Pioneer Woman, lol

She had the whole chart system for candidates and who to vote for. I am always curious if she was real or not.

[msmerymac]

Apr 23, 2024 19:09:25 GMT -5 Saudade said:

Apr 23, 2024 19:05:51 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Yes! Not sure why, but I guess I was combining her with the Pioneer Woman, lol

She had the whole chart system for candidates and who to vote for. I am always curious if she was real or not.

She said she would vote the way her husband did because she trusted he knew best, but I think she had done complicated caveats to it that I frankly wasn’t that interested in dissecting.

I kind of wonder what she’s up to now.

[basilosaurus]

Apr 23, 2024 19:09:25 GMT -5 Saudade said:

Apr 23, 2024 19:05:51 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Yes! Not sure why, but I guess I was combining her with the Pioneer Woman, lol

She had the whole chart system for candidates and who to vote for. I am always curious if she was real or not.

I have no doubt she was real. I've known too many just like her. We've called her ofadam.

[Saudade]

Apr 23, 2024 21:11:47 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Apr 23, 2024 19:09:25 GMT -5 Saudade said:

She had the whole chart system for candidates and who to vote for. I am always curious if she was real or not.

I have no doubt she was real. I've known too many just like her. We've called her ofadam.

I mean, yes of course, I also know so many people like her #ruralliving and I do truly believe that she was real, except sometimes I had a slight niggling feeling that she wasn't. IDK