Is Patriarchy Natural? What DNA and History tell us
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- čas přidán 5. 06. 2024
- Scientists and scholars have long debated the origins of patriarchy and asked the question: Is patriarchy… natural?
Watch the video above to discover evidence from DNA and history on both sides of the debate.
Subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications (🔔) so you don't miss any videos: / @breakingdownpatriarchy
- Video Chapters -
0:00 Intro
0:20 What We Learn from DNA
1:57 Influences from Earliest Ancestors
2:36 Earliest Social Structures of Homosapiens
3:24 Misconceptions About Hunter-Gatherers
4:16 Early Egalitarian Societies
5:30 Representations of Women
6:50 Spiritual Goddess Movement
8:25 Riane Eisler on Partnership Cultures
10:37 Dominator Cultures
12:20 What the Evidence Tells Us
Sources and further reading from this video:
“The Creation of Patriarchy” by Gerna Lerner
“When God Was a Woman” by Merlin Stone
“The Chalice and the Blade” by Riane Eisler
“The Living Goddesses” by Marija Gimbutas
The Exchange of Women Theory by Claude Levi-Strauss
United Nations Data
Interview with Riane Eisler
Certain art and images featured in this video were generated using Midjourney, a generative AI platform, for educational purposes. We acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of Midjourney to the creation of these visuals.
Get access to more details about the Breaking Down Patriarchy Project over at breakingdownpatriarchy.com/
We made a video about the foundations of patriarchy - check it out: • Foundations of Patriar...
About:
Amy McPhie Allebest is a scholar, historian, writer, and independent podcast host. Allebest began the Breaking Down Patriarchy project during her master’s program at Stanford University in 2020. Her studies there served as the catalyst for the project and podcast. In addition to the project, Allebest is best known for her viral 2016 Medium article titled “Dear Mormon Man, Tell Me What You Would Do.” Link to article: mormondom.com/letter-to-a-mor...
The Breaking Down Patriarchy project uses essential historical texts to better understand the origins of patriarchy and to deconstruct its unjust effects on our minds, relationships, and communities. The project envisions a world in which all human beings are able to flourish and reach their unique potential. We strive to include as many voices as possible, and our work is intersectional and inclusive. We are also firmly committed to the well-being of boys and men, and we enthusiastically and gratefully enlist the help of our non-female allies in creating an egalitarian world where everyone can thrive.
-- Where To Find Us -
Instagram: / bdownpatriarchy
Tiktok: / breakingdownpatriarchy
Facebook: / breakingdownpatriarchy
I love that you added, "disease is natural." Natural does not necessarily mean good in food sources or societal structures. However, since humans seem to use "natural" as a justification for many things, it's good to question the assumption. I love Riane Eisler. Thanks for making this available!
Except that she is trying to make a point about the value of natural states of mind in the respective genders of our species through analogy with the naturalness of diseases, which have nothing to do with any state of mind. Bad analogy.
I’d never heard of partnership culture, but it’s really beautiful to think about. I’d like to think that our current questioning of gender can lead us closer to this again.
That bit about the ancient hunter is so fascinating! So much of our research is clearly influenced in ways by the biases we have inherited and it is so important to be curious and question our assumptions.
So true!! I was so touched by hearing the hunter was a woman because I had never thought of myself as a woman capable of something like that. So silly, but just an example of how deeply ingrained these ideas are.
Many women go hunting today, so why not?
@@marti8053 that’s true! I just always pictured ancient women differently and not being on equal footing with men
I think this sort of thing is super important to contemplate, how so much of what we have, we assume there is some grand logic to it, "it's our human nature", "it's what God determined", when it's probably mostly just historical accidents compounding on themselves from being part of this large chaotic system
Also Riane Eilser is so stunning and eloquent!
In Celtic lore, it's said "the fall from the garden of Eden" was an occurence marking when society went from a Matriarchy to a Patriarchy.
The celts believed in the Adam and Eve garden of Eden story???
They're still matriarchal, underneath .
It's obvious as they admire strong women ❤
I like that, and it makes perfect sense!
I love that! I wonder if there are similitudes between celtics and basques. Basques' pantheon primarily had the goddess Mari as the supreme one.
Egalitarianism will supply balance to the Earth!
BS. Satan is lier he will just rob your soul make you impoverished under the name of Egalitarianism. Egalitarianism is satanic myth God created hierarchical world.
GOD
MEN
women
children
Egalitarinism isn't actually truly possible. Because a patriarchy is inevitable.
Men are the ones that gives rights, protects your rights and takes away rights from people who violate the law.
