Many theories exist that try to explain the root causes of GBSV. Some argue that the perpetrators of GBSV are dysfunctional, angry, psychopathic men: these are the monsters of our society who prey on the weak. The problem with this theory is that it exonerates all the men who might have violent tendencies but who do not have the guts or the opportunity to exercise them. It exonerates all men who have an inherent belief that women must submit, that women are objects for their sexual desire that women belong in the kitchen and should be punished if they step out of this role.
Then there’s those who take a generational approach. If you have suffered violence in the home, if you have witnessed GBSV or have been a victim yourself, you are more likely to become a perpetrator. Although there is scientific proof that trauma has a lasting effect on the development of your character, this theory does not explain those men who rape, beat and oppress without ever having been raped, beaten or oppressed themselves.
Another harmful theory, rooted in a Freudian narrative suggests that men are simply aggressive creatures. Sexual aggressiveness in particular is the male prerogative. This theory is aggravating to say the least, because it excuses violent behaviour as “natural” and ignores the systems that uphold male violence.
Let’s call a spade a spade… GBSV is male violence. It is patriarchal violence. Yes, there are male victims of domestic violence and rape, but the VAST majority are female. The perpetrators are men. So what is patriarchy? Where does it stem from and how does it manifest as violence? Patriarchy literally means “rule of the father” in ancient Greek. Patriarchy is the institutionalization of male dominance against women and children in families, and the extension of this dominance against women in society.
So, the start of it all is in the home. The word “family” was popularized in the 1500s and has its root in the Latin “familia”, which means “servants of the household”. In the Western feudal system, the woman and her children were essentially unpaid labourers of the man’s household. This social order was maintained through monotheistic religions that teach women to be submissive to their husbands. Symbolic proof of this structure remains in the fact that women are referred to as “Mrs. or Miss” to denote their marital status, but men are simply referred to as Mr. (In Africa, there was no feudal system. This is not to say that patriarchy did not exist in Africa before colonialism, but it was far less pronounced .) In order to be seen as “the head of the household”, a man had to possess specific traits associated with strength and dominance. This “ideal masculinity” is taught to boys from a young age and relates to toughness, independence, and a lack of emotional sensitivity. It becomes an acceptable fact that boys and men should use violence and aggression as a display of emotion and dominance. This is the root of patriarchal violence.
Patriarchy then became an important proponent of capitalism. The norm in a capitalist society is that paid work is more valued than unpaid work. Therefore, the woman, the traditional keeper of the household is over-exploited and undervalued. A hierarchy of activities was cemented in society with “masculine” tasks of producing an income was assigned a higher value than “feminine” ones like domestic tasks, cooking, cleaning and raising children. It’s important to note that many women who now occupy both income-generating and home-making roles rarely get credit for the latter.
Naturally, then women were seen as less competent and therefore incapable of occupying leadership roles. The “rule of the father” is still acutely visible in our leadership structures. There are 195 countries in the world. In 2014, we had a record 22 female presidents. In the economic arena figures are even more alarming. Of the companies that make up the 2019 Fortune 500 list, only 33 have female CEOs. Leadership roles have traditionally been reserved for men. Men are accustomed to dominating every aspect of society. This dominance often remains unquestioned. This dominance hinders our ability to make women’s issues such as access to sexual an important national issue. It prevents us from addressing the severe gender pay gap that varies between 25 to 60% from one industry to the next. It ignores the plight of women who suffer abuse and violence at the hands of men.
Patriarchy is often invisible and when its dominance is questioned, these objections are met with violence. Patriarchy is fragile. If challenged, it lashes out in anger. If the woman does not adhere to her role as passive house-keeper and child-bearer, her “rebellion” is met with violence.
What makes it worse is that we glamorize patriarchal violence through rape culture. In mainstream movies and video games, we marginalize and stigmatize men who dare to show sensitivity and emotion. A study done by the US School of Medicine in 2016 suggest that playing violent-sexist video games increase the endorsement of male violence, especially among participants who identify with dominant and aggressive male game characters, and it reduces empathy toward female victims of violence. In my next article I will delve the covert ways that rape culture penetrates our homes through popular culture as a tool to reinforce patriarchal violence.
Inevitably, patriarchal violence is a means to control, to dominate, to uphold the status quo. It spills over from the home into communities and society as a whole. It expresses itself through sexual assault, colonialism, capitalism and war. It is not a natural phenomenon. It is a social construct. It is learnt behaviour. Yes, we need to address the issues that uphold patriarchal violence. We need to investigate issues such as generational trauma and poverty, but over and above this, we need to dismantle the system. We need to interrogate our beliefs and social structures. The best way to do this is to expose, to discuss, to debate and to confront the invisible.
