Matriarchy and patriarchy are two social systems that have shaped the way societies have functioned throughout history. While both systems have their own pros and cons, they differ significantly in their beliefs, values, and roles for women and men. There's a disbelief in society that matriarchy is just a gender flip of matriarchy, but these two social systems have completely different belief systems and social values. In this article, we will delve into the differences between matriarchy and patriarchy, exploring the characteristics and implications of each system. By understanding these differences, we can gain insight into how to create a more balanced and harmonious society.
In matriarchy, women hold positions of leadership and authority and the society is organized around their needs and values. This can be easily misunderstood as systematic abuse of men and boys, which is what patriarchy does to women. But it’s simply not the case. The word matriarchy means mother principles. This often includes a nature-oriented approach as women are more connected to nature with their natural cycles. In the matriarchy natural sources of energy are prioritized and conservation and recycling of resources are considered important. Matriarchal societies also tend to have a liberal attitude towards research and experimentation, as they believe that personal experience and observation play a crucial role in social progress. They may also have a holistic view of the world, in which everything is seen as interconnected and expressions of unity, rather than separate and running parallel paths. Research done by the world economic forum shows that countries that have female leadership are more likely to address the climate crisis and protect nature.
In contrast, patriarchy is a social system where men hold power and dominate in every aspect of social life. Women are often given subordinate roles and expected to conform to the values and beliefs of men. Patriarchy is characterized by a consumer-oriented approach, in which nature is seen as a resource to be exploited for profit rather than something to be conserved and balanced. Patriarchal societies may also have a conservative vision and be less open to changing things that threaten established norms. They may have a rational approach to looking at things, which leads to a certain strictness. It's clear that centuries of patriarchy have created a massive climate crisis that has become a huge threat to the existence of life on this planet.
The two social systems also differ in their attitudes towards morality. Matriarchy is often characterized by a lack of strict moral codes, with people having the freedom to follow their own moral beliefs as long as they do not harm or disturb others. In contrast, patriarchy typically has strict moral codes governed by religion and government, and non-compliance with these codes is often condemned. The best example can be seen if we look at what's happening in Iran right now. This shows that women have now had enough with these patriarchal concepts. It's clear sexually open, with sex seen as a religious expression, while patriarchy is sexually repressive and may view sex as either sacred or sinful.
In terms of relationships, matriarchy values mutual respect and equality, while patriarchy values hierarchy and control. Matriarchal societies may also place a greater emphasis on emotional intelligence and communication, while patriarchal societies may prioritize power and status. The existence of concepts like “Alpha male” which is an attempt to celebrate the toxic traits of masculinity also show patriarchy's’ overwhelming need to showcase one's power over the other.
Image credits: matriarchist.party
It's interesting to look into the role of religion in matriarchy compared to the patriarchy, two social systems that are opposite in their beliefs and values. Just like their values the religious aspects are completely different from each other. To understand these concepts it's better to have a little knowledge on the evaluation of these religious beliefs.
According to historical and archaeological studies, ancient societies were originally matriarchal, with women being respected and worshiped as divine mothers or mother goddesses. Over time, the authority gradually transferred from women to men, leading to the rise of patriarchy. Matriarchy is characterized by polytheistic, pantheistic religion, in which the worship of several deities is widely practiced and the mother goddesses are the principal divinities. The goddess is believed to be omnipresent and omnipotent, and to be one with the universe and nature. The religions such as Triple goddess and Wicca are great examples for this. Moreover these religions are more connected with nature and celebrate it than god centered patriarchal ones. The goddess movement is a movement that happened in the 1970s to bring back these matriarchal religions to the mainstream. We discussed goddess movement in detail in one of our previous articles too.
In contrast, patriarchy is characterized by monotheistic religion, in which the worship of one God or entity is central. In this system, the gods have a hierarchy, with the major gods occupying a more important place and the other gods being considered part of the "court." The male gods are the principal divinities, and the goddesses are worshiped as their spouses or wives. The gods in patriarchal religion are believed to reside in places that are inaccessible to humans, such as mountaintops or the deep ocean, and worship requires the use of priests and intermediaries as a way to connect with the gods.
Worship in matriarchal religion is joyful and enjoyable, as it is believed that the divinity is present in the universe and everything people do is potentially sacred. In contrast, worship in patriarchal religion is often characterized by strict rules and the threat of punishment for wrong deeds. The main focus of patriarchal religion is on serving God and maintaining order and norms of conduct in society. Personal spirituality is a more recent phenomenon in patriarchal religion.
In conclusion, matriarchy and patriarchy are two distinct social systems that have shaped the way societies have functioned throughout history. Both systems differ significantly in their beliefs, values, and roles for women and men. By looking at these differences we can debunk the myth that matriarchy is just a gender flip script of patriarchy. With the historical examples we can say matriarchies are way more egalitarian and equal between genders and races than any patriarchy ever existed. Even studies have shown that women are more likely to think collectively when making decisions than their male counterparts. So it's clear that it's relatively much easier for us to achieve equality in a matriarchy than in a patriarchy.
So how can we build a matriarchy? Is it even possible? Yes but it wont come out without our effort. Bringing awareness on these matters and educating people must be the first step. Empowering women and helping them to gain more educational and economical opportunities should be our primary focuses. That way, we can encourage more young women to get into leadership positions in social, corporate and government levels. So let's help this movement to be a mainstream discussion and progress our way to a more equal and liberal society.
