Traditional patriarchal family - what are its characteristics and functions

Patriarchy is a system in which the dominant role in the home, society, and family belongs to the stronger half. The system of social organization under consideration literally means the rule of the father and is also called andrarchy or androcracy. This way of life arose as a result of the development of cattle breeding, mechanization of agriculture, and metalworking. It is also characterized by patrilineality (kinship was considered through the father's line) and patrilocality (the wife settled in the spouse's community). Patriarchy is characteristic of the era of “decline” of the primitive communal system. Subsequently, patriarchy further strengthened its own position due to the growth of property division, the emergence of slavery and the division of society into classes.

What is a patriarchal family

Patriarchal is considered to be that structure in family relationships in which the leading role belongs to the husband . It was formed in ancient times and was dictated by the simple logic of survival.

The physiological characteristics of the male and female body played a decisive role in its formation. Physically stronger men became hunters, breadwinners, and the responsibility fell on their shoulders to provide their family with food, clothing, and housing. The wife in such a family was the keeper of supplies, a cook, a nanny for children, and also performed other everyday household chores - tending the hearth, making and mending clothes, etc.

In this way of life, not only the well-being, but often the very survival of other family members depended mainly on the husband . Therefore, it is logical that in deciding all any important issues of family life he had the right to a decisive vote.

Throughout almost the entire history of human civilization, the patriarchal structure in family relationships remained dominant. It is noteworthy that even the holy books of Christians and Muslims - the Bible and the Koran - recognize the dominant role of men in the family. The Bible quote “Let a woman fear her husband” (Ephesians 5:33) is a clear example of this.

Conclusion

The patriarchal type of family structure has become obsolete in many European countries, but there are isolated cases of unquestioning submission to a man. Psychologists say that only insecure individuals with low self-esteem can exist in it.

Still, one should not neglect the advantages that this form of relationship guarantees: the absence of abandoned children, disadvantaged elderly people, respect and veneration for elders, responsibility for one’s actions, mutual assistance.

Types of patriarchal family

Conventionally, family patriarchy, depending on the degree of control of the husband over other family members, can be divided into 2 subtypes:

1. Total control.
2. Selective control.

The first subtype implies complete control of the head over all the nuances of family life and all the actions of other family members. It became widespread in the Middle Ages and lasted until the middle, and in many countries until the end of the 19th century. It was he who contributed to the formation of the image of a tyrant husband in the public consciousness.

Currently, total patriarchy is relatively rare, mainly in deeply religious families, especially Muslim ones. Often its manifestations can be observed in dysfunctional marriages, where the husband asserts his superiority over other family members through physical strength.

The second subtype is characterized by the husband’s control over the main (in his opinion) aspects of family life. Usually these are financial issues and raising children . The husband participates in solving other problems on equal terms with other members. It is this subspecies that prevails in modern society.

How is patriarchy different from matriarchy?

Patriarchy, matriarchy and equality have significant distinctive features. The main property of each form is the dominant right that is given to people based on gender.

• The patriarchal system is characterized by the fact that power is given to men.
• In matriarchy, the main role is assigned to the woman.
• Equality implies an equal distribution of rights and responsibilities between people. Their gender is not taken into account.

Historians are sure that matriarchy was the first social system. The woman was assigned the role of a goddess, the founder of a clan, a community. People listened to her opinion, respected and feared her.

This veneration of women is explained by her ability to produce children. The role of men in this process is insignificant and insignificant.

Then came the time of patriarchy. Here the role of the father is elevated. His position automatically gave the child a certain status in society. In addition, in many states, power and property after the death of the father passed to the son, and not to the wife who gave birth to this son.

Modern society prefers to say that it is important to establish equality. Nevertheless, in most states there are signs of patriarchy; they are not obvious, but women are forced to defend their rights in order to be on an equal footing with men.

This applies to all spheres of human life and, first of all, women want to realize their professional abilities, work on an equal basis with men and in the same areas.

Let us give an example that proves that men still consider themselves the ruling class. A woman driving causes negative emotions in the opposite sex. She may be a professional driver, responsible and disciplined, but most males are sure that a woman has no place behind the wheel.

What kind of comparisons have male drivers come up with! They claim that such a person is comparable to a monkey with a grenade in his hands, thereby they want to talk about the unpredictability of women.

There are a lot of speculations about exactly how the lady obtained funds for the car.

But statistics say the opposite. Women are more responsible when driving, they are less likely to create emergency situations, and they drive much more carefully than men. By the way, even among the representatives of the stronger half of humanity there are reckless drivers, unfortunate drivers who do not know the traffic rules, people who live at the expense of their spouse or rich parents.

