The following was written in response to one of my articles discounting that Western society is a patriarchal one:
...While the Western world has made great strides, I do not think it is correct to say that the actions of the past are not continuing and do not continue to affect us now. Women still only earn approximately 72 cents per dollar as compared to men, even when they are equally qualified. (I can cite this if you so desire. ) Women are also much less likely to be in leadership positions, even when equally qualified. Women in this country, like many others non-Wester or not, are also the most likely to be victims of institutional and structural violence. Meaning that, the cultural and economic structures that we exist within typically disfavor women...Perhaps women in the United States and the Western nations have *more* freedom and equality, but I feel that as Wiccans we should look beyond our own borders and understand the structural and physical violence and inequality still rampant in the world.
I think our slight disagreement on the matter mostly comes down to one of focus. I am familiar with the 72 cents on the dollar figure and by no means which to play that down. I just don't see it as being a particularly religious issue, and I find it kind of vague to just chalk it up to "patriarchy".
As for older views influencing us, I wouldn't call the view old if it was still influencing us. I'd call it a current view that's been around a long time. ;) that particular passage was written in response to a number of pagans and Wiccans who insist they've made particular religious or social choices because 500 years ago (or insert your favorite date here) men were held superior to women.
If the inequality still exists, we should address it. But we shouldn't invent issues to address, and we shouldn't dig up issues that are no longer applicable. And while having a world view is also a great thing, we need to be mindful of who we are talking about rather than personalizing everything. Yes, inequality in other countries is bad, but claiming I personally am being oppressed because of something that happens in Saudi Arabia is bad form. It dismisses the suffering of the people actually being oppressed. It was that kind of behavior I had in mind when I wrote those statements.
Honestly, the whole masculine/feminine divide creeps me out. As a female who identifies as more masculine/male, the whole Wiccan feminine movement with such a focus on the feminine as good and the masculine as bad makes me feel uncomfortable.
We have to be careful not to become ethnocentric. We cant judge other cultures based on how ours works. Just because something is wrong within our culture doesn't mean that it should be the same around the entire world. Our culture (in the U.S.) has only existed a fraction of the time most of the world's cultures have.
I don't mean to say that we shouldn't notice inequality towards women, in particular, around the world. But more often than not, trying to change another culture to fit into your cultures belief systems can cause detrimental consequences that could possibly create problems larger that your trying to fix. Some cultures, no matter how awful we view them, simply will not want to change. And who are we to try and make them do so?