We may believe that violent patriarchy is an inevitable reality, that our current world culture simply is a result of our immutable human nature. A human nature that is in a constant and brutal competition for limited resources, in which only the mos...
We may believe that violent patriarchy is an inevitable reality, that our current world culture simply is a result of our immutable human nature. A human nature that is in a constant and brutal competition for limited resources, in which only the most ruthless of us survive and thrive.
But there is much evidence - in our history, in our bodies and brains, in our nature - that tells a very different story. A story of peace, cooperation and sophisticated organization. A story in which mothers play a central role.
In this episode Elle talks to sociologist Andrea Fleckinger, who studies and lectures on modern matriarchal societies. While we can find matriarchal cultures in our history, there are in existence today - societies all around the globe that have preserved and now maintain their traditions of egalitarian matriarchy - and Andrea breaks down exactly what it means to be a matriarchy - the social structures, values and practices that sets them apart from patriarchal cultures, and what we can learn from them.
Credits
Host: Elle Kamihira
Produced by Elle Kamihira
Audio Engineering by Jason Sheesley at Abridged Audio
Cover Art by Bee Johnson
Music by Beware of Darkness
Sociologist & Researcher
Dr. Andrea Fleckinger is a sociologist, a social worker, and a certificated lecturer on modern matriarchal studies. She is a researcher at the University of Trento and gives lectures at national and international universities. Her research projects adopt a feminist approach, focusing on women and gender equality, care, mothering, and gender-based violence. As a feminist and activist, she promotes social transformation inspired by contemporary matriarchal societies. Andrea is a co-founder of the international think-tank MatriForum. She lives with her two children in South Tyrol, Italy.