Patriarchy Is Socially Constructed

Question 1

Point of agreement: patriarchy is socially constructed

Answer 1

All feminists strands fundamentally agree that patriarchy is a socially constructed system of male dominance that has historically marginalised women in political, economic and social spheres. They share the belief that dismantling this system is essential to achieving true gender equality and eradicating the oppression that is experienced by women.

Question 2

Liberal feminists

Answer 2

Liberal feminists, influenced by thinkers like Mary Wollstonecraft and Betty Friedan, emphasise that legal and institutional reforms are necessary to eliminate systemic barriers to women’s rights. They agree with other feminists that patriarchy is an unjust system that restricts women’s opportunities that impede their ability to realise their full potential like their equal counterparts, men, even if they focus on change through policy and legal frameworks.

Mary Wollstonecraft argued that patriarchy is not a natural order but a product of social conditioning, where women are denied education and agency to keep them subservient.

📘 A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)

In this book, she argues that:
• The patriarchy is socially constructed, not divinely ordained or biologically justified.
• Women appear inferior only because society has denied them education and independence.
• She calls for equal education and moral development for women, insisting they are as rational as men.

She is often considered a foundational figure in feminist philosophy, laying the intellectual groundwork for future debates on gender equality.

Question 3

Socialist feminists

Answer 3

Socialists feminists also recognise patriarchy as a key force of oppression, particularly in how it intersects with capitalism to exploit women’s labour. While their emphasis on economic restructuring differs from liberal feminists, they share the belief that patriarchal structures must be dismantled to achieve gender equality- for women to escape the oppressive relegation to subordinate positions in society.

Question 4

Radical feminists

Answer 4

Radical feminists, including figures like Kate Millett who played a crucial role in illuminating domestic violence as a systemic force exerted from a patriarchal system, argue that patriarchy is embedded in all aspects of society, from institutions to personal relationships. While they advocate for more fundamental transformation, they align with other feminists in viewing patriarchy as a constructed system that must be challenged to ensure women’s liberation.

Question 5

Conclusion

Answer 5

Despite their differing approaches, all feminist strands converge on the recognition that patriarchy is not a natural or inevitable structure, but a socially imposed system that has socially conditioned women from birth that must be challenged. Their shared commitment to eradicating systemic gender inequality, whether through legal reform, economic restructuring, or radical transformation, unites them in the broader feminist movement.

Question 6

Introduction

Answer 6

Overall, patriarchy is understood in the same way across different strands of feminism to a limited extent. While all feminists broadly converge on the idea that the patriarchy is a socially constructed feature of society that both perpetuates and sustains gender inequality and relegates women in positions of subordination to their male counterparts, they fundamentally diverge to where about patriarchy spawns from and by which means it should be dismantled. While liberal feminists focus on the idea that patriarchy grows and operates in the public sphere and thus eroded via legal reforms, social feminists perceive patriarchy as one that operates in tandem with the capitalist system. In contrast, radical feminists rejects both liberal and social perspectives and present the patriarchy as a force in which oppresses women in all aspects of their life.