Just an article I wrote for the school paper about the concept of patriarchy. This issue is our gender-themed issue so I got kind of excited.

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My sociology textbook defines patriarchy as “a place historically designed for the convenience of men, and structured according to rules that men find comfortable.” In keeping with this definition, many feminists will tell you that the patriarchy is by men, for men - it is a tool used by males to oppress females. This is incorrect. Patriarchy does exist, but not by this definition.
    First of all, let us tackle the idea that patriarchy is by men - that it was “historically designed” for their convenience. This notion is illogical because it is impossible. Men did not have some secret conference in the bowels of the Earth thousands of years ago in order to coordinate a massive launch of “the patriarchy”. Patriarchy evolved naturally across the globe - and exists in several different species, none of which have the intellectual capacity to purposely oppress women for their own gain.
    In tracing the origins of patriarchy, we must consider the most significant difference between men and women - reproduction. Only women can become pregnant and breastfeed. Historically, men were the ones hunting because they were not constantly pregnant or nursing a child, because they were more disposable (one man can impregnate several women) and because they were physically stronger. Women remained close to home because it was safer for them and the children. The system evolved naturally, because it makes evolutionary sense to maximize reproduction. It was not created by men.
    The second, more important, idea, is that the patriarchy benefits men and oppresses women. The patriarchy is actually a gender binary system in which both men and women are forced into narrow gender roles. For every woman who is forced into a submissive role, there is a man being forced into a dominant role. Women are told to be beautiful; men are told to be successful. The key is that both genders lose out.
    So, why is the feminist concept of patriarchy problematic? It results in a one-sided fight for gender equality. Feminists fought for women to have the right to fight in the army and defend their country, which I believe is a right they should share with men. However, feminism ignored that in several countries, men are forced to serve in the army. Conscription has been employed several times in the US and Canada - yet this is never perceived as a gender issue. Just like the confinement of women to the private sphere, the idea of the disposable male is rooted in human history and evolution, but heavily outdated. Feminists do not fight for it because they are largely unable to understand that the patriarchy does not exclusively benefit men; how could men possibly be suffering from inequality? I think that patriarchy (like feminism) is in need of a new name, but most importantly, a new definition. It is a naturally-occurring but outdated system of gender binaries that forces men and women into narrow roles based on sex.