A female judge don't enforce laws. They give a sentence. They don't force you in handcuffs, places you in a cell with force, and keeps you there with force.
If a man was arrested for taking you hostage what keeps him in the court room and not just walk out?
And what keeps him in a prison cell and preventing him from escaping?
It's all men who take away rights from other men for violating your rights which was given to you by men and protected by men. Thats why Egalitarianism is an illusion because it always needs men to enforce it for it to exist which makes it a patriarchy.
For Womens rights to exist they need to appreal to men to protect those rights which were given to them by men.
So women need to appeal to a patriarchy enforcement arm in order to have rights which means womens rights doesn't actually exist without a patriarchy to enforce it.
I would imagine that each society has its own system of patriarchy or matriarchy. Matriarchy seems to be more natural to me.
Real power historically was determined by military power, a perfect equitable society could be overthrown easily by a vicious patriarchy - of men who conquered. Societies would have to organize their own men for physical defense, women were too biologically valuable to risk being killed in combat, men were typically not.
Someone who thinks?
@@chosen8843Koryos🦁🦁💪💪. Vratyas in vedas, ulfhednar in Norse, krypteia in Greek, naked warriors of Celts(attested historically) harii in Germanic and wastyrgi in iranic mythology. Along with these there are archaeological evidence of wolf sacrifices and horse sacrifices indicating that this did happen.
This was a very insightful video. I appreciate your research into evidence of partnership cultures but also framing the question of patriarchy as ultimately a choice, not predetermined. Btw - I saw you used a lot of art to illustrate this video and it's quite beautiful. In the age of AI, I think it's important to cite the sources of your art, human or AI. For future videos, please be sure to share the artists info too, thanks!
I read a book - The Alphabet Versus The Goddess by Leonard Shlain (Dr), his hypotheses is that the creation & spread of writing created some demonstratable changes in the human brain that encouraged the shift from partnership to physical dominance ... its very interesting & well researched. Its also from 1998, sooo... maybe theres updates, but still interesting. Especially as we are switching from reading to watching.
We may not confuse matrilineal society with matriarcal The ancient Elamites culture was matrilineal but they were a warlike mostly male dominated culture! In European neolitic cultures there is more traces of violent death than among the first Indo-Europeans who Yamnaya and Corded cultures who replace them replace them.
Good note
Roman women didn't even get to have their own names; they just had the Fem version of the family name, followed by a number indicating their birth order. Seems pretty patriarchal and dominating to me.
If patriarchy were simply natural to humans, no one would have to argue for it, or at least arguments against it would seem fringe and absurd. The evidence that patriarchy is not our nature is that, even looking at modern society, an alien anthropologist would not find a straightforward patriarchy. Not an exactly egalitarian society, but not exactly a patriarchy either. A society in which men and women share most jobs, with some but not complete division of labour, where women have property rights, sexual and reproductive rights, and can be political leaders, is quite different from ancient societies where women were close to property. The most patriarchal societies today are desperately poor, and those that remain more patriarchal have opened up to women's rights significantly. It is not all progress and perfection, but if we consider modern society, advocates for the naturalness of patriarchy are forced into claiming there is something quite unnatural about modernity. True though that may be, it only implies that human nature, at least as it is typified by past societies, is not something that must remain unchanged throughout all history.
The societies which go away from patrichy because they become more developed then other patrichal societies they don't become more developed because of women right they become developed first then women rights came. Femnism can only exist in comfortable environment
Nobody complains, just some blue head feminists in the west.
I love the response to patriarchy being the way it's always been (so it's natural), doesn't mean it's a good thing we shouldn't try to eradicate - just like disease.
Wowow i’ve just come across your channel!! Thankyou so much for your work! Such great clearly explained videos! I’ll be sharing them with everyone i know 💗💗
Masculine and feminine energies are so different but THRIVE when working in harmony, bringing out each others beautiful purpose. I believe men and women are equal in importance but are not the same. When women and mothers can be honored and revered in society at the same level as men, I believe we will all heal. ❤
You must be a man. Stop viewing women as wombs and mothers. We’re far more than that. We also don’t need men to protect, build, hunt, or defend us. We can do that on purpose own. When men are in tune with woman, it’s a beautiful thing.
@@persephone342lol yes you do. You're just straight up wrong.
Could it be that a matriachy doesnt function as a heirachy but as interdependant equality ...look at the Bobono ...there is one wise one but she doesnt get extra doo das ...everyone knows her and she can be approached at any time . I enjoyed Gadon , "once and future goddess " a book of art .
You've laid your curiosity out so clearly here. The clapping bonobo might be my soul primate sister 👏👏👏 Excellent work, Amy! Here's to hoping for a partnership future!
