The fact that the craving (for sex) always returns is the clue that addictive sexuality is not simply about getting sex. Since it is a system that denies men full access to their freedom of will, it is difficult for any man of any class to rebel against patriarchy, to be disloyal to the patriarchal parent, be that parent female or male. Patriarchy demands of men that they become and remain emotional cripples. I stressed that feminist advocates collude in the pain of men wounded by patriarchy when they falsely represent men as always and only powerful, as always and only gaining privileges from their blind obedience to patriarchy. advocates of feminist politics to challenge any rhetoric which placed the sole blame for perpetuating patriarchy and male domination onto men. Like many visionary radical feminists I challenged the misguided notion, put forward by women who were simply fed up with male exploitation and oppression, that men were “the enemy.”. Dismantling and changing patriarchal culture is work that men and women must do together.Ĭlearly we cannot dismantle a system as long as we engage in collective denial about its impact on our lives. We need to highlight the role women play in perpetuating and sustaining patriarchal culture so that we will recognize patriarchy as a system women and men support equally, even if men receive more rewards from that system. Yet many female-headed households endorse and promote patriarchal thinking with far greater passion than two-parent households.

assume that men are the sole teachers of patriarchal thinking. These attitudes were reinforced in schools and religious institutions. Most of us learned patriarchal attitudes in our family of origin, and they were usually taught to us by our mothers. We are socialized into this system, females as well as males. Patriarchal thinking shapes the values of our culture. Quotes from the book that are especially relevant to men’s emotional wellness and the mission of the Mariposa Men’s Wellness Institute.Ĭhapter 2, “Understanding Patriarchy”, p.

The will to change hooks