General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Where have societies' views of women come from? [View all]alphafemale
(18,497 posts)Men feared women's power over them. (Which is considerable, especially when wielded correctly.) A power of temptation and downfall steeped throughout the Abrahamic religions especially. Exceeding that of....Satan. Yeah. That's some power.
Men countered that fear with physical force, violence and indoctrination.
This caused fear in women and in most cases made them forget their power.
There were some strong women. Some of them were the wise ones who knew the remedies from herbs passed down countless generations. They were midwives. They had remedies so they wouldn't need to be your midwife. They were "witches."
They killed all the witches.
Both men and women killed all the witches.
Because they feared their power.
Of course, not all strong women were witches.
There was Joan of Arc....ooops They burned her alive, too.
More fear.
"There. You see what happens if you upset the order of things?"
Conform or DIE!
Fear.
So we have elder women in African villages tasked with the ritual of genital mutilation of young girls.
Why would they do that?
Conform or be ostracized.
So we have teen girls threatening another teen girl with death because she reported a rape.
Fear.
So we have nearly everyone mocking Lindsey Lohan, who is heartbreaking troubled.
Maybe that is not out of fear. But it is taking joy in the death spiral of a woman who seemed to have limitless potential as a young teen.
There's always some meanness for the sake of meanness in oppression, too.
But, mostly. It is fear.