Notes: Family - Patriarchy & Sexual DOL | Sociology Mains Optional for UPSC 2024 PDF Download

 Page 1


 
Patriarchy & Sexual DOL 
Men achieve and Maintain social, cultural & eco. Dominance over females. Within 
& outside family) 
Patriarchy:  
Introduced by weber. But with a different meanings of rule exercised by father or 
male head.  
Otherwise, it means authority and dominance of males over various aspects of 
existence.  
It includes authority over both public + private spheres of Life.  
Sexual DOL: Segregation of work based on genders, where men are mostly given 
public roles & women are mostly given private (Domestic) roles.  
Why SDOL: (Theories)  
1. Socio Biologists: Biological reasons  
a) Difference in brains:  
Men     Women  
Spacio – visual skills   Developed Linguistic skills  
 Different talents to do different tasks.  
 Problem: No conclusive evidence  
b) Evolution: (Robin Fox)  
SDOL result of millions of years of adaptation.  
Men: Hunters | Women: Child bearing + rearing  
c) Difference in body types to do different tasks.  
Men more suited for outside, muscular tasks.  
2. Murdoch: Most convenient way of organising tasks. 250 societies.  
3. Parsons: Females more expressive. Do adult personality stabilisation.  
Delinquency studies: delinquency became of lack of motherly support.  
4. Feminist theories: criticising S.D.O.L. 
Jewe Bernard: criticises parsons.  
Not adult personality stabilisation but male personality stabilisation.  
Ann Oakley : criticised Mwdoch. With Mwdoch’s data.  
Incorrect to say women unsuitable for public tasks.  
India: Construction site workers mainly women  
Pygmy’s: No pest – natal dependence on men.  
Osrael: Large participation of women in army.  
.: SDOL socially created.  
Page 2


 
Patriarchy & Sexual DOL 
Men achieve and Maintain social, cultural & eco. Dominance over females. Within 
& outside family) 
Patriarchy:  
Introduced by weber. But with a different meanings of rule exercised by father or 
male head.  
Otherwise, it means authority and dominance of males over various aspects of 
existence.  
It includes authority over both public + private spheres of Life.  
Sexual DOL: Segregation of work based on genders, where men are mostly given 
public roles & women are mostly given private (Domestic) roles.  
Why SDOL: (Theories)  
1. Socio Biologists: Biological reasons  
a) Difference in brains:  
Men     Women  
Spacio – visual skills   Developed Linguistic skills  
 Different talents to do different tasks.  
 Problem: No conclusive evidence  
b) Evolution: (Robin Fox)  
SDOL result of millions of years of adaptation.  
Men: Hunters | Women: Child bearing + rearing  
c) Difference in body types to do different tasks.  
Men more suited for outside, muscular tasks.  
2. Murdoch: Most convenient way of organising tasks. 250 societies.  
3. Parsons: Females more expressive. Do adult personality stabilisation.  
Delinquency studies: delinquency became of lack of motherly support.  
4. Feminist theories: criticising S.D.O.L. 
Jewe Bernard: criticises parsons.  
Not adult personality stabilisation but male personality stabilisation.  
Ann Oakley : criticised Mwdoch. With Mwdoch’s data.  
Incorrect to say women unsuitable for public tasks.  
India: Construction site workers mainly women  
Pygmy’s: No pest – natal dependence on men.  
Osrael: Large participation of women in army.  
.: SDOL socially created.  
 
Margaret Mead: ‘Sex & Temperament’ Study on tribes of Rapna new guinea.  
Both men & women do equally sternsons tasks, have similar personalities, highly 
aggressive. 
At times, men are home loving.  
That is, a society exactly opposite to that found in west.  
Shneasmith Firestone: ‘Dialetics of Sex’  
Sexual inequality most fundamental inequality. Criticises Karl Marx for 
overlooking sexual inequality.  
Supported by Eichler that  
Because of SDOL women are confined to domestic sphere, their work is not even 
valued because it does not fetch any profits.  
Even if women work outside, still has to work at home,  
Double Exploitation. 
Also, 
Labour Market -> 2 types of Labour 
Primary     Secondary  
High Income     Low Income  
Promotions     Unstable work, Part time  
Prestige     Low status  
 
Dominated by men.    Confined to women.  
Firestone: This inequality some roots in Biology because women have to bear 
children, makes them dependent on men. Also, infant dependent on woman.  
Indian case:  
Lack of entitlement -> Economic dependence (Legitimacy of this rule from Manu 
smriti, other religious texts)  
1937-> Right of widows to seek claim in husband’s property  
1956-> Daughter equal co – their with the son. But daughters have to seek, sons 
were natural. 
2006-> Both natural heirs of property.  
Page 3


