Understanding Patriarchy by Bell Hooks
In this article, feminist Bell Hooks describes her understanding of patriarchy in the Unites States and social life. She describes how patriarchy is a learned behavior for people of all genders, and in how men are not as invested in dismantling it, because they don’t see it as reality. Hooks also noted the role that women play in supporting patriarchy, both through actively upholding normative gender roles and through complacency. She argues that women must recognize the pain that patriarchy causes men as well, who are socialized to believe dominance over woman should be a goal and that violence and denial of human connections and emotions are “normal.” Though Hooks is a black feminist, the text is not particularly intersectional. The book does not address racism or the role that patriarchy plays.
Quote from Article: Understanding Patriarchy Bell Hooks
¨ “Until we can collectively acknowledge the damage patriarchy causes and the suffering it creates, we cannot address male pain. We cannot demand for men the right to be whole, to be givers and sustainers of life. Obviously, some patriarchal men are reliable and even benevolent caretakers and providers, but still they are imprisoned by a system that undermines their mental health.”
The understanding of this quote is that men are taught from an early age to be the dominant partner, the providers and strong male figure. They are taught that woman are only wives, mothers and home takers. Hooks powerful words explain the reality of the American Dream. How patriarchy in the male lives play a huge role in how woman is viewed socially.
§ “As long as, men are brainwashed to equate violent domination and abuse of women with privilege, they will have no understanding of the damage done to themselves or others, and no motivation to change”.
This quote is very powerful because it introduces that mental health is a disease that men also suffer from. Being brainwashed into a dominant role can take tole on someone’s life. Hooks articles explains how feminist’s woman should not uphold it against men on a role given by society. When men are dominant in a patriarch society it is very hard to remove yourself individually from the environment and begin a change of understanding of how two genders role can change.
One of the artworks that I came across while researching feminism art and male dominance was the artist Mary Beth Edelson who replaced the faces of the males in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting ‘The Last Supper” with faces of her idols which were woman in the industry who worked on feminism artwork such as Alma Thomas and Yoko Ono. The painting has distinguished printed paper with typewriting words and taped paper. Edelson’s perspective on her artwork was to make room for women in a male dominated art world. Edelson refers to this work, can also be interpreted as a symbolic performance by an imagined community of living women artists.
Mary Beth Edelson (1972) Some Living American Women Artists/ Last Supper
I liked what you wrote about bell hooks definition of Patriarchy, especially the beginning and the part about men being effected.
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