Big words with big meanings are powerful – if you know how to use them.
Among the
biggest, and most frequently used, of these words I’ve found students using is ‘patriarchy’.
Behind the word lies a highly complex concept, which students tend to reduce to
the startling simple formula of ‘a male dominated society’.
Like all
simple formulas, this has a very large element of truth to it. Like all simple
formulas, it also overlooks the inherent complexity of the concept.
From the perspective
of Russian and Soviet history, what did patriarchy look like in
practice? Here, I’ll pick up on three elements of a dynamic patriarchal society that
come through clearly in this context.
