Men and Patriarchy by Jorge Paneque

  
            Patriarchy has been at the helm of society since its inception. Cavemen would hunt while their female counterparts would gather food. In a patriarchal society, women are always the ones to “help” men when in reality they are actually being taken advantage by men. Men are viewed as the dominant power against women in many ways. However, society chooses to turn a blind eye to issue, despite the fact that this problem is clearly present. Patriarchy is a relevant issue even through art. For instance, the “male gaze” in art represented the idea that a woman is symbolically an object of entertainment being “surveyed” by men who act as the “surveyors.” They enjoy the sight of women for their own pleasure. Speaking truthfully as a man myself, I was unfamiliar with the concept of patriarchy, but with further education on the subject of “patriarchy,” I view it as a crime.

Tamar and Judah (Holy Bible, Old Testament, Genesis 38:16) 1667 by Arent de Gelder 

   Bell Hooks’ “The Will to Change,” depicts a story about a female nurtured in a patriarchal society. Bell Hooks describe patriarchy as male dominance while the women remain weak. Hooks explains patriarchy as a form of psychological terrorism and violence towards women. Although Hooks is nurtured in a patriarchal house, she challenges patriarchy in many ways because it was a system that was leaving her out. For instance, when she wanted to play marbles with her brother, her father punished her for wanting to play with marbles because it was a “boy’s game.” Hooks’ fervent resistance caused her to be beaten up by her father and left in the dark. Even though she had a mother, her mother did not come to her defense, and instead reprimanded, “I tried to warn you. You need to accept that you are just a little girl and girls can’t do what boys do.” If I were to be in Hooks’ shoes, even as a male, I feel that this is both unacceptable and frightening. To be oppressed by someone else’s ideology that one gender is not suited for the activities associated with the opposite gender is nonsensical.

             “Citizens in this nation fear challenging patriarchy even as they lack overt awareness that they are fearful, so deeply embedded in our collective unconscious are the rules of patriarchy…if you told them we can only stop male violence against women by ending male domination, by eradicating patriarchy, they would begin to hesitate, to change their position.” This demonstrates that although men recognize the problem of patriarchy, they are unwilling to step down “the throne.” As a male myself, although this throne that I am not fully aware of is satisfying, I cannot help but feel guilt-ridden as well. If the only way to end patriarchy is to end male dominance, this is also a disadvantage to myself if women were to rule. What we need is equality between both genders.

              In “male gaze,” women are objects of pleasure while men take pleasure in them. While it is inherently in men’s curious nature to lust at the sight of women, at the same time, for women it is very degrading to be an object instead of being viewed as a person, and being measured in that regard. The male gaze art form is shown everywhere we see any art. It is in painting, advertisements, commercials, pornography, television, etc.

“One might simplify this by saying: men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only the relations between men and women but also the relation of women to themselves. The surveyor in herself is a male: the surveyed female. Thus, she turns herself into an object and most particularly an object of vision: a sight.”

Although women voluntarily participate in these art forms, they still do feel a sense of violation. If a male were to take pleasure in looking at me, I would also feel a sense of violation as a male myself. Throughout history, males’ paintings portray females provocatively and or naked. For instance, The Renaissance painting “The Birth of Venus” depicts Venus nude.

Sandro Botticelli, The Birth Of Venus, 1485, Florence

 Becoming more aware of the prevalence of patriarchy, it makes me feel as though being a male in a patriarch society is a crime. What we want to look at can be an injustice towards women, what we take pleasure in can make us feel like animals. Admiration can become lust. I do not believe that it is totally a wrongdoing to take pleasure in what we see as beauty. However, it is wrong if a woman is forced to be a subject of desire. Women should be free to do what they want as well as what they choose not to do. Everything should be equal and voluntary. It is not wrong to be born a woman or man. It is wrong when a person is taken advantage of.

This link shows several pictures of how women were used as sex objects. http://the-toast.net/2015/02/10/women-inexpertly-groped-western-art-history/

Word cited 

Berger, J. (1973). Ways of Seeing (pp. 45-64). London: British Broadcasting Corporation.

Hooks, B. (2004). Understanding Patriarchy. In The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love (pp.17-33). New York: Atria Books.