Unfortunately, such examples exist in our lives. All of them can serve as images of echoes of the past, when society recognized patriarchy.

Pros of a patriarchal family

The patriarchal union has a number of clear advantages over other types of family relationships:

• Stability.
• Clear delineation of responsibilities.
• Feeling of security.
• A strong family.
• Desired children.

These “whales” helped the patriarchal way of life remain dominant in family relationships for many millennia.

Relationship stability

Patriarchal unions are distinguished by the stability of relationships between all their members, primarily between husband and wife. The husband is an unquestioned authority , the keeper of family honor and traditions. His wife is his reliable support and assistant, his children are continuers of family traditions.

The wife, by her example, teaches the children to respect and honor their father and his family . Having the example of their mother before their eyes, children raised in a patriarchal family, when they become adults, always behave respectfully towards their elders.

An important aspect is the stability of sexual relationships . A man and woman connected by family ties protect not only their honor, but also the honor of the family, therefore there is no place for betrayal and fornication in such unions.

Separation of responsibilities

In a patriarchal family structure, each member has his own clearly defined circle of responsibility. The husband has the following responsibilities:

1. Ensure financial and material well-being.
2. Monitor the moral education of children, teach them to obey and respect their elders.
3. Protect the honor and dignity of your wife and children.

The wife in this union acts as the keeper of the home . Her duty is to ensure order in the house, a warm and cozy atmosphere, and to raise and educate children. Additionally, she must maintain the public image of a happy and friendly family, keep its secrets, and not wash dirty linen in public.

Children from such a family have the main duty to obey their elders . Parents control (sometimes quite harshly) the behavior of their children, their social circle, manner of dressing, social and cultural development, often trying to impose their tastes in music, cinema, painting, etc.

Children are taught to think that they are the successors of their family , and therefore, by their actions, they are responsible for family honor or dishonor. This, on the one hand, teaches them from childhood to be responsible for their words and actions, and on the other hand, it fosters pride in their family and respect for family traditions.

Feeling of security

A man in a patriarchal union acts as the “owner” of his wife and children . He identifies their honor and dignity with his own, therefore, at the slightest attack, he defends them with all the forces and means available to him. A woman in such a union feels protected “behind her husband.” In gratitude, she strives to surround him with care and everyday comfort.

Children in such families are rarely witnesses and almost never take part in sorting things out during quarrels and conflicts between parents. Growing up in a full-fledged family, constantly under the control of both parents, they form a stable and balanced psyche from an early age, which has a positive effect on their adult life.

A strong family

Divorces in patriarchal unions, even in our time, are a relative rarity . And in times of complete dominance of patriarchy, they actually did not exist.

Desired children

In patriarchal unions, children are always welcome. In the eyes of their parents, they are the successors of the family, so 1 child in them is very rare, but large families are far from isolated cases even today, and 100-150 years ago 5-8-10 children in them were commonplace. In fact, abandonment of newborn babies in such unions does not happen.

Signs

The distinctive features of a patriarchal family will help you understand what it is. In fact, such a way of life existed from antiquity until recently; in some cultures, traces of this influence are still found today. What is a patriarchal family - clearly, it is the subordination of a woman to her man, but what are its characteristic features?

1. Patrilineality. This characteristic feature is that inheritance of social status and property occurs only from father to son. The father has the right to dispose of the children at his own discretion.
2. A man's responsibility. The head of the family is fully responsible for the well-being of the house and the honor of the family. He is responsible for the woman and children, providing them with everything they need. Despite the fact that society does not condemn a man’s right to “own” a woman, he treats her with great respect. She reciprocates his feelings.
3. Monogamy. A Russian family clan of the patriarchal type is necessarily monogamous, that is, the husband has one wife, and the wife, accordingly, has one husband. In Muslim society, polygamy is allowed, but one woman cannot have several husbands. Polyandry, or polyandry, is not allowed.
4. Coexistence of several generations. It is easy to understand what a patriarchal family is if you pay attention to one of the main signs. The main characteristic is that several generations live under one roof. Sons, when they marry, bring home their wives. All members of such a large clan obey the eldest man unquestioningly.
5. Having many children. Having rich offspring is welcome. A woman, as a rule, gives birth while she has physical strength and does not have the right to terminate the pregnancy. The mother devotes her life to raising children; from a young age they are taught to be responsible for their actions and hardworking.
6. Submission to strict rules. What a patriarchal family is is following the canons, the rules, which, of course, lead to general well-being and prosperity. The family’s own interests fade into the background; family values, customs, and traditions are paramount.
7. Arranged marriages. When choosing a partner, they are guided by his financial condition and the benefit for the well-being of the entire family. Marriages for love usually do not take place.

