O Patriarcado e a Reação Feminista:

a evolução da condição feminina nas sociedades ocidentais

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the female condition in western societies and, based on this analysis, to expose fundamental concepts for its understanding throughout history and today. The research dialogues with the sociological, historical and cultural causes of male domination, seeking to point out the origins of patriarchy, as well as to conceptualize this form of social organization, which revolves around the male universe. At the same time, the study presents the natural, social and historical justifications found by social scientists for the establishment and perpetuation of male domination. In addition, the work clarifies how women were seen, treated and inserted in Western societies during early historical periods, in classical Greek and Roman societies and how this vision was profoundly impacted by the emergence of Christianity and its rapid worldwide expansion. The text also discusses the treatment given to women in the Middle Ages and how the emergence of capitalism influenced women in their struggle for rights and ended up promoting the path of feminist movements. It is concluded that the knowledge of the most diverse social and historic factors that have influenced humanity is essential for a critical view of the female position in today's society and for overcoming the inequalities that still exist today.