Citation

George M. Int. J. Mens Health 2007; 6(1): 7-21.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Men's Studies Press)

DOI

10.3149/jmh.0601.7

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The role of historical memes such as the "Rule of Thumb" is explored and documented to illustrate how the notion of patriarchy defined as "male dominance over women" is deeply flawed. The "Rule of Thumb" as anything other than a rough and ready measure is shown to be both a historical myth and the result of sophistry by some women's activists. The continuation of the ancient meme of patriarchy, as expressed, for example, by the Skimmington, is shown to predict the controversy over the existence of female-perpetrated violence and male victims, a controversy that saw academics who sought to expose such violence being subjected to intimidation and abuse. Patriarchy is proposed as an influence on the occurrence and prevalence of both husband and wife abuse, operating through the patriarchal meme that "men should not be victims." The importance of these considerations for men's emotional and physical health is emphasized.