The patriarchal structure is also characterized by such a characteristic as conservatism. Various moves, changes of residence, and workplace are extremely undesirable. All changes are accepted exclusively by the oldest man with the greatest authority.

Need to know!

Patriarchy has both positive and negative features. The advantage of this form of family structure is that, according to statistics, in such marriages there is an extremely small number of divorces.

Disadvantages of a patriarchal family

The patriarchal family structure has not only positive but also negative sides. Moreover, often the disadvantages of this way of life are a direct continuation of its positive aspects:

• Authoritarianism . The most obvious of these disadvantages. By making single-handedly important decisions, the head of a patriarchal family takes sole responsibility for their consequences onto his shoulders. But this burden is heavy, and not everyone can bear it.
• Addiction . The patriarchal structure implies complete (primarily financial) dependence of its other members on the head of the family. Children from such unions, not taking any part in planning the family budget, have a very superficial understanding of what it is and how it should be managed. Growing up and becoming independent, they cannot correctly decide what needs to be acquired first, what second, and what is better to refuse. Often this misunderstanding transforms into either excessive stinginess or excessive spending.
• Conflict of generations . The moment when children grow up and want to independently decide those everyday issues that affect them personally is inherent in any family structure, but in the patriarchal version it can manifest itself extremely acutely. This happens because, in their desire to decide their own destiny, children “swing” at the very basis of the existence of the patriarchal structure - the indisputable authority of its head.
• Difficulties in self-development and self-expression . In families with a patriarchal structure, only the head has no difficulties with self-expression. The rest of the family, limited by the strict limits of family responsibilities, have almost no time or opportunity for this. A wife, constantly busy with cleaning, cooking, raising children and other family concerns, has almost no energy or time left not only for work, but often for proper self-care. And if the wife wants to go to work, the head of the family, using the right of a decisive vote, often simply prohibits her, adding, as punishment, 2-3 new household duties. Children are also often limited in their choices; their parents decide everything for them. In patriarchal families, there are often cases when parents, regardless of the wishes of their children, decide almost everything for them - right down to the choice of profession and even the choice of a spouse.

Important principles for a happy family life

In every relationship, no matter what family model you choose, harmony and balance in all areas and views are important. In fact, there are happy families with an emphasis on the dominant position of men, without in any way infringing on women’s rights.

What is it like, a happy family?

• In such a family, a man is able to hear his wife and has the inner strength to come to an agreement with her, even if it concerns his career.
• There should be no imbalance in building relationships, and the husband will not allow comprehensive power, tyranny and despotism.
• The wife will be able to treat the man and his parents with honor and respect.
• The woman will be grateful and will not skimp on praise for her chosen one.
• Raising children and meeting their needs will be important for both spouses.
• Mutual respect and understanding.

The modern family is far from the patriarchal model, because individual rule within a small cell of society has been replaced by a joint partnership. Perhaps women managed to prove their worth, or maybe men began to allow the weaker sex to make more significant decisions.

Whatever value system you choose when creating a family, the most important thing is love and the desire to be together, because this is where feelings begin. Moving side by side, with each other, you need not to lose them, but try to preserve and increase them, then your family will become a strong and durable ship on which you will sail into life together.

What meaning do social scientists give to the concept of family as a social group?

Family

is an association of people based on marriage, consanguinity or guardianship. These people are connected by a common life and mutual responsibilities.

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Story

Most scientists claim that all previously existing civilizations were only patriarchal. There are also those who argue that during the Neolithic and Paleolithic times (5-7 thousand years BC) society was gender equal.

Some believe that patriarchy was preceded by matriarchy, that is, the dominant role was given to women.

But not all scientists agree with this statement, because they believe that male dominance is a natural phenomenon that should determine the essence of relationships at all times and in all nations. The philosopher and sociologist Giddens believed that there were certainly differences in dominance, but there was never a woman who held complete power.

This is explained by the fact that the main purpose of a woman is to give birth to children and care for them. Women become financially and physically dependent on men.

How to determine your family type - commentary from a social psychologist

To determine the type of family, it is enough to conduct a short observation of each of the household members in everyday life. It is always easier for an outsider to determine who is in charge in the house, a man or a woman. He will analyze who is responsible for the distribution of roles, who is in control of the situation and who makes the decisions.

In any social group, and the family, without a doubt, is one, there is a leader or leader. He has followers, followers who share his interests.

How to understand that a person is a leader in the family? It’s very simple: analyze the degree of his interest in the well-being of his household. The leader will always be more concerned about this than others. Determine who is the leader in the family, a man or a woman, and you will be able to understand your type of family.

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