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The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality Paperback – February 27, 2024

by Angela Saini (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 182 ratings
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For fans of Sapiens and The Dawn of Everything, a groundbreaking exploration of gendered oppression—its origins, its histories, our attempts to understand it, and our efforts to combat it

For centuries, societies have treated male domination as natural to the human species. But how would our understanding of gender inequality—our imagined past and contested present— look if we didn’t assume that men have always ruled over women? If we saw inequality as something more fragile that has had to be constantly remade and reasserted?

In this bold and radical book, award-winning science journalist Angela Saini explores the roots of what we call patriarchy, uncovering a complex history of how it first became embedded in societies and spread across the globe from prehistory into the present. She travels to the world’s earliest known human settlements, analyzes the latest research findings in science and archaeology, and traces cultural and political histories from the Americas to Asia, finding that:

  • From around 7,000 years ago there are signs that a small number of powerful men were having more children than other men
  • From 5,000 years ago, as the earliest states began to expand, gendered codes appeared in parts of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East to serve the interests of powerful elites—but in slow, piecemeal ways, and always resisted
  • In societies where women left their own families to live with their husbands, marriage customs came to be informed by the widespread practice of captive-taking and slavery, eventually shaping laws that alienated women from systems of support and denied them equal rights
  • There was enormous variation in gender and power in many societies for thousands of years, but colonialism and empire dramatically changed ways of life across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, spreading rigidly patriarchal customs and undermining how people organized their families and work.

In the 19th century and 20th centuries, philosophers, historians, anthropologists, and feminists began to actively question what patriarchy meant as part of the attempt to understand the origins of inequality. In our own time, despite the pushback against sexism, abuse, and discrimination, even revolutionary efforts to bring about equality have often ended in failure and backlash. But The Patriarchs is a profoundly hopeful book—one that reveals a multiplicity to human arrangements that undercuts the old grand narratives and exposes male supremacy as no more (and no less) than an ever-shifting element in systems of control.
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  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Beacon Press
  4. Publication date
    February 27, 2024
  5. Dimensions
    6.03 x 0.69 x 8.98 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0807093335
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0807093337
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A useful resource for scholars and students of gender studies and cultural anthropology.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Saini makes a persuasive case that patriarchy is more vulnerable to change than it appears. It’s a game changer.”
—Publishers Weekly

“The Patriarchs . . . shows that more equal societies are possible and do thrive – historically, now and everywhere.”
—The Guardian

“In The Patriarchs, Angela Saini [turns] to archaeology, anthropology, and ancient history to warn readers that neither gender equity nor patriarchy is preordained.”
—Science

“The great value of this slim and accessible volume is the sweeping story it tells about how ‘men came to rule’ in a world that was once much more diverse in its social structures.”
—Kristen R. Ghodsee, Jacobin

“Angela Saini is one of today’s most incisive and important writers about humanity’s troubling turns, twists, and biases. The Patriarchs, a book that is at turns myth-busting, startling, enraging, surprisingly hopeful, and addictively readable, wholly underlines that point. Don’t miss it.”
—Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection

“Based on extensive interviews with leading experts, this wide-ranging book injects new life into debates on the origins of patriarchy. Saini shows how much theorizing about the roots of gender inequality is a ‘racket,’ resting on shaky assumptions about human biology and social norms, and serving to naturalize what it should seek to question: the penetration of household and family relations by predatory systems of power and exploitation.”
—David Wengrow, coauthor of The Dawn of Everything

“Gripping and beautifully written, Saini’s The Patriarchs is mind-bending. The Patriarchs compels us to look beyond what is and what was, and imagine what could be.”
—Jennifer Shahade, author of Chess Queens: The True Story of a Chess Champion and the Greatest Female Players of All Time

“In a world sewn together by the myth of permanence, The Patriarchs offers a portal to possibility: the way things are is not necessarily how they could have been. Male supremacy was never inevitable; it was a political choice. Once again, Angela Saini has the receipts. She is scientific journalism at its best—equally engaging and enraging in her forensic denaturalization of power.”
—Alok Vaid-Menon, author of Beyond the Gender Binary

“The prose is sparkling, the information is richly textured, and the insights are plentiful. The Patriarchs is essential reading for anyone interested in how the legacy of the past continues to shape the relations between women and men, and how women have struggled to throw off its yoke.”
—David Livingstone Smith, author of Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization

“The Patriarchs cements Saini’s status as a writer of the highest caliber. . . . The reader is sure to be informed, infuriated, inspired, and spurred to action by her thorough investigations of how and why bad ideas are recycled and gender-based injustice persists.”
—Dr. Amy Parish, primatologist, University of Southern California

“Saini deftly interweaves interviews with experts in genetics, archaeology, history, sociology, and literature, as well as social and legal activists, with nuanced interpretations of key moments in the history of women to understand how oppression becomes normalized and patriarchy almost inevitable. Filled with important stories and the data underlying them, The Patriarchs helps us grapple with the big questions about the deep histories and present battles over power, gender relations, and women’s experiences in a world that often seems bent on keeping us down.”
—Rebecca Futo Kennedy, chair of Classical Studies, Denison University

