Response to Yellow

I found the reading, “Patriarchy, the System: An it, Not a He, and Them, or an Us,” really interesting. Until this reading, I had never really considered the construct of our patriarchal system. And if I did think about it, I assumed that it is supported purely by the male population. I think it is important to take away from the reading that blaming the patriarchal system for our problems doesn’t lead us to a better understanding of how the system was created or is sustained. We need to take a more proactive approach to solving the problems of the system, instead of the typical reactionary approach. It needs to be understood that women are equally to blame for patriarchal system as men, as they too are active participants in the system. The patriarchal system is largely based on socialization. The majority of women and men take up the gender roles that were passed down to them, though it is important to note that these roles are not rigid and can and have been changed over time. On this note it is interesting to consider women’s role in ancient times in comparison to now. If you look at texts like those read in the Western Traditions course, women are predominately described as powerful and influential, like Athena. This portrayal of women is particularly interesting in comparison to the image of women today as weak and emotional. The ability move past the societal norms of patriarchal society, it depends on how we participate in the system. The author states that we need to move off the path of least resistance to form new ideologies. I just don’t know how plausible this is on the grander scale given the tendency that if women stand up against the system, they are consider too sensitive, which then perpetuates the cycle even more.