The Value of Women and World View

Abstract

"The purpose of this article is to discuss a 'pernicious weed' which has put down roots with long tendrils reachingdeep into the soil of our human history and present-day cultures. This 'pernicious weed' is patriarchalism, which is basically the rule of a tribe or family by men, with emphasis on the value and positions of men. Its corollary is often misogyny, which means the devaluation of the female and all that is associated with the feminine. Many great thinkers from the major academic disciplines have asked, 'Why is patriarchy almost a universal phenomenon?' Historians, psy¬ chologists, sociologists and theologians have presented their reasons. By applying the anthropological theory of world view I propose that the underlying problem of patriarchal behaviours is the basic cultural assumption that women are of lesser value than men."