Title: Origins of Human Society and the Creation of Patriarchy
1Origins of Human Society and the Creation of
Patriarchy
2Characteristics of Humans Compared to other
primates
- Large heads and brains
- Bipedal walking
- Opposing thumbs for tool use
- Small pelvises difficulty in childbirth
- Prolonged infancy and vulnerability of the child
3In early human societies
- Life expectancy was in the 30s.
- Acquisition of goods was minimal
- Life was precarious
- Death could come at any time from disease,
famine, drought, other natural disaster - In the face of such stress, small human groups
migrated, invaded the territory of neighbors, and
developed the practice of war - The most valuable commodities were other humans
4Human Society Timeline
- 3 million BCE (before common era) Hominids
evolve from primates - 100,000 BCE Paleolithic Era
- 9,000-7,000 BCE Neolithic Era
- Small hunter/gather societies
- 6,000 BCE Villages
- 4,000 BCE Towns and cities develop.
- 3,000 BCE City states and empires
- 0 Birth of Christ
- 2,000 CE (common era) or AD (anno domini)
5World Population 1000 BCE to Present
6(No Transcript)
7World Population, 1750 - 2150
8Origins of Western Civilization Ancient
Mesopotamia
9Mesopotamia with Modern States
10Mesopotamia with Modern States
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12Mother Goddess Image
- What does she represent?
- And how does this image relate to the pervasive
historical evidence of misogyny, the hatred or
strong prejudice against women.
13The Venus of Willendorf (European)
- What does she represent?
- And how does this image relate to the pervasive
historical evidence of misogyny, the hatred or
strong prejudice against women.
14Theories of Patriarchy
- Patriarchy is the theory that men should be
dominant over women. - Theories
- Traditionalist
- Marxist of Economic
- Maternalist or matriarchal
- A working hypothesis..
15More terms
- Matriarchy is the theory that women should be
dominant over men. - Patrilineal lineage is accounted through the
male line. - Matrilineal lineage is accounted through the
female line. - Paternalist/Maternalist authority derives from
the power of fatherhood or motherhood.
16Traditionalist Theories of Patriarchy
- Religious Male dominance is God given.
- Biological determinist Man is the hunter and
dominates. - Others
- Darwinian or Sociobiology
- Freudian biology is destiny
17Economic Theories of Patriarchy
- Marxist theorist Friedrich Engels Women become
mens property. - Anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss
civilizations manage social relations through the
traffic in women or the exchange of women.
18Maternalist or Matriarchal Theories
- 19th century theorist, Bachofen hypothesized
Matriarchal society preceded patriarchal society
in historical time. - Suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton theorized that
maternalist or mother centered societies
existed in some Native American tribes.
19Mother Goddess Image
20Mother Goddess Catal Huyuk (modern Turkey)
21A Working Hypothesis
- There are no known matriarchal human societies.
- Matrilineal societies give way to patrilineal
societies in historical time - But
- To paraphrase Freud biology was once destiny.
Is it any longer?