We are encouraged to treat Heritage Month as an occasion for celebration. Heritage refers to inheritance, what has been bequeathed to us by our forebears and also what we transmit to future generations.
Not everything in that legacy ought to be treated in a celebratory mode.
Heritage is complex and evokes a range of controversial questions: the status of monuments and of individuals in our history, for example, are among the many issues that arouse emotions and debate amongst heritage workers and the public.
One cannot simply erase the past, though we should contextualise legacies of oppressors differently from that of the oppressed or those who struggled for freedom.
One legacy that is still very much alive is that of patriarchy. It “belongs” to all population groups in South Africa. Patriarchy literally means rule by men. It manifests itself in domination over women but also in policing the conduct of men.
While saying that patriarchy is found across all population groups we need to understand that its character varies according to class, race and ethnic group. Historically, of course, we know that patriarchy itself may have had different meanings at different times.
Feminists generally see the notion of the man “protecting” his wife and family as one of the manifestations of inequality. Under apartheid, however, men were often unable to protect their family. They experienced this as disempowering. It meant their family was subjected to various attacks that free men could have prevented.
Thus Nelson Mandela regretted that he, as “head of the household”, was not there to defend his vulnerable family. What this shows is that patriarchy is a complex concept and that it may sometimes carry more benevolent connotations, depending on the context.
But there remain differences today, despite all women having experiences in common. Patriarchy tends to consign women to the home. Wealthier women can employ other women to do tasks that ameliorate the burden of being the homemaker.
This again varies between population groups, with white women generally being more accustomed to and better able to afford domestic workers. But there are increasing numbers in other population groups who can afford to employ assistance.
That one outsources some of the work of the home does not mean one is relieved of the responsibility for the domestic sphere. In some relationships men may share responsibility but in most cases it remains the responsibility of women. Where the domestic worker fails to “perform” the wife may be chided. The private domain is the place where she is in charge and ultimately confined.
But in addressing gender equality, we need to understand the differences in location that affect its impact.
Patriarchy is alive and well in South Africa. We need to build a counterweight and ensure that rights to gender and sexual equality are realised and fully applied in law.
Professor Raymond Suttner is attached to Rhodes University and Unisa. He is a former political prisoner and was in the leadership of the ANC-led alliance in the 1990s. He blogs at raymondsuttner.com. His twitter handle is @raymondsuttner.
This article first appeared on Creamer Media’s website: polity.org.za
Inherited patriarchy not cause worth celebrating
Not everything in that legacy ought to be treated in a celebratory mode.
Heritage is complex and evokes a range of controversial questions: the status of monuments and of individuals in our history, for example, are among the many issues that arouse emotions and debate amongst heritage workers and the public.
One cannot simply erase the past, though we should contextualise legacies of oppressors differently from that of the oppressed or those who struggled for freedom.
One legacy that is still very much alive is that of patriarchy. It “belongs” to all population groups in South Africa. Patriarchy literally means rule by men. It manifests itself in domination over women but also in policing the conduct of men.
While saying that patriarchy is found across all population groups we need to understand that its character varies according to class, race and ethnic group. Historically, of course, we know that patriarchy itself may have had different meanings at different times.
Feminists generally see the notion of the man “protecting” his wife and family as one of the manifestations of inequality. Under apartheid, however, men were often unable to protect their family. They experienced this as disempowering. It meant their family was subjected to various attacks that free men could have prevented.
Thus Nelson Mandela regretted that he, as “head of the household”, was not there to defend his vulnerable family. What this shows is that patriarchy is a complex concept and that it may sometimes carry more benevolent connotations, depending on the context.
But there remain differences today, despite all women having experiences in common. Patriarchy tends to consign women to the home. Wealthier women can employ other women to do tasks that ameliorate the burden of being the homemaker.
This again varies between population groups, with white women generally being more accustomed to and better able to afford domestic workers. But there are increasing numbers in other population groups who can afford to employ assistance.
That one outsources some of the work of the home does not mean one is relieved of the responsibility for the domestic sphere. In some relationships men may share responsibility but in most cases it remains the responsibility of women. Where the domestic worker fails to “perform” the wife may be chided. The private domain is the place where she is in charge and ultimately confined.
But in addressing gender equality, we need to understand the differences in location that affect its impact.
Patriarchy is alive and well in South Africa. We need to build a counterweight and ensure that rights to gender and sexual equality are realised and fully applied in law.
Professor Raymond Suttner is attached to Rhodes University and Unisa. He is a former political prisoner and was in the leadership of the ANC-led alliance in the 1990s. He blogs at raymondsuttner.com. His twitter handle is @raymondsuttner.
This article first appeared on Creamer Media’s website: polity.org.za
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