Who’s Your Daddy?

The language of politics and the politics of language have both fallen under feminist theoretical scrutiny in the behavioral sciences throughout history, more specifically in the past four decades, or since the advent of feminist theory as a recognized academic genre. The effects of patriarchal language in general are quite controversial, with the issue of abuse being in the forefront. However, in order to interrogate the effects of patriarchal language in any system, there must first be a working definition of the term. For the purposes of this paper, patriarchal refers to fatherly, and language refers to a manner or means of verbal communication. Therefore, patriarchal language is quite literally a form of fatherly communication.

At best, this form of communication might be perceived as comforting, though it also yields the objectionable effect of infantilizing or victimizing the listener by causing a sense of powerlessness and dependency. There are many methods employed in patriarchal language to bring about this sense of powerlessness and dependency, but in each there is the common element of producing fear. In a political system, patriarchal language is capable of infantilizing an entire culture through this construction of fear. It is important to note that cultural systems with more balanced gender roles, where hierarchies of domination and subordination are not the norm as they are in our [western] system, the term “father” has a significantly different meaning. For example, in many indigenous cultures “father” may refer to a particular role in the family and can be neutral or even positive with respect to influencing power over another. However, in cultural systems where gendered hierarchies of domination and subordination exist, father is a term of status and power, and therefore cannot be neutral.

There is an almost symbiotic pattern that emerges through the use of patriarchal language in both the socio-politic and domestic spheres. This pattern emerges through the use of vague, fear producing language which in turn creates a sense of dependency on the speaker, or dominator to manifest comfort and security for the listener. Some of the more “comforting” aspects of this pattern can be readily seen in benevolent sexism, whereby someone takes a patriarchal approach in scenarios such as having lowered expectations of, or acting in a protective manner toward another person who is deemed to be of lesser strength, and/or ability, most commonly in a male to female dyad. The comfort of being taken care of, protected or otherwise patronized can, and often does create a sense of learned helplessness and powerlessness through fear of independence.