[TomC]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

I don't have time to start going too into depth really but just something to consider for now;

Whilst I do (broadly) agree that gender is a societal construction, it logically cannot have been constructed "for the purpose of the patriarchy", as the very concept of patriarchy requires gender as a precursor. That is to say, "the male" HAS TO predate "the patriarchy", and thus, gender can't be a social norm created to serve the patriarchy. Thus, for me, a patriarchal society is a wide-scale secondary symptom of a gender divide, not your starting point.

Sorry I don’t think I articulated that well at all. Patriarchy is an abstract, contest idea anyway, but what I was trying to say is that the binary classification of gender and resulting subordination both is propounded by and enables masculine oppressors.