Origins of Human Society and the Creation of Patriarchy

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Origins of Human Society and the Creation of
Patriarchy
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Characteristics of Humans Compared to other
primates

• Large heads and brains
• Bipedal walking
• Opposing thumbs for tool use
• Small pelvises difficulty in childbirth
• Prolonged infancy and vulnerability of the child

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In early human societies

• Life expectancy was in the 30s.
• Acquisition of goods was minimal
• Life was precarious
• Death could come at any time from disease,
  famine, drought, other natural disaster
• In the face of such stress, small human groups
  migrated, invaded the territory of neighbors, and
  developed the practice of war
• The most valuable commodities were other humans

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Human Society Timeline

• 3 million BCE (before common era) Hominids
  evolve from primates
• 100,000 BCE Paleolithic Era
• 9,000-7,000 BCE Neolithic Era
• Small hunter/gather societies
• 6,000 BCE Villages
• 4,000 BCE Towns and cities develop.
• 3,000 BCE City states and empires
• 0 Birth of Christ
• 2,000 CE (common era) or AD (anno domini)

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World Population 1000 BCE to Present
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World Population, 1750 - 2150
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Origins of Western Civilization Ancient
Mesopotamia
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Mesopotamia with Modern States
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Mesopotamia with Modern States
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Mother Goddess Image

• What does she represent?
• And how does this image relate to the pervasive
  historical evidence of misogyny, the hatred or
  strong prejudice against women.

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The Venus of Willendorf (European)

• What does she represent?
• And how does this image relate to the pervasive
  historical evidence of misogyny, the hatred or
  strong prejudice against women.

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Theories of Patriarchy

• Patriarchy is the theory that men should be
  dominant over women.
• Theories
• Traditionalist
• Marxist of Economic
• Maternalist or matriarchal
• A working hypothesis..

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More terms

• Matriarchy is the theory that women should be
  dominant over men.
• Patrilineal lineage is accounted through the
  male line.
• Matrilineal lineage is accounted through the
  female line.
• Paternalist/Maternalist authority derives from
  the power of fatherhood or motherhood.

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Traditionalist Theories of Patriarchy

• Religious Male dominance is God given.
• Biological determinist Man is the hunter and
  dominates.
• Others
• Darwinian or Sociobiology
• Freudian biology is destiny

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Economic Theories of Patriarchy

• Marxist theorist Friedrich Engels Women become
  mens property.
• Anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss
  civilizations manage social relations through the
  traffic in women or the exchange of women.

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Maternalist or Matriarchal Theories

• 19th century theorist, Bachofen hypothesized
  Matriarchal society preceded patriarchal society
  in historical time.
• Suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton theorized that
  maternalist or mother centered societies
  existed in some Native American tribes.

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Mother Goddess Image
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Mother Goddess Catal Huyuk (modern Turkey)
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A Working Hypothesis

• There are no known matriarchal human societies.
• Matrilineal societies give way to patrilineal
  societies in historical time
• But
• To paraphrase Freud biology was once destiny.
  Is it any longer?