Paternalism refers usually to an attitude or a policy reminiscent of the hierarchic pattern of a family based on patriarchy, that is, there is a figurehead (the father, pater in Latin) that makes decisions on behalf of others (the "wife" and "children") for their own good, even if this is contrary to their wishes.
It is implied that the fatherly figure is wiser than and acts in the best interest of its protected figures. The term may be used derogatorily to characterize attitudes or political systems that are thought to deprive individuals of freedom and responsibility, only nominally serving their interests, while in fact pursuing another agenda; and when the pursued agenda is directly against the interests of the individuals then the result is oppression.
The term paternalism has two important meanings: the first is the assumption that the more powerful and the better-off in any society have obligations towards the less powerful and the poor, and the second is the set of informal expectations and codes of manners held by men about how to behave towards women. What unites these two assumptions is the idea that it is the responsibility of the more powerful to demonstrate concern for the less powerful, but without disturbing existing power relations or taking steps to ensure that those in weaker social positions are enabled to improve their situations. Paternalism is frequently associated with nineteenth- and twentieth-century attitudes towards the poor: paternalistic strategies advocated acts of individual charity to alleviate poverty while rejecting more radical attempts to provide social assistance that did not depend on acts of individual goodwill. In the latter part of the twentieth century, western feminism has identified paternalism as a masculine pattern of conduct that maintains male power and is essentially random and individualistic. At the same time, other critiques of paternalism have identified it as a set of expectations that are always organized around the presumption of the authority of the powerful (whatever the source of power) over the less powerful.
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Stop.
I don’t care what the stars say
this is the age of women
women rising up and laying claim
in their God given gifted intelligence
And uttering new truths
against hypocrisies
How many of us can you beat down?
we will come at you
with that and a 1000 more
We are sick and weary
of your excesses
your abuses
your territorial
drawing of lines
in the sand not to be crossed
while bullets and bombs
rain down crushing
our sons and daughters
we are sickened by your greed
wars and unconscionable excesses
You have corrupted our children
with your hatreds and cruel expectations
we are not put upon this earth
to be in servitude to you
we who birth both sons and daughters
grow within us the very secret of all healing
we who are the foundation of the home
we are not chattel
you run around in a bag with a view all day
we are tired of you twisting religion to justify
your barbaric cruelty on our tender flesh
you deny us an education
so deeply you fear an educated woman
you make up laws that insure
we will be abused, starved, raped,
kidnapped and sold
stop imprisoning us for things you know
we work too hard to have time to do
We are not inferior
stop suffocating us with wet towels for lacking
a small piece of meat between our legs
stop throwing acid on our beauty
simply because 20 cents is a cheap revenge
and you can
Stop filling our bodies with bullets for standing up
speaking our truths and standing in our light
Stop reflecting your corruption
upon the mirror that is our hearts
when you know
we have done nothing wrong
but piss you off
Brightfire Woman © 2009 All rights reserved
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