In practice, this “father-rule” expands to mean “males ruling over females.” The dictionary defines Patriarchy as “a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it.” You’ll notice that in introducing this first point, Malia said “woman-centered cultures,” but she didn’t say “matriarchies.”ĭefinition-wise, patriarchy means “father-rule.” (Pater in Latin, or like padre in Spanish + Archy = ruling structure, like a monarchy means the rule of one person). Eisler calls these societies “Dominator cultures.”Įisler points out the critical need to involve women in interpreting data. Eisler calls these societies “Partnership cultures.”Įvery one of these societies was eventually overtaken by invaders that brought aggression and the institution of social hierarchies. In multiple locations, at various times, there is archeological evidence of peaceful, woman-centered cultures.
#Chalice and the blade symbolism of god full#
This book is full of information, but we chose to highlight these three points: She is editor-in-chief of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies at the University of Minnesota and President of the Center for Partnership Studies, dedicated to research and education on the “partnership model” introduced by her research. She obtained degrees in sociology and law from UCLA, and her lifelong questions about how and why human beings are so brutal to each other led to her work in Anthropology.Įisler taught pioneering classes on women and the law at UCLA and has taught in the graduate Transformative Leadership Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies and the Anthropology Department at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, as well as online through the Center for Partnership Studies and the Omega Institute. Riane fled from the Nazis with her parents to Cuba as a small child, and later emigrated to the United States. But that night I also witnessed something I carried with me the rest of my life. On Kristallnacht, so called because of all the glass shattered in Jewish homes, synagogues, and businesses, a gang of Gestapo men broke into our home and dragged my father off. “I was born in Vienna, and my parents and I lived there until Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany. She lived through the Nazi occupation of Austria when she was a child, and she writes the following about that experience: Riane Eisler is a social systems scientist, cultural historian, and attorney whose research, writing, and speaking has transformed the lives of people worldwide. Malia, can you give us some background on Riane Eisler, and some of the main points that we’ll be discussing in her book, The Chalice and the Blade.
Malia: (What interested Malia in the project)Īmy: Thank you so much for being here! And with that, let’s dive in. So Malia, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Your background and what you like to do and your point of view that you bring to the text?Īmy: Can I also ask you what interested you in the project? Malia and I are neighbors here in California, and Malia, I’m thrilled that you joined this project because you are such a brilliant thinker and an amazing person. This book was published in 1987, and along with other female archaeologists working at the time, Eisler proposed theories about humans’ prehistoric past that caused quite a stir in the field of archaeology and gave rise to a spiritual “goddess” movement within feminism in the 1980’s and 90’s.īut before we dive in, I’m excited to introduce my first reading partner, Malia Morris.
Today’s episode will be a discussion of the book The Chalice and the Blade, by Riane Eisler. Amy: Welcome to Breaking Down Patriarchy.