“A deep and incisive look at the historical origins of patriarchal structures we are still fighting today. A must-read for every feminist.”
—Rafia Zakaria, author of Against White Feminism

“Bold, incisive, and beautifully told, The Patriarchs is a truly riveting investigation into the origins and consequences of structural power. The depth and originality of Angela Saini’s thought and research are breathtaking and world changing. A phenomenally important and deeply enjoyable book.”
—Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World

About the Author

Angela Saini is an award-winning British science journalist and broadcaster based in New York. Her previous book, Superior: The Return of Race Science, was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize and named a book of the year by Nature, the Financial Times, and NPR’s Science Friday. Her book Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong has been translated into 14 languages.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beacon Press (February 27, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0807093335
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0807093337
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.03 x 0.69 x 8.98 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 182 ratings

About the author

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Angela Saini

Angela Saini

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Angela Saini is an award-winning British science journalist and broadcaster. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, New Scientist, Wired and The Sunday Times, and she regularly presents science programmes on the BBC. In 2020 she was named one of the world's top 50 thinkers by Prospect magazine, and in 2018 she was voted one of the most respected journalists in the UK. She has won honours from the Association of British Science Writers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Angela has a a Masters degree in Engineering from Oxford University and was a fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

To learn more please visit angelasaini.co.uk, where you can also sign up to her newsletter.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
182 global ratings
On the surface it may seem like neo-feminist bait but there is a lot more to it
5 Stars
On the surface it may seem like neo-feminist bait but there is a lot more to it
I've read Angela Saini's two former books and i've got to say she is an incredible science communicator. She really does the research and presents the realities of her findings.In the Patriarchs she is not trying to say that matriarchies used to rule the world but more so that a lot of cultures actually leaned more toward egalitarianism. She actually dismisses a lot of the more recent myths of ancient matriarchal utopias, (although some female lead societies definitely did exist.)In league with her other books as an important and much recommended read.
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Top reviews from the United States

Ford Prefect
5.0 out of 5 stars Great historical perspective
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
Loved the information and voice of the author. Seemed a bit disjointed and meandering, but still a good read. All men should read this book.
3 people found this helpful
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Milton Reynolds
5.0 out of 5 stars Angela delivers yet again...
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2023
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Angela is a talented writer who makes tough subjects accessible and enjoyable to read. Her books are all well researched and illuminating. She's hit another one out of the park with The Patriarchs. Superior was also excellent and well worth your time and money. This book is also quite timely and offers unique insights into our present moment. Pick up a copy, you won't be disappointed.
2 people found this helpful
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Jessica Levai
4.0 out of 5 stars The history is more complicated than you think
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2023
My favorite chapter was the one about the former Soviet Union. Here, people really tried to create a new, equal society. This included state-sponsored day cares, canteens, and laundries, to free women from domestic work so they could join the workforce. Of course, this became just a different stereotype to conform to, and it didn't work. But it changed societal expectations, and you can see why some people were wistful for the daycares, once they were under capitalism again but still expected to work outside the home.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly written, even-handed treatment of a complex topic
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2023
Verified Purchase
For anyone who has wondered how patriarchy developed, all over the world and throughout time, this is the book to read. Meticulously researched, clearly and engagingly written, this is a book I will be gifting to friends and family. I love that I can share it with the men in my life, because the telling of history is so nuanced and fair. As a science writer, her tone is neutral and factual, and as a human being she extends benefit of the doubt where appropriate, and the book ends with optimism. Saini has made a hugely important contribution to our understanding of patriarchy, and also to our ability to talk about it in our personal lives.
13 people found this helpful
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Larry K
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully Disturbing
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2023
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“States institutionalized human categorization and gendered laws; slavery influenced patrilocal marriage; empires exported gendered oppression to nearly every corner of the globe; capitalism exacerbated gender disparities; and religions and traditions are still being manipulated to give psychological force to the notion of male domination.”

Struck, disturbed, troubled, etc. by the observation regarding “human categorization.” My life’s experience only confirms it’s pervasiveness and perversity.

I’m likewise profoundly troubled as I recognize institutions (e.g., country and church) of which I am part (and am grateful for in so many ways) create, contribute to, and perpetuate an environment in which categorizations have been and are oppressive and exploitive.

“Christianity” as herein characterized is a generalization. Individuals may and do vary from the stereotype.

The God I have and continue to come to know and the God I worship, my God, loves each of His children without regard to classifications humankind seems so predisposed even unable not to create and exploit.

Nonetheless, I believe that such proclivities which are not divine have found root among societies within those institutions.

I believe in the divine origin of gender. I believe in the divinity of procreation. I'd be intentionally irrational and ignorant to disregard the distinction between genders in procreation.

