What is Patriarchy?
— Kamla Bhasin
Publisher
Kali for Women
Year
1993
Syllabus Area
Essay Introduction Hook
“Patriarchy is not merely an individual bias, but a systemic institutional grid that skews resource ownership, decision-making powers, and cultural conditioning against equity.”
Core Thesis & Argument
Patriarchy is a structural system of control over resources, decisions, and beliefs, rather than just individual bias. It is an institutional grid that harms both men and women by enforcing toxic archetypes.
🚀 Topper's Delta Application
Deploy this structural view when writing on crime against women or structural glass ceilings in administration to showcase a mature sociological perspective.
Key Lessons for Civil Services
- ✓Patriarchy controls reproduction, labor, and ideological beliefs.
- ✓The system harms men by forcing them into rigid, emotionless superiority roles.
Related Quotes & Essay Tips
“Patriarchy is not a war between men and women, but a system that binds and limits both.”
💡 Application Tip: Use this definition in introductory paragraphs to anchor abstract topics on gender dynamics.
Analytical FAQs
Q: What is Kamla Bhasin's core message regarding institutional patriarchy?
A: She argues that patriarchy is an all-encompassing system built on control rather than collaboration, and dismantling it requires structural overhaul, not just individual goodwill.