Patriarchal Mentality workshops
The CORE staff and learners organized for the employees of the Province of Pesaro
and Urbino (men and women) a workshop about the patriarchal system and its
consequences on the role of men and women nowadays.
The workshop was structured in two phases:
1. a theoretical section on the patriarchal system means, when, where, why it did
appeared and what are the consequences of a current patriarchal mentality.
The issue has been addressed from the point of
view
of
religion,
philosophy,
literature
and
psychoanalysis.
2. a practice section within the participants were invited to tell their experiences,
reflecting on their own memories and past, thinking of dreams realized
or abandoned as a woman or man.
The sharing of stories has
emerged as the still male power
influences our culture and
therefore our lives.
And we all do constantly refer to it unconsciously.
But what are the consequences of the patriarchal system that still
characterize our society?
Despite the existence of laws protecting the activation of Equal Opportunity,
starting by the Italian Constitution of 1948, concretely there are still many differences
between men and women in various spheres of life, e.g.:
-
in the family – women often have a domestic workload excessive. In the course of
their lives many more women have given up work, they stopped work, they have
accepted a position working or were not able to invest as they would like in their
work due to family responsibilities and commitments
-
in the work – difficulty in finding a suitable job in their degree or their own
experience, in making career and in perceiving the same salary as a man for equal
work
-
in the policy – women participate little in politics. In popular opinion, in fact, the
men are better suited for other levels of power while women for the local, practical
management of power. Also family commitments hinder women's time.
The conditions of gender equality, although advocated a cultural level are not
always implemented!!!
At the end of the workshop, all participants agreed that as an important
step is teaching to men and women the value of gender differences from
childhood, when they begin to build their sexual identity, through cultural
patterns non-stereotypical.
The meeting ended with a fundamental question from which to change
mentality: which women values can we bring into the world?
The CORE staff and learners organized even some workshops about patriarchal
thinking in five classrooms of vocational training courses for adults (total 100 people):
People information
Gender 80% female and 20% male
Age 18% from 18 to 25 – 54% from 26 to 40 – 28% >40
Current role 75% unemployed and 25% employed
Marital status 67% single and 33% married
To introduce the topic, without explaining anything, it was red this little story:
A man and his son are climbing on a rock wall. Suddenly
they slip and fall. The son who is the more seriously
injured is transported by helicopter to the hospital, where
the best surgeon is waiting to operate on him. As soon as
the surgeon sees the boy, the surgeon exclaims "I cannot
carry out surgery, he is my son!"
and then it was asked them to answer immediately to the question: How is this
situation possible? Only 15% of the interviewed understood the value of gender equal
opportunities and that the surgeon was the mother.
The same question was proposed at the end of the survey to compare the answers. At the
end of the survey the share reached 70%.
We can suppose that a greater consciousness has been reached thanks to more
knowledge and careful consideration on the theme of gender equal opportunities.
It was presented a power point about Patriarchal Mentality and then discussed
together with the help of some guide questions:
What does patriarchal society mean for you? 65% knows the meaning of patriarchal
society; 35% does not and is under 40 years old. Adults experienced the patriarchal
society, while the youngsters had no ideas about it and that testifies that the society is
changing.
In your opinion do a man and a woman have the same rights in our society?
In your opinion, is being a man rather than a woman, in our society different?
Why? Most of the interviewed (90%) agrees that man and woman should have the same
rights in our society, but in the real life there are differences.
Please indicate your perception regarding equal opportunity in the following
areas:
Workplace
equal
opportunities
achieved
situation of
average
disparity
situation of
great
disparity
11%
33%
26%
(> men)
situation of
unacceptable
disparity,
requiring
immediate
action
30%
(all women)
Studies
46%
44%
6%
4%
Personal
relationships
Leisure
Family
Political area
Media
41%
38%
15%
6%
43%
33%
7%
24%
44%
48%
31%
43%
11%
22%
43%
24%
2%
7%
19%
9%
In general the 56% of the
interviewed confirm that
there are great disparities
(most part women).
in the vocational training
there are many courses
addressed only to women
30% of the interviewed
highlight gender disparity in
the media
Professional activity may influence some choices. Here are some areas of personal life.
For each of these you should indicate whether and how much they influence your
activity.
not at all
Emotional Relationships
22%
Living with a partner
33%
Marriage
37%
Decision to have children
29%
Cultivate interests and passions
21%
Professional activity has a great influence on the decision
personal interest and passions.
a little
enough
very much
32%
26%
20%
32%
22%
13%
22%
24%
17%
13%
26%
32%
31%
22%
26%
of women to have children and to cultivate
Do you think that the problem of gender discrimination in professional careers:
- 0% is never felt
- 31% is felt more and more as time passes
- 63% is felt right from the beginning
- 4% does not exist