 
Patriarchy & Sexual DOL 
Men achieve and Maintain social, cultural & eco. Dominance over females. Within 
& outside family) 
Patriarchy:  
Introduced by weber. But with a different meanings of rule exercised by father or 
male head.  
Otherwise, it means authority and dominance of males over various aspects of 
existence.  
It includes authority over both public + private spheres of Life.  
Sexual DOL: Segregation of work based on genders, where men are mostly given 
public roles & women are mostly given private (Domestic) roles.  
Why SDOL: (Theories)  
1. Socio Biologists: Biological reasons  
a) Difference in brains:  
Men     Women  
Spacio – visual skills   Developed Linguistic skills  
 Different talents to do different tasks.  
 Problem: No conclusive evidence  
b) Evolution: (Robin Fox)  
SDOL result of millions of years of adaptation.  
Men: Hunters | Women: Child bearing + rearing  
c) Difference in body types to do different tasks.  
Men more suited for outside, muscular tasks.  
2. Murdoch: Most convenient way of organising tasks. 250 societies.  
3. Parsons: Females more expressive. Do adult personality stabilisation.  
Delinquency studies: delinquency became of lack of motherly support.  
4. Feminist theories: criticising S.D.O.L. 
Jewe Bernard: criticises parsons.  
Not adult personality stabilisation but male personality stabilisation.  
Ann Oakley : criticised Mwdoch. With Mwdoch’s data.  
Incorrect to say women unsuitable for public tasks.  
India: Construction site workers mainly women  
Pygmy’s: No pest – natal dependence on men.  
Osrael: Large participation of women in army.  
.: SDOL socially created.  
 
Margaret Mead: ‘Sex & Temperament’ Study on tribes of Rapna new guinea.  
Both men & women do equally sternsons tasks, have similar personalities, highly 
aggressive. 
At times, men are home loving.  
That is, a society exactly opposite to that found in west.  
Shneasmith Firestone: ‘Dialetics of Sex’  
Sexual inequality most fundamental inequality. Criticises Karl Marx for 
overlooking sexual inequality.  
Supported by Eichler that  
Because of SDOL women are confined to domestic sphere, their work is not even 
valued because it does not fetch any profits.  
Even if women work outside, still has to work at home,  
Double Exploitation. 
Also, 
Labour Market -> 2 types of Labour 
Primary     Secondary  
High Income     Low Income  
Promotions     Unstable work, Part time  
Prestige     Low status  
 
Dominated by men.    Confined to women.  
Firestone: This inequality some roots in Biology because women have to bear 
children, makes them dependent on men. Also, infant dependent on woman.  
Indian case:  
Lack of entitlement -> Economic dependence (Legitimacy of this rule from Manu 
smriti, other religious texts)  
1937-> Right of widows to seek claim in husband’s property  
1956-> Daughter equal co – their with the son. But daughters have to seek, sons 
were natural. 
2006-> Both natural heirs of property.  
 
But strong filial ties refrain women from dragging brothers to court of law.    
Patriarchy : Different speres  
1. Distinction b/w Pvt. & public sphere  
2. b/w Paid & domestic work (Now Double Burden)  
3. b/w salaries for same work  
4. b/w types of jobs given (Pink collared)  
5. b/w the levels that could be achieved (Glass – ceiling)  
(Karuna Ahmad)  
Patriarchy  
Factors that contribute to patriarchy:  
1. biology  
2. ideology propagated to children during variable upbringing of son & 
daughters 
3. family structure patriarchal 
4. religion – God is him (not her). Woman source of temptations. 
5. Women themselves: Mother – in – law praying for a son, blessings, 
festivals, male oriented beating daughter – in – law on not agreeing  
6. Educational attainment & Educational system (through by ?)  
7. Mass media commercialising & commodifying women  
8. Physical violence (male physically stronger to overpower women)  
9. Psychological factors  
10. Laws & customs: Tripple Talaq, Men as Karta  
 
Sylvia welby added: (In ‘Theorising Patriarchy’)  
1. Different emoluments to women employers (Part of Public Patriarchy)  
2. Idea of beauty purely from Male point of view (even inflicting painful 
procedures)  
3. Male’s control over female’s sexuality (virginity, chastity of females as a 
virtue)  
4. Women primary source of domestic labor (unpaid, unrecognised)  
5. Violence: private, public, workplace, mental, physical  
 
Changes in Patriarchy:  
1. Increasing ease of divorce  
2. Decreasing stigma of divorce  
3. Men more interested in child rearing & household mgmt..  
Page 4


