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.
