Quote:
Originally Posted by Astromancer
I still say that, since the definition of "Patriarchy" is "an oppressive oligarchy of men only, or with very limited cases of female participation," matriarchy would be the same with women doing the oppression. Now a matriarchy would logically have different hang-ups.
A good example of a hang-up that Patriarchies have that Matriarchies wouldn't is "purity of lineage." Since a woman knows the child is hers when she gives birth, all the stress on chastity and fidelity typical of Patriarchy would make far less sense. This would radically alter the relationship between the sexes. Marriage is about making sure the child is the "Child of the Father." Everyone would know who the "Child of the Mother" was. It would need no emphasis.
Just as in Patriarchies males, if they have the right kind of wealth and status, can have children by many different women, in Matriarchies, high status women would have their children by such men as pleased them. In a Matriarchy of Warrior Witches the Matriarchs might have spells to transfer the pregnancy to someone else. Thus a powerful enchantress with multiple lovers and healthy well cared for female slaves might get pregnant by up to a dozen men in one year and transfer the pregnancies to her slaves to do the work of gestation, birth, and lactation.
My point is that a real matriarchy, or a fantasy magical matriarchy, would be very alien to our eyes.
|
By definition as men and women are roughly equal in numbers and an oligarchy is a minority there is no such thing as a patriarchy. If there is such a thing (an oligarchy following Salic Law for instance), there has to be more qualifications than masculinity. As for "oppressive" it is hard to say how the mere word "patriarchy" gives any information about it's benignity or rigorousness. It is better and simply to say, "In an abstractly conceived patriarchy a given male has a higher status than a given female." It would therefore follow that a given female has a higher status than a given male in a simple matriarchy. As the addition of magic indicates there are other status-deciders as there are in real life societies, there are numerous ways that can be made. This can include "matriarchal" reflected in the fact that females have a higher chance of access to the upper crust of power just as the loose definition of "patriarchy" means the reverse.