Sister? You might want to take a closer look: 1:41 😉
Might makes right is a very common and natural form of social organization. That doesn’t make it the only, or the best one.
this is my new favourite channel! keep up the amazing work
Very awesome video. Love the idea of this "partnership" culture. I find both matriarchy and patriarchy lame and stupid. I can 100% get behind the concept of partnership cultures.
So fascinating! Thank you so much for your thoughtful research!! I am excited to share these episodes with my children.
Just a note on pronunciation of Çatal Huyuk, the Ç is an "sh" sound, rather than a hard "k" sound.
Great point at the end. A lot of people use the appeal to nature fallacy to argue against things they don’t understand, like gmos. But gmos are what gives us higher yields, more drought resistant plants, and more nutritious food.
This is so intriguing! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
So well done! Really insightful content presented so clearly and with intellectual integrity. Love it!
Excellent. Keep it up!
It is worth noting that lots of relatively egalitarian societies coexisted with (patriarchal) civilizations that have left written records all over history. Just two centuries ago, a third of all humans were gatherer-hunters. Just because they haven't left writing behind we don't have to act like they weren't there.
I recommend the book "Against the Grain", by James C. Scott.
Fascinating! This is a great series.
Chimpanzees vs Bonobos is so interesting.
So great to see your shining face and bright energy on camera! So thrilled you are doing this! Go team Bonobo!
The research regarding the nonviolence within Bonobo societies is outdated. I cannot post a link in this comment section, but the title of the 2024 study I'm referring to is: "Differences in expression of male aggression between wild bonobos and chimpanzees".
Nice video. I read DNA in its title, but I think I missed that part while watching. Neanderthal Y-chromosome DNA in Siberian finds seems to have been much less diverse than maternal mitochondrial DNA at the same finds, suggesting that the men stayed put over longer periods / generation, whereas the women moved around, possibly being married off to more remote groups. This suggests at least a patrilocal family organisation, if not necessarily an actual patriarchal hierarchy (Lauritz Skov, Berkeley I think). Can you perhaps comment on this?
Looking forward to more.
Thomas in Finland
What school history taught me is that patriarchy is all there is.
What my cultural anthropology history taught me is that patriarchy has been erasing the legacy of matriarchies around the world since the european colonization of the world started 500 years ago.
I hope that on your podcast you will discuss the scholarship of Riane Eisler, Marija Gimbutas, Germaine Greer, and others. It's not true that all societies have always been led by men. There have been matriarchal or egalitarian societies in history.
Great and interesting
Fan girling that you got to speak with Gerda Lerner!! Loved this concise, informative, well researched video. And I love that you answer this question with a question. It invites thoughtful conversation instead of argument, and wow do we ever need this type of approach if we are to communicate and connect and change.
If a group had a dearth of men AND a female was still in her prime but just not having children (medical?), why not put her to use as a hunter?
"Is Patriarchy Natural?"
All things are natural unless you propose aliens from Alpha Centauri imposed something of the sort.
Patriarchy appears normal, which means evolutionary adapted to temperate climates. Matriarchy such as at Samoa is an evolutionary adaptation where you might not know your father but you always know your mother.
This was super interesting. Thank you for doing this. You didn't mention current tribes that are matriarchal though. I'd like to know how and why those tribes exist.
Nice video. I wonder how the fact that most North American tribes were matriarchal before Europeans made them change by only dealing with men applies?
I sincerely doubt that. I would caution you not to generalize the Iroquois beyond the Iroquois.
I wouldn't call it "natural", but it clearly emerges organically. There are certain environmental conditions which promote its emergence. Human patriarchy was downstream from agriculture and animal husbandry. In as much as humans are in a position to have to compete scarce or limited resources, said competition will eventually play out as brute force. That type of ecological dynamic favors and empowers males. In the developed Western World we've built this wonderful civilized society where power is exercised in the form of: pen, paper, and politics - advantage women.
According to the Stanford professor Robert Sapolsky, one consistent behavior associated with the hormone testosterone in mammals is the impulse to dominate. Thats why men always seem to be in charge, regardless if thats what best. Thats why oppresive dictatorships are inherently masculine, and wars are started and fought by men predominantly. But that doesn't imply that those who seek dominance always get their way, or that this this model is whats best suited for the environment we are currently in.
Is it possible the advent of religion, modern religion, is partially responsible for the shift from partnership societies?
Yes
They didn't have young punks with nothing better to do that entitle themselves to others' lives, personal business, and even property and bodies, as consumables.
