I had a conversation on Facebook last night with a really nice feminist. I think she is somewhat mistaken, though, as she buys into some notions that seem to be based in religion -- implicit metaphysical notions of purity and contamination. She states that hierarchy IS patriarchy. She also states that one enters a woman only group in order to be free of domination by men, since (she states) women cannot dominate men, but men dominate women.
I raised the issue with her of how many women use “women only” groups as an arena where they dominate other women. She replied that this is because they have too much patriarchy in them, and that it takes a while to get it out.
There are many situations where women take the opportunity to dominate and exert control over others, using various issues as a pretext.
I don’t agree at all that hierarchy=patriarchy. Rather, it is often the case that a respect for formal station and hierarchy is the only thing that separates us from patriarchy, since otherwise everybody reverts to the more “natural” roles they had within their families of origin, where (of course) all adult women are, by necessity, mothers.
So, I really think we need to get away from female interest groups and the fear of hierarchy. It’s not that we should be craven and desire hierarchy for its own sake. It’s just that a formal social structure (i.e. hierarchy) gives women an opportunity to be recognised for something other than being mothers (or, motherly).
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