Patriarchy today is gaining a lot more popularity and what it means. We see celebrities using the term, publications, and social media. We live in a world basically dictated by the patriarchy. In Allen Johnson’s  article, he call’s patriarchy an “individualistic model of guilt” which is a pretty accurate description. Patriarchy make an individual that happens to be the oppressed feel as if it’s their fault for NOT being a white cis financially free able-bodied man. The more upsetting tone this takes, is the women who perpetuate patriarchal practices and allow or actually participate. It still is a manipulating tactic and a certain demography of those who participate. Groomed to be a mother, caregiver and have no opinions. Oppressions, in any form cause systemic issues that turn into more. It ultimately effects all. We can take that white cis financially free man, who sexually harasses his black female receptionist, who takes charge in her comfort and is given a settlement to keep quiet. Which happens a lot more than publicized. It’s great to see those standing up to the system and trying to shed light on the harassment. How much can we fight for, though? In Audre Lorde’s article she says “I cannot afford to fight one form of oppression” most of us cant. The oppressed have more than one check against them in fighting oppression. In shavoya’s snapshot “we cant dismantle without looking at our own privilege” which is true. I am white, I have to make the changes in what I can do and acknowledge the fortune I had from being white alone. To make these changes you have to look, I can say I have seven other checks against, but my first is I’m white. I have that advantage over all the other checks. That’s what looking at your own privilege is. If we all thought of that we could in fact dismantle the patriarchy.

Just like at the beginning of the reading states, when I thought of patriarchy I thought of men and the unjust balance of power between men and women. That’s what you would see in the media. As Allan G. Johnson states that blaming things on the “system” is not right. Because the truth is that everyone is part of that system. Johnson also mentions, like how I believed, women would point towards men when they heard patriarchy because they were men, and automatically in our minds they were part of the issue. Johnson states “Looking at things in this way, the tendency is to think that if bad things happen in the world and if the bad thing is something big, it is only because there are bad people who have entered into some kind of conspiracy”. This tells us that there are bad individuals with our own societies that lead to this big issue. Johnson’s examples include racism, and how it starts off because of how there are certain individuals who hate racial and ethnic minorities. Johnson states how blaming things on the system takes responsibility off the individuals that do the actual harm as well as us, ourselves, are avoiding responsibility. I like the snapshot from Allena McKenzie, because it shows how there are individuals who are doing something for a change, to “dismantle the patriarchy” as the image on the snapshot states.  Johnson states “‘the system’ serves as a vague, unarticulated catch-all, a dumping ground for social problems, a scapegoat that can never be held to account and that, for all the power we think it has, cannot talk back or actually do anything”. And Johnson is right, it is so much easier to blame the responsibility on something that does not exist as if shouting it in the air, but never doing anything to actually fix the issue. Just kind of putting it out in the universe

            In the reading “There is No Hierarchy of Oppressions” by Audre Lorde, she discusses how she is constantly being seen as inferior in many of the groups she identifies with. She states, “As a Black, lesbian, feminist, socialist, poet, mother of two including one boy and a member of an interracial couple, I usually find myself part of some group in which the majority defines me as deviant, difficult, inferior or just plain “wrong.””. With these experience Lorde figures that in terms of oppression, it is all the same at the end of the day, it is just packaged differently. Because she is part of all these groups she is constantly exposed to the same disrespect and maltreatment. No matter if its sexism, heterosexism, or racism they all come from the same source. Lorde states “Within the lesbian community I am Black, and within the Black community I am a lesbian.”. Thus, there can’t be a hierarchy of oppression, because every other individual who aren’t white straight males, will face oppression. And for Lorde she states that if there is in issue against the black community, it also becomes a lesbian and gay issue, because there are thousands of black women in the lesbian community and vice versa.

For this week I chose to watch the Netflix documentary Crip Camp. The reason why I chose this film was that I had watched it prior to joining this class and it was a film I wanted to for a second time for a better understanding.

