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Hey, this is a psychology thread, so cause and effect are "right at home" here.
There is some evidence of chauvinism and misogyny on some sub-forums here. (The retorts from women could also be considered misandric, but that's not being evaluated here.) I don't know if it's just the eternal "battle of the sexes" but, assuming it's actually chauvinism and misogyny, what causes it? Are they different things or two sides of a coin?
Misogyny is cultural. Misogyny appeared on the human scene when societies changed from being matriarchal to patriarchal. Some say it was warfare that caused the switch. When warfare became necessary, societies became patriarchal because war for the most part needs to be organized and waged by men. The structure of society changes to support militarism. Patriarchal tribes, if mounted on horseback, can take over matriarchal ones, too. This happened in Tibet.
Misogyny is cultural. Misogyny appeared on the human scene when societies changed from being matriarchal to patriarchal. Some say it was warfare that caused the switch. When warfare became necessary, societies became patriarchal because war for the most part needs to be organized and waged by men. The structure of society changes to support militarism. Patriarchal tribes, if mounted on horseback, can take over matriarchal ones, too. This happened in Tibet.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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When people blame a whole group for their problems. Same thing that causes any kind of hatred of scape-goating of a group.
While a lot of patriarchal society is considered misogynist, I wouldn't say they are one and the same. I don't think patriarchal societies generally HATED women, they just had rigid or ignorant views about the female sex, which made it sometimes easier to hate them or blame them for things.
I think you hear so little about misandry in history because most historians were male, but there was probably more of it, in both matriarchal and patriarchal cultures, than you'd think.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by robertpolyglot
Is the US/Canada matriarchal or patriarchal?
I would say even now the US and Western culture in generally is pretty patriarchal. Heck even Feminism is constrained by this male-dominated way of looking at the world.
Within my own life I've experienced quite a bit of it myself. My dad had almost old world values/expectations for us that I felt were misogynistic. My mom I think even believed some of it herself, and let a lot of my dad's crap go unchecked.
Women can certainly expose their daughters to misogynistic messages. I'd like to think to the extent my mom did this, she truly didn't know any better, but who knows.
In my husband's family, I'd say the attitudes were much more relaxed, but there were times where I felt I wasn't allowed a voice, but didn't see the same sort of treatment towards the males.
Much of what is in the media can be construed as misogynistic. I grew up without cable and before the internet, and in some ways I think one could be exposed to many more messages that are misogynistic than one could years ago.
Things like growing up in a faith where women can't be part of the leadership, that was always a background meesage that was somewhat misogynistic for me. It is an issue I really struggled with, but ended up leaving this faith in part because of that.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fleur66
I'd agree that it is much of it is cultural.
Within my own life I've experienced quite a bit of it myself. My dad had almost old world values/expectations for us that I felt were misogynistic. My mom I think even believed some of it herself, and let a lot of my dad's crap go unchecked.
Women can certainly expose their daughters to misogynistic messages. I'd like to think to the extent my mom did this, she truly didn't know any better, but who knows.
In my husband's family, I'd say the attitudes were much more relaxed, but there were times where I felt I wasn't allowed a voice, but didn't see the same sort of treatment towards the males.
Much of what is in the media can be construed as misogynistic. I grew up without cable and before the internet, and in some ways I think one could be exposed to many more messages that are misogynistic than one could years ago.
Things like growing up in a faith where women can't be part of the leadership, that was always a background meesage that was somewhat misogynistic for me. It is an issue I really struggled with, but ended up leaving this faith in part because of that.
Sometimes what is considered chauvinistic/patriarchal and sexist varies from person to person.
Foot binding is often reviled as a pretty extreme example of the subjugation of female freedom and dignity for the 'pleasure' of men. However, it was women who bound feet, women who aspired to have the 'smallest feet.' Archaic relic from the past, or merely a more ancient form of high heels? Even many feminists happily wear heels and think nothing of it, let a lone would compare it to foot binding. But are they really that different? Both began as ways of making women more attractive to men by walking and looking a certain way, both cause health problems/deformities.etc and both are seen as signs of beauty and femininity.
Foot binding also took place in a time where women had very few rights. The woman who had sons as opposed to daughters had much more status.
I know a Palestinian Christian girl who, first, was pressured to get married. She got married. Then her sphere of acquaintances starting nagging her about children. So they had a couple of kids. She told me she felt relief that she had 2 boys, that way the Palestinian ladies would be off her back. This is in the New Millenium and occurred in the US. Unbelievable.
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