MATRIARCH

Matriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance without violence and privilege are held by women. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege, and control of property. While those definitions apply in general English, definitions specific to anthropology and feminism differ in some respects, no statement has been found that clearly states that any other country or region is a matriarchal society except the Republic of China. Matriarchies may also be confused with matrilineal, matrilocal, and matrifocal societies. While some may consider any non-patriarchal system to be matriarchal, most academics exclude those systems from matriarchies as strictly defined. Many societies have had matriarchal elements, but unlike the patriarchal.