We hear a lot about activism for women’s rights, gay rights, and so on but personally, I haven’t heard of many for disabled rights. Although I know there may be many when it comes to the stories of disabled people a lot of the stories I’ve heard are more for helping these people though doing things for them rather than letting them do things for themselves, which many are very capable of.

The film Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution focused on a group of teens, with different disabilities who all attended and thrived at a camp In New York. it demonstrated the first time any of them had ever felt truly free unlike when they were back home where they were treated as less than not equals. The film explains how and why the disability revolution began. 

Growing up and to this day I was very aware of things being run and dominated by men. They are always  at the advantage, it’s like they have a cheat code for everything. As women we are playing catch up , on a game that’s made , controlled, and favoring men. When it comes to breaking the patriarchy society down and demanding equality you always see majority women fighting, pushing, demanding it. If it were the other way around where men needed more fairness and equality, everything would be perfect. One point is that men can agree with wanting equality for all, but are they willing to give up the power and advantages that have been given to them. 

But this is not all men are to blame for the patricarl society when in fact it’s the society itself that let this happen . “We need to see and deal with the social roots that generate and nurture the social problems that are reflected in and manifested through the behavior of individuals. We cannot do this without realizing that we all participate in something larger than ourselves, something we did not create but that we now have the power to affect through the choices we make about how to participate.” (Johnson, Allan). So when we point the blame on men we also have to point the finger  at our society. Society let it happen and established it as a norm for generations on generations. There’s a reason it’s so hard to break, when it goes back thousands of years. We all have a piece of accountability to take but we can do better.

“Participation, by definition, is something voluntary, freely chosen, entered into as equals, and that it there-fore makes no sense that women might participate in their own oppression. But that is not my meaning here, and it To participate is to have a part in what goes on, to do something (or not) and to have that choice affect the consequences, regardless of whether it is conscious or unconscious, coerced or not. “ One way or another we are taking part in the system. It is the system that seeps through everything we know and see. But smashing this patriarchal system is possible. Biggest reminder is that ‘The patriarchy hurts us all, regardless of where we stand on the spectrum of gender. Some suffer because violence towards them is externalised, such as women, trans, and non-binary people. Some suffer because violence they direct towards others is also internalised, meaning men.” “,Women, trans and non-binary people struggle to find jobs, funding and financial freedom. Changing that, in any way we can, is a huge part of smashing the patriarchy. (Priyanka Sutaria)

Johnson shared made had many solid points for his thoughts on Patriarchy. The idea is that it’s not just a system that works on its own. However, it is one we play a role in no matter if we do something or nothing at all. Caitlyn’s post really made me reflect on this more since she shared a picture from the Met Gala. A few attendees came to share many of their views on America, by displaying their thoughts on the clothing they wore for the evening. It was interesting to see Cara Delevingne’s “Peg the Patriarchy” outfit and realize she isn’t even aware of the part she plays in the system. When critics shared their views on her outfit, she said “It’s about women empowerment, gender equality- it’s a bit like, ‘Stick it to the man”. How could that be? When you are at an event where only a certain “class” of people can attend? How could that be, when you spent an unnecessary amount of money on “The Man” to attend, and therefore, actively playing in your role that was set in this system of patriarchy.

Even more interesting, on the night while people were dressed in their finest silks and jewels, marginalized groups were outside protesting for Black Rights, and Equality and the Met Gala requested the cops to remove them from the premises. How can you thoroughly enjoy an event and wear an outfit that’s screaming for equality, while the people who are in charge are silencing the same group you are bringing attention to?

Johnson really digs in to show how this system can’t function without us, and in some way, we can’t function without the system. That our own identity is based on the structures put in place by patriarchy. Audre Lourde describes this more or less in her piece. I can’t fight the war of being Black without acknowledging the wars of Homosexuality. Her words “Any attack against Black people is a lesbian and gay issue because I and thousands of other Black women are part of the lesbian community. Any attack against lesbians and gays is a Black issue because thousands of lesbians and gay men are Black. There is no hierarchy of oppression.”

