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Social Stratification

Notes come to women even in the metropolises and big towns. Women continue to have real and imagined
faces because of the overarching patriarchal nature of Indian society. How to reduce “gendering”
of relations, work, decision-making in everyday life ? Women do not need sympathy or mercy of
the male members in the family and society. What they need is right to own and control resources
equal to men. “Statization” and patronage to provide employment, education and health care for
women is a top-down manner to analyse their problems. Effective property rights may reduce
women’s economic, social and political subordination and bring about more equal gender relations.
A resource theory, rather than the reform theory, is the main concern.

9.3 Patriarchy and the Subordination of Women

Patriarchy literally means rule of the father in a male-dominated family. It is a social and ideological
construct which considers men (who are the patriarchs) as superior to women. Sylvia Walby in
“Theorising Patriarchy” calls it “a system of social structures and practices in which men dominate,
oppress and exploit women” (Walby, 1990). Patriarchy is based on a system of power relations
which are hierarchical and unequal where men control women’s production, reproduction and
sexuality. It imposes masculinity and femininity character stereotypes in society which strengthen
the iniquitous power relations between men and women. Patriarchy is not a constant and gender
relations which are dynamic and complex have changed over the periods of history. The nature of
control and subjugation of women varies from one society to the other as it differs due to the
differences in class, caste, religion, region, ethnicity and the socio-cultural practices. Thus in the
context of India, brahminical patriarchy, tribal patriarchy and dalit patriarchy are different from
each other. Patriarchy within a particular caste or class also differs in terms of their religious and
regional variations. Similarly subordination of women in developed countries is different from
what it is in developing countries. While subordination of women may differ in terms of its
nature, certain characteristics such as control over women’s sexuality and her reproductive power
cuts across class, caste, ethnicity, religions and regions and is common to all patriarchies. This
control has developed historically and is institutionalized and legitimized by several ideologies,
social practices and institutions such as family, religion, caste, education, media, law, state and
society, which are discussed in the later sections.

What do you mean by patriarchy?

Patriarchal societies propagate the ideology of motherhood which restrict women’s mobility and
burdens them with the responsibilities to nurture and rear children. The biological factor to bear
children is linked to the social position of women’s responsibilities of motherhood : nurturing,
educating and raising children by devoting themselves to family. “Patriarchal ideas blur the
distinction between sex and gender and assume that all socio-economic and political distinctions
between men and women are rooted in biology or anatomy” (Heywood, 2003 : 248). Gender like
social class, caste, race or religion is a significant social cleavage and it is important to analyse it
to understand social inequalities, oppressions and unequal relationship between men and women.
It has been explained by feminist scholars / thinkers/ writers who believe that the theory of
‘sexual politics’ and ‘sexism’ are conscious parallels with theory of ’class politics’ and ‘racism’ to
understand oppression of women.
The traditionalist view accepts patriarchy as biologically determined and as the biological functions
of men and women are different, the social roles and tasks assigned for women are also different.
Sigmund Freud stated that for women ‘anatomy is destiny’ and it is women’s biology which

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