Sujata's book exposes patriarchal conspiracies

A must-read to understand patriarchy, sexuality, matriarchy, and homosexuality.

After Rahul Gandhi's women-centric 'Students' Echo' in Pune, a sudden debate on patriarchy has started in the country.

But what exactly is this patriarchy? What does it mean?

To understand this, the recent book by Delhi University Professor Dr. Sujata, Patriarchy, Sexuality, and Homosexuality, is extremely helpful.

Author Sujata discusses in detail the impact of patriarchy on society and women in her book Patriarchy, Sexuality, and Homosexuality. In this book, the author writes seriously about the rise and dominance of patriarchy. She also explores matriarchy, examining its decline and how patriarchy, particularly responsible for the exploitation of women in society and family, is rooted in the dominant mindset of men.

The author discusses sexuality and homosexuality in detail without hesitation. She examines how the feeling of sexuality arises and how it dominates people, along with related topics like identity, especially in the context of India, using various psychoanalytical references.

This book provides a perspective on understanding patriarchy. When we delve into the depths of patriarchy, it becomes clear why the author states that patriarchy is a social system based on gender inequality. The author writes in the context of human values:

"Revolutionaries fighting to end inequality, violence, and exploitation and establish equality, fraternity, and democratic values have also failed to recognize patriarchy because we are trained in it from the very first moment of birth."

The author discusses the expansion of patriarchy in society while talking about women. "This motherhood, which is revered, is a patriarchal concept. To necessarily link it with femininity means understanding birth and upbringing as the completeness of femininity and considering love and sacrifice as the main virtues of femininity."

The author brings a deep historical study of patriarchy to readers, discussing everything from the Manusmriti to the Maoist Chinese Revolution, the Hijab Revolution in Iran, the Hindu Code Bills, Nietzsche, and 19th-century social reformers, making it an essential book for researchers.

When everything in society runs naturally, how can patriarchy dominate anyone? The author also discusses matriarchy and matrilineality. In matriarchy, women have all the rights and can make their own decisions, whereas in matrilineality, a woman is known by her mother's lineage, but power remains in the hands of men.

By quoting various thinkers, the author emphasizes the seriousness of the subject and discusses the main reasons for patriarchy. "In search of how patriarchy came about, scholars of the 18th and 19th centuries went as far as to explore matriarchy. Interestingly, some scholars believed that after the early savage era of human civilization, matriarchy came, and then patriarchy arrived, making humans civilized and developed. Matriarchy (matriarchy) was a very early stage of civilization."

While discussing sexuality, the author also talks about psychoanalysis and centers feminism in the discussion. The author considers the root of women's enslavement to be their ability to conceive and reproduce. "The root of women's enslavement lies in their ability to conceive and reproduce. Control over sexuality is due to this."

The author also discusses the issue of violence against women in Manipur and writes about rape by soldiers. While discussing sex, the book also talks about the confrontation between religion and women. The author states that "religion and women sometimes come face to face when a cleric issues a fatwa for a woman to speak on political or social issues, or a religious guru calls for having more children."

The author describes the state and religion as patriarchal structures and makes a strong critique of the patriarchal structure of religion.

Author Sujata views homosexuality from a discourse perspective. Discussing this topic, she writes that "from a discourse perspective, homosexuality is the other pole of heterosexuality." The author discusses the contraction and expansion of meanings regarding homosexual and queer identities, stating that "queer has been used in negative, disgusting, infamous, and untrustworthy senses." She also importantly discusses gender and sex, gender discrimination, misogyny, and stereotypes.

This is an excellent book for developing an understanding of patriarchy, sexuality, matriarchy, and homosexuality. It draws our attention to the seriousness of the subject and emphasizes important points related to society. Along with exploring history, it exposes all the conspiracies of the patriarchal society in the present era, which the power and religious systems have been using for their benefit from time to time.

The book's title - Patriarchy, Sexuality, and Homosexuality; available on Amazon here

Genre - Feminist Discourse/Criticism

Author's name - Sujata

Publisher's name - Setu Prakashan

Publication year - 2025

Price - ₹225