If we are going to make any changes in this system, we have to address the inequalities at their core. Racism, Homophobia, Anti-Asian, Women Inequality, the root of all of these issues are the same, Oppression. As Johnson says we have to look at the What and Why of this and can then work from there to create a better system. We need to look at ourselves and truly understand the role we play in this system and how we will go about things differently to create a more equal space for all of us to exist.  

Patriarchy is a social system where power is held by men, through cultural norms and customs that favor men and withhold opportunity from women. Patriarchy refers to the male domination in society, it’s about the male privilege that men have over women in which men are seen above women like being paid more, being taken seriously and most of all getting much more respect. Patriarchy leads to both inequality and gender-based violence. It causes some women to perceive self-care as selfish or expressing their honest voice, one that stands up for what they really think, as aggressive. Patriarchy leads to reinforcing stereotypes that people might disagree with

Patriarchy vaguely plays its role in society, throughout various different behaviors of men. However, looking more in depth would allow us to view the bigger context, asking how people’s lives play in relation to this issue. We may assume an angry man’s thoughts from afar on why he may beat or harass a woman, though we shall not question where his sexual motive was created in that matter. What thoughts would run through a man’s head to believe sexual violence would be a solution to his problem? Patriarchy in this day and age is incredibly normalized and overlooked, subconsciously or not, women may participate in it as well. One may wonder how a woman would participate in her own oppression, but in some cases it has happened, most in a different form than what men showcase. Male domination has become the new “norm” of society, leading them to form their opinions on being the superior gender and believing women cannot do what they can. Even throughout television shows and movies, men are always seen as the strong character who saves everyone else from tragedies & leads the rest of his pack. This is simply an example of patriarchy happening within itself subtly on screen. More examples vary on any day to day situation, however, the system encourages this behavior without even realizing it.

The fight to equality continues as not only women being defined as inferior to men, but also, one who may live as an African American, faces difficulties being assimilated often. The world was taught one way and the system proceeds to embolden that manner — women being brought up and openly taught to love a man, men dominating over women, discrimination towards being a different skin color, and so many more topics in which we lack empathy in change and understanding. Being different is categorized as wrong and the biased judgement in one’s mind may easily be quick to form an opinion on a woman who is also of color, lesbian and a feminist. These are areas in which everyone is opinionated and often hate is shunned upon these very different groups of people. No one should have to diminish who they are, to fit in, or to earn more for their own future, realistically speaking, a man would have it done effortlessly his way. One type of oppression leads to the other and so on.

Growing up in the Bronx I was surrounded by minorities constantly. In my entire primary education, I don’t recall going to school with a white person or northern Asians; going to Fordham, getting food, on the train or bus I looked at people that looked like me. It wasn’t until I started working or attended college which both were in Manhattan where I started to feel like a minority being a first-generation gay Latino student. As stated in “There Is No Hierarchy of oppressions” by Audre Lorde all struggles are equally as important regardless of what it is, but an individual can have more than one characteristic of being a minority making living in a white man’s world much harder. I started to notice how being a minority could affect one’s life in every aspect including education, socio-economic status, where you live, etc. It’s aggravating to know that because of a difference in my skin color, sexual orientation, gender, or religion my chances of accomplishing my goals and dreams are drastically harder and I can only imagine what that could be like for Audre Lorde.

Audre Lorde explains a couple of characteristics she displays as a minority. She is Black, lesbian, a feminist, socialist, and in an interracial relationship. She talks about all the battles she has gone through and how any battle against a form of oppression is a fight against all oppression. Anyone that is a minority regardless of what it could be or how many ways one can be a minority are all fighting together. What Lorde is saying is very inspiring to band together with other people and fight against oppression. Laws that forbid individuals to not marry one another, or laws controlling women’s body or some denying immigrants from around the globe looking for a better life. The United States was founded on the idea of rescuing immigrants and offering a new beginning, yet from the start, that idea has been denied for everyone except the white man.

