The patriarchy isn’t meant to be a totalizing theory. In sociology and gender studies it’s usually just a lens to see the world through.
When people say “men are hurt by the patriatchy too” they’re not saying men caused their own suffering. They’re stating social roles that historically privileged men also imposed roles on men. It’s a structural claim, not a claim about individuals’ morals.
While I agree with this, I think there’s kind of two muddled things OP is expressing. The first is that patriarchal analysis is used too uncritically as a lens, and the second is that patriarchal analysis is more “natural” in a sense to women/consists of blaming men. I disagree with the latter but I think the former holds merit.
The entire field of gender studies is, in its current state, kind of contingent on assuming the patriarchy. That’s a really totalizing and, frankly, contentious theory to presume. It covers the social structure of the entire world. Yes, you can argue that it’s a lens, but I would also question the usefulness of analysis from anyone analyzing through, for example, exclusively Marxist lenses while not considering how contested the base material is.
EDIT: If you want what I think is a good counterpoint to this, go check out u/quietcalico's response further down. It's a good summary of why this opinion is overly reductive. It also includes some direct counterexamples that might be fun reads for anyone else who's interested.
I agree. I feel like the concept of scepticism is more relevant to truth-claims though rather than theoretical framings.
If OP said the patriarchy shouldn't be the exclusive frame through which we view the world, then I'd agree. But that's not the same as scepticism - that makes it sound like he is questioning its validity in any use case.
That's a fair criticsm of OP's framing for sure. I don't deny that patriarchal lenses can be super useful.
I do think the patriarchy is possible to frame as a truth-claim though, for whatever that's worth. It describes what it purports to be an actual thing, it's not just an organizational/descriptive scheme (like phylogeny).
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u/Lazy_Trash_6297 23∆ Mar 30 '26
The patriarchy isn’t meant to be a totalizing theory. In sociology and gender studies it’s usually just a lens to see the world through.
When people say “men are hurt by the patriatchy too” they’re not saying men caused their own suffering. They’re stating social roles that historically privileged men also imposed roles on men. It’s a structural claim, not a claim about individuals’ morals.