How Patriarchy is Rooted in the Indian Culture and Mentality
Patriarchy can be defined as a social system in which men who hold primary power are predominant in roles of social privilege, political leadership, moral authority and control of property. They are also considered to hold power in the province of the family as a fatherly figure.
Most of the Patriarchal societies are also considered to be patrilineal which means that the male descents inherit the property and title. Historically patriarchy has exhibited itself in legal, social, political and economic organisation. The analysis of patriarchy and its effects is a major topic within the social sciences and humanities.
More About Patriarchy
Indian wrangles on patriarchy are complicated by an important shift in the analysis. The substance of research was not just capitalism and its correlation with patriarchy.
Patriarchy was widely discussed in context of the ideologies of production and reproduction related to the Indian realities. A part of this was supposedly understood in terms of the family, household and cultures, in other words, culture and religion, kinship and caste.
Patriarchy- A Wider Picture
Now coming to a broader picture, India is one of the countries where the male female ratio is far from equality. The female population is less than the proportion of the male population. Kerala is the only state in India where the overall sex ratio is constantly in favour of women.
Women form about half of the population of the country but their situation has been aloof. For centuries they have been denied growth opportunities in the name of socio-cultural practices and religion. Social institutions and religious traditions have a deep bearing on the status of women in India.
The Patriarchal Nature of Indian Society
A woman in our society has been a victim of humiliation and torture. Men predominate the society; hence women are often considered to be a victim of male domination in every sphere of life. The most important ones include- Financial freedom, economic prospects, use of resources and utilization of one’s earnings on oneself.
In the Indian society, there’s a preconceived notion that males are breadwinners and women are homemakers which itself is a result of patriarchal norms.
It’s sad but true that we live in a society where our everyday behaviors, emotions and thoughts are shaped by patriarchal notions that prevail in the structure of society.
A woman at every stage of her life is subjected to the iniquity of the predominantly male society. Patriarchy is prevalent globally but still many of its strands are undermined by society. In Indian Society in particular, the patriarchy values and standards are more or less a result of a caste and religion.
Normalisation and Socialization of Patriarchy
Socialization is the process of internalizing the standards and ideologies of society. The socialization process forms the basis of the normalization of patriarchy in society. Socialisation occurs at two levels- primary and secondary.
Socialization is the process of internalizing the standards and ideologies of society. The socialization process forms the basis of the normalization of patriarchy in society. Socialisation occurs at two levels- primary and secondary.
In primary socialization, a child accepts and learns the values, actions, attitudes appropriate to individuals as members of a particular culture.
For e.g. If a child sees their mother practicing hatred towards anybody, the child may think this behavior is acceptable and could continue to practice hatred for everyone.
Secondary socialization refers to the process of what is the appropriate behavior as a member of the smaller group within the larger society. It usually takes place outside the home. Individuals learn how to act appropriately in a situation.
The Chain of Transmission
Social processes involving the process of socialisation both primary and secondary should undergo a significant change in their approaches of socialising the new generation.
Socialising by many institutions is influenced by various patriarchal norms of the society.
Identifying these patriarchal norms in the institutions and replacing them with egalitarian values will end the patriarchal chain in our society.
What Next?
Upon concluding it can be understood that a change is needed and a permanent social change is in the hands of the future generation. The responsibility of young adults should include telling children to be men or women and not act as men or women.
Written by- Sanjana Emani
Edited by- Isha Singh
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