“Patriarchy, the System: An It, Not a He, Them, or Us” by Allan G. Jackson examines how the notion of patriarchy is a system rather than an individual personality. Patriarchal culture, according to Johnson, is “how social life is and should be, about what is expected of individuals and how they feel, how they are supposed to seem and behave.” People must comprehend how social systems perpetuate societal issues as a society. Johnson explains that in order to build an alternative socialization system, we must first comprehend the patriarchal system. While we all participate in social systems, we have the ability to change the system. Yes, it may appear that nothing has changed, but if we look attentively, we may see that we have gone a long way. But it doesn’t mean we should give up trying to make things better because there is always potential for improvement.

In “There Is No Hierarchy of Oppressions,” Audre Lorde discusses her identities and position as a member of oppressed communities. In the passage she goes over how sexism, heterosexism, and racism all work together as oppressive systems. What made her passage interesting is that she includes her experiences, the hardship she has to go through for being the person she is. Lorde says that in order to have a future where things are workable there shouldn’t be hierarchies of oppression. Nowadays, there are Black people who claim that being Black is normal, but this was not always the case. She recalls that historical period and the difficulties she faced just because of her skin tone. She continues to battle for her children because she wants a better world for them, herself, and the community. After reading these two sections, I felt like I had a greater comprehension of what was going on around me.