ABSTRACT
Why is it that within every culture you care to name, the value society places on women is much less than that for men? Who determines what the place is of a woman? As there is no logical biological origin for this, it can only be a result of social and cultural influence. The essentialist natures of genders have remained unquestioned and seen as a given and have served to keep genders locked into the traits and personalities assigned to each one. Such an imbalance has been kept alive via patriarchy throughout the history of (hu)mankind. Western history has been about the white, propertied and Christian male as the head of the household. History has therefore been about ‘his’ story and ‘his’ idea of truth and reality, obliterating the voices of groups other than ‘his’ dominant group. Not only do patriarchal values lead to the devaluation of women, but they also suppress the feminine characteristics within men, albeit subconsciously.
