Patriarchy is a 2007 book by V. Geetha, an academic activist and author on the subject of patriarchy in India. The book, written from the female perspective, is part of the "Theorizing Feminism" series published by Stree (an imprint of Bhatkal and Sen)and first book on patriarchy in 1680 was written by sir Robert filmer.[1] Three editions have been published.[2]

Patriarchy
AuthorV. Geetha
LanguageEnglish
GenreAcademic
Published2007
PublisherStree
Publication placeIndia
ISBN9788185604466
OCLC154204766

Background

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In India, patriarchy disrupts women's lives. According to Geetha,[3] "Sexual violence has been blamed on a patriarchal backlash where the term 'patriarchy' is often synonymous with 'tradition'".[4] Feminism has a long tradition of examining the concept of patriarchy,[5] and the book attempts to demonstrate that the nature, effect, and meanings of male authority and power can only be understood through the idea of patriarchy.[6]

Description

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Patriarchy introduces readers to concepts in feminist theory involving patriarchy. According to Geetha, "The book does not propound a theory of patriarchy; rather, it points to those areas of reality and traditions of knowledge that we might need to draw upon to define patriarchy. It indicates the need for theory-making, and shows how this may be done. Its intent is fundamentally pedagogical and is a beginners' text to help the reader consider patriarchy in all its aspects".[7]

She describes how knowledge about patriarchy cannot be easily separated from the feminist desire to generate such knowledge:[8] "By understanding patriarchy, the notions of production and reproduction are important concepts". Geetha highlights unique aspects of Indian society, such as kinship structures and the caste system,[9] to better understand patriarchy. According to the author, "A woman's identity as a citizen and rights to equality are undercut by the fact of their gender".[1]

Geetha theorizes that patriarchal power "is not merely coercive ... Cultural and sexual norms constitute the everyday exercise of patriarchal power".[10] She also writes, "Sexuality is a crucial link between caste and gender, so that marriage and sexual rules are not only set by caste, but also the notions of right pleasure are defined by it."[11][12]

Academic use

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Patriarchy has been widely cited in books and papers about feminism and gender studies, especially relative to India,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19] and has been used at the university level.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b Swaminathan, Padmini (2 January 2008). "Patriarchy Through the Feminist Lens". The Hindu. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  2. ^ Patriarchy listing on WorldCat. OCLC. OCLC 154204766.
  3. ^ "Women's Situation in India". Saarthak. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  4. ^ Virmani, Priya (17 June 2014). "Sexual Violence in India is a Patriarchal Backlash That Must Be Stopped". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  5. ^ German, Lindsey (1981). "Theories of Patriarchy". International Socialism (12). Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  6. ^ V.Geetha. (2007).patriarchy. theorizing feminism. series editor Maithreyi Krishnaraj. Kolkata:Mandira Sen for STREE. page 203
  7. ^ V.Geetha. (2007).patriarchy. theorizing feminism. series editor Maithreyi Krishnaraj. Kolkata:Mandira Sen for STREE. page 3
  8. ^ V.Geetha. (2007).patriarchy. theorizing feminism. series editor Maithreyi Krishnaraj. Kolkata:Mandira Sen for STREE. page 4- 61
  9. ^ V.Geetha. (2007).patriarchy. theorizing feminism. series editor Maithreyi Krishnaraj. Kolkata:Mandira Sen for STREE. page 61-131
  10. ^ V.Geetha. (2007).patriarchy. theorizing feminism. series editor Maithreyi Krishnaraj. Kolkata:Mandira Sen for STREE. page 131- 203
  11. ^ V.Geetha. (2007).patriarchy. theorizing feminism. series editor Maithreyi Krishnaraj. Kolkata:Mandira Sen for STREE. page 204
  12. ^ Mahajan, PT; Pimple, P; Palsetia, D; Dave, N; De Sousa, A (2013). "Indian religious concepts on sexuality and marriage". Indian J Psychiatry. 55 (6): S256–62. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.105547. PMC 3705692. PMID 23858264.
  13. ^ Khalakdina, Margaret (2011). Human Development in the Indian Context, Volume II: A Socio-Cultural Focus. Sage Publications India Pvt Ltd. p. 143. ISBN 9788132105817.
  14. ^ Keenan, James F. (2014). Feminist Catholic Theological Ethics: Conversations in the World Church. Orbis Books. ISBN 9781626980785.
  15. ^ Heyer, Judith (2011). "Dalit Women Becoming 'Housewives': Lessons from the Tiruppur Region" (PDF). Conference on Mobility or Marginalisation. Oxford University. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  16. ^ Bhattacharyya, Moumita Ghosh (2011). "Gender and Discrimination: The Case of the Rajbanshi Women". Voice of Dalit. 4 (2). doi:10.1177/0974354520110208. S2CID 148889973. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  17. ^ Dimri, Jaiwanti (2012). Images and Representation of the Rural Woman: A Study of the Selected Novels of Indian Women Writers. Indian Institute of Advanced Study. ISBN 9788179860946.
  18. ^ Sreenivas, Deepa (2015-06-01). "Between Politics and Discipline: Gender Studies in an Institutional Setting". Indian Journal of Gender Studies. 22 (2): 265–281. doi:10.1177/0971521515574607. ISSN 0971-5215. S2CID 147010437.
  19. ^ Heyer, Judith (2014). "Dalit Women Becoming 'Housewives'". In Still, Clarinda (ed.). Dalits in Neoliberal India: Mobility or Mrginalisation?. Routledge. p. 210. ISBN 9781138020245.
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