However, what is an unavoidable distinction differs mightily from what has become, through errant thought and behavior, intended or otherwise, systemic institutionalized oppression and exploitation of any human.

I believe many in those organizations are blind to the distinction between divine expressions of thought, speech, and being as contrasted with oppressive and exploitative manifestations and expressions in thought, word, and deed.

I note the persistent uneven distribution of work at home. I like to believe I’m less inclined to error. But am I? What am I blind to? Surely I too am conditioned by my environment.

P.S. I believe the author has been careful to acknowledge what is known vs what is not and yet to assert potential meanings and application. Nicely done.
15 people found this helpful
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Robin
3.0 out of 5 stars Engaging Science, Incomplete Insights
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is an excellently researched book with lots of fascinating insights into how human societies have been organized over time. Where it fails, however, is as an explanation of patriarchy. Saini makes valuable connections between the practice of captive taking and how it influences patriarchy, but after reading this book I still can’t answer the basic question: why aren’t matriarchal societies equally oppressive? What makes patriarchy beneficial to men, or if it isn’t, why are they so easily and consistently convinced that it is? This book focuses more on critiques of white feminism (which are insightful and backed up with research) and the important parts women play in upholding patriarchal systems. If I’m honest, the tone read more like an explanation of patriarchy that could be digested by men. The role women play in upholding patriarchies is essential to understanding how patriarchy works, but it isn’t the CORE issue. Reading this book, you might think otherwise.
11 people found this helpful
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Josh
5.0 out of 5 stars On the surface it may seem like neo-feminist bait but there is a lot more to it
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
I've read Angela Saini's two former books and i've got to say she is an incredible science communicator. She really does the research and presents the realities of her findings.
In the Patriarchs she is not trying to say that matriarchies used to rule the world but more so that a lot of cultures actually leaned more toward egalitarianism. She actually dismisses a lot of the more recent myths of ancient matriarchal utopias, (although some female lead societies definitely did exist.)

In league with her other books as an important and much recommended read.
Customer image
Josh
5.0 out of 5 stars On the surface it may seem like neo-feminist bait but there is a lot more to it
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2023
I've read Angela Saini's two former books and i've got to say she is an incredible science communicator. She really does the research and presents the realities of her findings.
In the Patriarchs she is not trying to say that matriarchies used to rule the world but more so that a lot of cultures actually leaned more toward egalitarianism. She actually dismisses a lot of the more recent myths of ancient matriarchal utopias, (although some female lead societies definitely did exist.)

In league with her other books as an important and much recommended read.
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
7 people found this helpful
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Ellen Kindl
5.0 out of 5 stars Refuses to simplify or schematize
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
Quicker to buy a rubber mallet and whack yourself on the side of the head, repeatedly and hard. However, a thoughtful dive into patriarchy: what it is, how it came to be, how it manifests itself. I picture the author as a plumber wading through a septic tank to bring out insights for us. Very much liked the insistence that the history is not a cartoon, but a complex web of cooperation, competition, coercion, co-option, complicity. If you want a 'everyone on this side is good, on that side is bad' book look elsewhere. She doesn't shy away from the pain, though: it's never excuses, but pursuit of understanding.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

TAD-TO
5.0 out of 5 stars An important work
Reviewed in Canada on December 27, 2023
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The author provides a well-documented account of how societies screw themselves up by trying to keep women down.
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Multilingual Mum
1.0 out of 5 stars The copy was partially print :(
Reviewed in France on March 18, 2024
Verified Purchase
The copy i received was wrongly printed - it started with pages 259-305 and jumped into the second chapter. It lack the introductory pages (title etc. ) and especially the first chapter!
I look forward to receiving a proper print version as I am so looking forward to reading Angela Saini latest work !
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Punam
5.0 out of 5 stars Patriachy Mysoginy Instuttionalised in cultures Marriages Religions and Communities?
Reviewed in India on November 30, 2023
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This is the Best Book which tries to find out about the Universal question which came into 50 percentage of Human Population i.e How One Gender Became so Dominant over another? She Read And Travelled to historical sites Talked to Researchers of different fields and Gave us the Conclusion which is Slavery ! Historically Gathering Power means Gathering People so Power Hungry Males used to capture women and turn them into Wives and Concubines, Domestic Unpaid Labour is Modern Age Slavery Many Matriachal cultures in the past got destroyed by violent attacks of foreign Men . However the Problem of Patriachy was never Unilinear it's always tried to restablished by current Political and Religious powers
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and insightful
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2023
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A fantastic read. Saini’s book are always incredibly well researched, nuanced and thoughtful and this is no different. She never shies away from complexity and you are always left thinking about what she’s has said for days.
3 people found this helpful
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Kim Wingerei
5.0 out of 5 stars The long and convoluted history of the patriarchy
Reviewed in Australia on February 21, 2024
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Many interesting insights into different cultures and the history of why and how men came to rule, albeit not as often as we think. Educational and thought provoking. I learnt a lot.
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