Patriarchy can be defined within several constructs. It may be a way to describe family, social, or political structures. Regardless of the setting, patriarchy describes a structure that favors masculine individuals or ways of being over feminine individuals or ways of being. Patriarchal structures also assume masculine forms of expression or ways of being as the “norm” or standard for all. Nearly every modern society exists within a patriarchal social and political structure. Throughout history, while some matrilineal structures have existed, where property or descendants are traced through women rather than men, a true matriarchal structure has not existed. In the modern world, patriarchal systems dominate worldwide. Living within a patriarchal structure has a significant impact on an individual’s existence in the world, regardless of ...