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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy Men Oppress Women
Why Men Oppress WomenThe psychology of male domination
Even if they belonged to higher social classes, most women throughout history have been enslaved by men. Until recent times, women throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia were unable to have any influence over the political, religious or cultural lives of their societies. They couldnt own property or inherit land and wealth, and were frequently treated as mere property themselves. In some countries they could be confiscated by money lenders or tax collectors to help settle debts; in ancient Assyria, the punishment for rape was the handing over of the rapists wife to the husband of his victim, to use as he desired. Most gruesomely of all, some cultures practised what anthropologists have called ritual widow murder (or ritual widow suicide), when women would be killed (or kill themselves) shortly after the deaths of their husbands. This was common throughout India and China until the twentieth century, and there are still occasional cases nowadays.
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In Europe and America (and some other countries) the status of women has risen significantly over the last few decades, but in many parts of the world male domination and oppression continues. In many Middle Eastern countries, for example, women effectively live as prisoners, unable to leave the house except under the guardianship of a male guardian. (There are many Saudi Arabian women who have only left their houses a handful of times in their whole lives.) And when or if they do go outside, they are obliged to cover themselves from head to toe in black, leaving them in danger of vitamin deficiency and dehydration. They have no role at all in determining their own lives; they are seen as nothing more than a commodity, property of the males of the family, and as owners, the men have the right to make decisions for them. Their male owners have the right to have sex with them on demand too. In Egypt, surveys have shown that the vast majority of men and women believe it is acceptable for a man to beat his wife if she refuses sex.
There have been attempts to explain the oppression of women in biological terms. For example, the sociologist Stephen Goldberg suggested that men are naturally more competitive than women because of their high level of testosterone. This makes them aggressive and power-hungry, so that they inevitably take over the high status positions in a society, leaving women to the more subordinate roles.
However, in my view the maltreatment of women has more deep-rooted psychological causes. In my book The Fall, I suggest that most human beings suffer from an underlying psychological disorder, which I call humania.' The oppression of women is a symptom of this disorder. Its one thing to take over the positions of power in a society, but another to seemingly despise women, and inflict so much brutality and degradation on them. What sane species would treat half of its members and the very half which gives birth to the whole species with such contempt and injustice? Despite their high level of testosterone, the men of many ancient and indigenous cultures revered women for their life-giving and nurturing role, so why dont we?
Read More:https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/out-the-darkness/201208/why-men-oppress-women
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We have come a long way...not.
To clarify, this is NOT about all men.
el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)That said - I am curious about one thing - do you have a sense that progress has been made over the last 50 years or is it more for show than actual progress? We are no where near were we should be as a society of course.
Sorry - I went back and reread the article - i should have looked it over twice before posting. I am curious as to your response but I latched on to one section without considering it in light of the others.
Bryant
sheshe2
(84,057 posts)Before this election, I would have responded yes to you, we have made some progress. Not much and not fast enough by far. The election results by the knuckle dragging Neanderthals dashed all my hopes by taking us back a hundred plus years. It proved to me how women are viewed by many men and sadly some women as well. We are not now or ever will be good enough. We birthed this nation yet are despised for that ability. Menstrual cycles were a joke from trump to try to demean a reporter. Breast feeding is dirty and disgusting and must be hidden from view. FFS! These are a natural part of life and bringing new ones into the world. It is not dirty or unclean. It is in fact beautiful. It is life.
Look at these powerful images of women breastfeeding...
Moms Break Down Breastfeeding Stigma With Ethereal Photos
Breastfeeding is a natural thing, and its nothing to be ashamed of.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/moms-break-down-breastfeeding-stigma-with-ethereal-photos_us_5841a62ae4b09e21702e3f63
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Thank you for posting
Buckeye_Democrat
(14,860 posts)I suspect much of it stemmed from men fearing they'd unknowingly support offspring from other men, and so they tried to control women to prevent it.
Not to mention how might equaled right more frequently in the past (although it still happens too often around the world today) and men tend to be stronger physically.
EDIT: And it sometimes happens now because old religious texts, written during a terrible time in history for women, are considered the words of God by some idiots.
mia
(8,363 posts)Your post reminds me of a treasured book,The Clalice and the Blade, by Riane Eisler. I read it nearly 30 years ago and still have it on my bookshelf. Here's a recent video, inspired by the book: