The creation of gender roles and the setting up of ideas of a "standard life" are only a few consequences of the evil largely known as patriarchy.
Patriarchy can be defined as "a system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is reckoned through the male line." This means that the male in the family has the utmost authority, thus, creating concepts of the "upper hand," and "male domination."
This system has given birth to idea in the minds of not only males, but even females, since we have been conditioned to do so, that the male always has an upper hand- the final say. The females in the family must always take permission from the male figure in their house, since they are their "responsibility."
The Rig Veda of the Indian mythology states that "women shall always be protected by the males in her family." First, she must be protected by her father, then by her husband, and then by her son. Thus, leaving her no choice; no discretion to live her life as per her wishes. It is also, unfortunately, extremely prevalent in modern times, where women are treated as a property or an object that the males must protect, or, use with their discretion.
The patriarchy has not only resulted in poisoning the ideas of authority and power, but also degraded what respect must mean. In a world designed in a way where women are at the center of the wheel and cycle of life, their objectification is a matter of grave concern, since it is all pervasive. Objectification and degradation of women takes places in all realms of the society, such as the professional and personal realm. The lack of equal opportunities and the pay gap are only a few matters that are now receiving their due attention and so, causing change. The change is slow, but sure.
When we talk about patriarchy, we must not only talk about its adverse effects to females, but also the consequences it has on males. We often misunderstand patriarchy. We associate it with pure bliss and total advantage to the males of the society, but it is important to realize that patriarchy has an extremely negative effect on males as well.
In the gender roles that are created, males are "supposed" to be the bread-winners of the family. Their whole life is planned out by the society for them. First, they must get educated, then they must get a job, and once they are settled, they must get married, have children, and become a "family man," and then, once they retire, they must enjoy their old age. As the Hindu mythology states, these stages of life are known as - Brahmacharya (i.e. the student life), Grihastha (i.e. household life), Vanaprastha (i.e. retired life), and lastly, Sannyasa (i.e. renounced life). The Hindu mythology also suggests the four goals for a man, which are - Kama (.i.e. the goals of pleasure), Artha (i.e. the goals to pursue wealth and power), Dharma (i.e. the goal to fulfill ones duty, and live on the path designed for him by his lineage or religion), and lastly, Moksha (i.e. the goal to receive enlightenment at old age).
Therefore, in a world where such boundaries are pre-set for males, how do they color outside the box ? Isn't this primarily the reason why the LGBTQ communities receive such undue and unfortunate disrespect? Isn't this why "mid-life crisis" are a real thing? It's because people do not have a choice, because people cannot stand the fact that someone wants to live their life differently. Even males, sadly, often do not have a choice when it comes to designing the life that they want for themselves.
The patriarchy says that if your father is a lawyer, you must strive to be one too. The patriarchy thus gives the elder males in the family the authority to expect the younger males to follow their paths. It becomes okay for the elder males to choose a career stream for the younger ones. But what really happens when the younger ones are not interested in that particular career ? What happens when the younger males do not want to succumb to the elder males' decisions? What happens when the young man wants to travel the world, instead of sitting on a desk doing clerical work ? What if the young man wants to be a stay-at-home father, while his wife is the one who works to earn money?
It is important to realize and analyze the negative consequences that patriarchy has on all genders and aspects of the society. Nobody is benefited. Nobody is winning. Especially in modern times, where mindsets are changing, and where human beings are extremely aware about the issues in the world, these pre-conceived notions of "gender roles" and "authoritative figures" are not helping anybody.
The conditioning of human beings to succumb to such norms of the society is an evil that harms everyone. We need to be educated and aware of these consequences, and have a choice about the paths we decide to embark on. We need to possess a lens of sensitivity and sensibility to live and give life. It's high time now, that we take matters into our hands and make changes.