Then there’s those who take a generational approach. If you have suffered violence in the home, if you have witnessed GBSV or have been a victim yourself, you are more likely to become a perpetrator. Although there is scientific proof that trauma has a lasting effect on the development of your character, this theory does not explain those men who rape, beat and oppress without ever having been raped, beaten or oppressed themselves.
Another harmful theory, rooted in a Freudian narrative suggests that men are simply aggressive creatures. Sexual aggressiveness in particular is the male prerogative. This theory is aggravating to say the least, because it excuses violent behaviour as “natural” and ignores the systems that uphold male violence.
Let’s call a spade a spade… GBSV is male violence. It is patriarchal violence. Yes, there are male victims of domestic violence and rape, but the VAST majority are female. The perpetrators are men. So what is patriarchy? Where does it stem from and how does it manifest as violence? Patriarchy literally means “rule of the father” in ancient Greek. Patriarchy is the institutionalization of male dominance against women and children in families, and the extension of this dominance against women in society.
So, the start of it all is in the home. The word “family” was popularized in the 1500s and has its root in the Latin “familia”, which means “servants of the household”. In the Western feudal system, the woman and her children were essentially unpaid labourers of the man’s household. This social order was maintained through monotheistic religions that teach women to be submissive to their husbands. Symbolic proof of this structure remains in the fact that women are referred to as “Mrs. or Miss” to denote their marital status, but men are simply referred to as Mr. (In Africa, there was no feudal system. This is not to say that patriarchy did not exist in Africa before colonialism, but it was far less pronounced .) In order to be seen as “the head of the household”, a man had to possess specific traits associated with strength and dominance. This “ideal masculinity” is taught to boys from a young age and relates to toughness, independence, and a lack of emotional sensitivity. It becomes an acceptable fact that boys and men should use violence and aggression as a display of emotion and dominance. This is the root of patriarchal violence.
Patriarchy then became an important proponent of capitalism. The norm in a capitalist society is that paid work is more valued than unpaid work. Therefore, the woman, the traditional keeper of the household is over-exploited and undervalued. A hierarchy of activities was cemented in society with “masculine” tasks of producing an income was assigned a higher value than “feminine” ones like domestic tasks, cooking, cleaning and raising children. It’s important to note that many women who now occupy both income-generating and home-making roles rarely get credit for the latter.
Naturally, then women were seen as less competent and therefore incapable of occupying leadership roles. The “rule of the father” is still acutely visible in our leadership structures. There are 195 countries in the world. In 2014, we had a record 22 female presidents. In the economic arena figures are even more alarming. Of the companies that make up the 2019 Fortune 500 list, only 33 have female CEOs. Leadership roles have traditionally been reserved for men. Men are accustomed to dominating every aspect of society. This dominance often remains unquestioned. This dominance hinders our ability to make women’s issues such as access to sexual an important national issue. It prevents us from addressing the severe gender pay gap that varies between 25 to 60% from one industry to the next. It ignores the plight of women who suffer abuse and violence at the hands of men.
Patriarchy is often invisible and when its dominance is questioned, these objections are met with violence. Patriarchy is fragile. If challenged, it lashes out in anger. If the woman does not adhere to her role as passive house-keeper and child-bearer, her “rebellion” is met with violence.
What makes it worse is that we glamorize patriarchal violence through rape culture. In mainstream movies and video games, we marginalize and stigmatize men who dare to show sensitivity and emotion. A study done by the US School of Medicine in 2016 suggest that playing violent-sexist video games increase the endorsement of male violence, especially among participants who identify with dominant and aggressive male game characters, and it reduces empathy toward female victims of violence. In my next article I will delve the covert ways that rape culture penetrates our homes through popular culture as a tool to reinforce patriarchal violence.
Inevitably, patriarchal violence is a means to control, to dominate, to uphold the status quo. It spills over from the home into communities and society as a whole. It expresses itself through sexual assault, colonialism, capitalism and war. It is not a natural phenomenon. It is a social construct. It is learnt behaviour. Yes, we need to address the issues that uphold patriarchal violence. We need to investigate issues such as generational trauma and poverty, but over and above this, we need to dismantle the system. We need to interrogate our beliefs and social structures. The best way to do this is to expose, to discuss, to debate and to confront the invisible.
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