 
Patriarchy & Sexual DOL 
Men achieve and Maintain social, cultural & eco. Dominance over females. Within 
& outside family) 
Patriarchy:  
Introduced by weber. But with a different meanings of rule exercised by father or 
male head.  
Otherwise, it means authority and dominance of males over various aspects of 
existence.  
It includes authority over both public + private spheres of Life.  
Sexual DOL: Segregation of work based on genders, where men are mostly given 
public roles & women are mostly given private (Domestic) roles.  
Why SDOL: (Theories)  
1. Socio Biologists: Biological reasons  
a) Difference in brains:  
Men     Women  
Spacio – visual skills   Developed Linguistic skills  
 Different talents to do different tasks.  
 Problem: No conclusive evidence  
b) Evolution: (Robin Fox)  
SDOL result of millions of years of adaptation.  
Men: Hunters | Women: Child bearing + rearing  
c) Difference in body types to do different tasks.  
Men more suited for outside, muscular tasks.  
2. Murdoch: Most convenient way of organising tasks. 250 societies.  
3. Parsons: Females more expressive. Do adult personality stabilisation.  
Delinquency studies: delinquency became of lack of motherly support.  
4. Feminist theories: criticising S.D.O.L. 
Jewe Bernard: criticises parsons.  
Not adult personality stabilisation but male personality stabilisation.  
Ann Oakley : criticised Mwdoch. With Mwdoch’s data.  
Incorrect to say women unsuitable for public tasks.  
India: Construction site workers mainly women  
Pygmy’s: No pest – natal dependence on men.  
Osrael: Large participation of women in army.  
.: SDOL socially created.  
 
Margaret Mead: ‘Sex & Temperament’ Study on tribes of Rapna new guinea.  
Both men & women do equally sternsons tasks, have similar personalities, highly 
aggressive. 
At times, men are home loving.  
That is, a society exactly opposite to that found in west.  
Shneasmith Firestone: ‘Dialetics of Sex’  
Sexual inequality most fundamental inequality. Criticises Karl Marx for 
overlooking sexual inequality.  
Supported by Eichler that  
Because of SDOL women are confined to domestic sphere, their work is not even 
valued because it does not fetch any profits.  
Even if women work outside, still has to work at home,  
Double Exploitation. 
Also, 
Labour Market -> 2 types of Labour 
Primary     Secondary  
High Income     Low Income  
Promotions     Unstable work, Part time  
Prestige     Low status  
 
Dominated by men.    Confined to women.  
Firestone: This inequality some roots in Biology because women have to bear 
children, makes them dependent on men. Also, infant dependent on woman.  
Indian case:  
Lack of entitlement -> Economic dependence (Legitimacy of this rule from Manu 
smriti, other religious texts)  
1937-> Right of widows to seek claim in husband’s property  
1956-> Daughter equal co – their with the son. But daughters have to seek, sons 
were natural. 
2006-> Both natural heirs of property.  
 
But strong filial ties refrain women from dragging brothers to court of law.    
Patriarchy : Different speres  
1. Distinction b/w Pvt. & public sphere  
2. b/w Paid & domestic work (Now Double Burden)  
3. b/w salaries for same work  
4. b/w types of jobs given (Pink collared)  
5. b/w the levels that could be achieved (Glass – ceiling)  
(Karuna Ahmad)  
Patriarchy  
Factors that contribute to patriarchy:  
1. biology  
2. ideology propagated to children during variable upbringing of son & 
daughters 
3. family structure patriarchal 
4. religion – God is him (not her). Woman source of temptations. 
5. Women themselves: Mother – in – law praying for a son, blessings, 
festivals, male oriented beating daughter – in – law on not agreeing  
6. Educational attainment & Educational system (through by ?)  
7. Mass media commercialising & commodifying women  
8. Physical violence (male physically stronger to overpower women)  
9. Psychological factors  
10. Laws & customs: Tripple Talaq, Men as Karta  
 
Sylvia welby added: (In ‘Theorising Patriarchy’)  
1. Different emoluments to women employers (Part of Public Patriarchy)  
2. Idea of beauty purely from Male point of view (even inflicting painful 
procedures)  
3. Male’s control over female’s sexuality (virginity, chastity of females as a 
virtue)  
4. Women primary source of domestic labor (unpaid, unrecognised)  
5. Violence: private, public, workplace, mental, physical  
 
Changes in Patriarchy:  
1. Increasing ease of divorce  
2. Decreasing stigma of divorce  
3. Men more interested in child rearing & household mgmt..  
 
4. Technology driven changes:  
Political: Ease of putting views forth (FB, Twitter) 
Economical: New jobs, requiring less muscular works (IT, Finance)  
Social: Safety when outside (Mobile phones, Aps), increased interactions, 
better possibility of availing education & skills.  
Ecological: Smokeless chulha preventing diseases, prolonging life 
expectancy & life – chances  
Legal: online FIRs, cyber police stations  
5. Increasing educational statuses of women  
6. Better state protection & facilities.