We have an intellect ,( left brain ) and a soul (right brain ) each brain has characteristics that are both positive and negative .....dominators run a fear based culture ....and look how thats working for everyone . ...( putin ,jinping etc ) A right brain culture is love based equal ,for the good of all AND a healthy environment . ...After the 2000s people are being birn with both brains equal neither dominating ....i call it empowerment ...i had to live around only women on the land before another way became evident ..and i wasnt thinking with a bias ...i like a book called " a once and future goddess " by Gadon ....we had layers to society but nit heirachy ,nir self importance ...bobono survive because food is plentiful ,when food is scarce thats when domination comes to the fore ..eg ice age and meat eaters .o bloods .
You put together an excellent video, which I enjoyed. Now, Im going to offer my 2 cents Lol
It's no longer considered wise to view archeology and anthropology using a strictly linear lens. There are too many exceptions to the traditional linear view (and the categories it produced), which is largely used to support a particular worldview based on preconceived notions of ethnocentrism, racism, and sexism. This isn't to say a linear timeline of human progression doesn't offer a sort of "guide," but as David Graeber and David Wengrow point out in "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity," it's quite fallible and unreliable, and results in a narrow understanding.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We hope you continue to watch and interact with the content here.
yes
Does patriarchy involve "birthright *??
A society needs to have strong men to protect their women otherwise another society of strong men will come and take them by force. Strength and dominance go hand in hand, hence why men often end up dominant in society.
A strong independent woman can only exist because decent men respect her as an equal. Men with no respect for these social norms, usually outsiders, can shatter this state of equality by force if they are allowed to.
In a world that has guns now, this is no longer true
In a world that has gu.ns)(avoiding k3y word c3nsorsh!p), this is no longer true
The advent of new technology such as guns has made this dynamic somewhat obsolete
@goldfishfishgold. No, among other things, women are more susceptible to PTSD than men.
@@toddmcdaniels1567 that could be true but men also comm1t suic1d3 at a higher r4te. But really, it probably shouldn't be a whose the most fragile contest in the first place, right? Men and women can be stronger together, but it doesn't have to be because one of them is weak alone
I didn’t see any DNA evidence. I think this stuff about partnership societies is a bunch of hooey. We see women being more pictorially observable when they have more leverage in the realm of sexual selection. This happened commonly in sedentary agricultural societies. Far from this indicating egalitarianism, there were a small number of apex men who were on top. The rich versus poor disparity was accentuated by agricultural societies and minimized by hunter-gatherer societies. Poor women, though, were likely elevated in life prosperity by apex males who could support a multitude of women. Minoan society btw was Canaanite and like other Canaanite societies probably did egregious things like child sacrifice and the child sacrifice was probably gendered toward firstborn males, indicating a hierarchical relationship in gender (because of the inherent value placed on the sacrifice). There are also accounts of some of those Canaanite goddesses requiring compelled prostitution. In the undeniably hierarchical and patriarchal Indo-European cultures, we see sun worship associated with male gods, yet it is also occasionally associated with female gods, showing that even the gender of the deity worshipped is very limited as a diagnostic for patriarchy/matriarchy.
GOD is above nature. What GOD says becomes laws of nature.
It seems to me that most archeology is based on wishful thinking. If you actually look at history linearly societies get gradually less patriarchal as they get wealthier or progress, if anything the pre-civilization farming societies and hunter-gatherer societies were probably even more patriarchal to an extreme extent.
I bet you hate evolutionary psychology...
No evidence of war!!!
For a three dimensional account of how power works in chimp societies read chimpanzee politics. It pays no attention to patriarchal ( or feminist ) projection.
Being a three dimensional kind of a book it has something of interest to everybody because the world is innately interesting and we lose a lot of wonder if we try to find things we want to find . It's much more fun to let things find us
Can we please do something about the horrific gender inequality in Bonobo society?
HaHaha!
I bet Jordan Peterson HATES this😂!
Why us every statement a question? Too distracting to watch to the end.
Patriarchal societies succeeded, others failed.
A success for WHO?!😅😂😂😂😂
Clearly it was through brutality not intelligence
The absolute inability of men to grasp that patriarchy does them no favors either. I think men have a much harder time processing trauma because patriarchy so they just keep "gifting" it to women and it never goes away
@@ianimal36I have the same question
What does success mean?
Feminist con job.
Shocking take given your username. If you just lob insults but can’t support your position you only come off fragile and triggered.
@@ScottMcPhie You are the one triggered here. Not to mention your TDS issue. "Triggered" is a term specifically created for people just like you. Thank you for conforming the definition.
@@ScottMcPhieLOL True
Is feminism sane? No, not at all