Carmen on the snapshot 4 tab posted a picture that resonated with me and the message I got from reading Lorde’s piece. Women fighting to obtain equal rights as men (in this picture equal pay) yet are close to their goal but once they are almost there to score there is a huge obstacle preventing them from scoring. Through the picture the rhino is covering the majority of the goal yet there is space to score a goal by going over/under or around, however for me it raises the question of why should women have to go out of their way and put in extreme amounts of effort to receive the rights they deserved, and more so a right that will even the playing field? Society has created such a subconscious misogynistic mindset that when provoked will completely deny any ideas of misogyny. Ask a white politician on their stand in women’s oppression and they will offer a handful of ways women can work around their oppression to succeed but avoid the obvious answer which is removing all oppression and giving equal rights.

Patriarchy is something I’ve always understood because I live in its consequences. When I learned the word patriarchy, I understood it as a social system and was aware of its components, but it’s was not something I could concisely define for other people, especially males. Largely, social systems are difficult to concisely define because they are so complex, even Allan Johnson’s definition in “Patriarchy, The System” spans across 3 pages. However, he does list some key elements stating, “patriarchy’s defining elements are its male-dominated, male-identified, male-centered, and control-obsessed character …patriarchy is based on a set of symbols and ideas that make up a culture…”. When we define the system by these key words, we can start to identify its manifestation in society. It’s important that people understand that patriarchy as a social system because it is larger than the individual or even a group; it’s so entrenched in the fabrics of our society that people don’t recognize our loyalty to this system. For many patriarchal views like the gender binary or gender roles are facts, science, ordinance by God, or simply the nature of the universe. Providing people with the vocabulary, illustrating patriarchal consistencies in social life and institutions, and detailing the power hierarchy and oppression is how we truly educate people on what the patriarchy is. 

            On the topic of patriarchal values and thinking, I’d like to talk about Cara Delevingne’s Met Gala “Peg the Patriarchy” outfit that my classmate Caitlyn. H posted as a Snapshot. I know a lot of people found it empowering and revolutionary, and no shade at all, but personally I feel it’s the opposite. I think the phrase “peg the patriarchy” is patriarchal in nature. For those who don’t know, pegging refers to a woman anally penetrating a man with a strap on. It is obviously sexual in nature and is typically done as an act of dominance. While pegging doesn’t have to be domineering, it is commonly known and practiced as an act of domination and in the context of destroying the patriarchy it denotes power over men. The face of women empowerment and dismantling the patriarchy shouldn’t be the image of women dominating men by bending them over an penetrating them. Feminism isn’t about domination over men, it’s about ending patriarchy, and you don’t end patriarchy by thinking in the scopes of the system. The fact that a strap on, which is a phallic or penis shaped object is being presented as a tool of dominance and destruction is also VERY patriarchal in nature. In the system of patriarchy, the penis is a symbol of dominance, that is mirrored here; in the system of patriarchy dominance and power are the ultimate goal, that is mirrored here. It’s essentially “using the master’s tools to dismantle the master’s house” as Audre Lorde would put it. I understand what Cara was going for, but she missed the mark. Women need to assess whether the things we view as empowerment is true empowerment or just patriarchal views of empowerment. 

            Since I’ve mentioned Audre Lorde, I’d like to talk about her piece “There is no Hierarchy of Oppression” because it gives us a revolutionary model of activism. Lorde states, “Any attack against Black people is a lesbian and gay issue, because I and thousands of other Black women are part of the lesbian community. Any attack against lesbians and gays is a Black issue, because thousands of lesbians and gay men are Black. There is no hierarchy of oppression”. Too often activism utilizes the individualism or binary/unnuanced thinking that upholds oppressive systems. All systems of oppression are intertwined because all social systems intersect. there are people who belong to various oppressed groups, you cannot separate oppression. You cannot be feminist and not also fight for racial justice because women of color are victims of racial oppression. If you erase race, class, sexuality, or disability from your fight against misogyny, you make rich white cis-het able-bodied women the default of women. One fight does not come before the other, all must be fought for at once, we need intersectionality in all movements and solidarity from all parties.