Why Does Patriarchy Persist?

The election of an unabashedly patriarchal man as US President was a shock for many—despite decades of activism on gender inequalities and equal rights, how could it come to this? What is it about patriarchy that seems to make it so resilient and resistant to change? Undoubtedly it endures in part because some people benefit from the unequal advantages it confers. But is that enough to explain its stubborn persistence?

In this highly original and persuasively argued book, Carol Gilligan and Naomi Snider put forward a different view: they argue that patriarchy persists because it serves a psychological function. By requiring us to sacrifice love for the sake of hierarchy, patriarchy protects us from the vulnerability of loving and becomes a defense against loss. Uncovering the powerful psychological mechanisms that underpin patriarchy, the authors show how forces beyond our awareness may be driving a politics that otherwise seems inexplicable.

Carol Gilligan is Professor of Humanities and Applied Psychology at New York University and the author of In a Different Voice, one of the most influential feminist books of all time. 

Naomi Snider is a Research Fellow at New York University.

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction 1

Part 1 17

The Puzzle 17

The First Clue: An Association to Loss 25

Resistance 32

Loss 45

The Three Discoveries 72

A Summary 89

Part 2 91

Knowing This, Then What? 91

Finding Resonance, Repairing Ruptures 119

Leaving Patriarchy 121

Where Then Do We Stand? 134

Notes 146

Index 160