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:

equal opportunities

achieved

situation of average

disparity

situation of great

disparity

situation of unacceptable

disparity,

requiring immediate

action

Workplace 11% (> men)

33% 26% 30% (all women)

In general the 56% of the

interviewed confirm that

there are great disparities (most part women).

Studies 46% 44% 6% 4% in the vocational training

there are many courses addressed only to women

Personal relationships

41% 38% 15% 6%

Leisure 43% 44% 11% 2%

Family 33% 48% 22% 7%

Political area 7% 31% 43% 19%

Media 24% 43% 24% 9% 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 a little enough very much

Emotional Relationships 22% 32% 26% 20%

Living with a partner 33% 32% 22% 13% Marriage 37% 22% 24% 17% Decision to have children 29% 13% 26% 32%

Cultivate interests and passions 21% 31% 22% 26%

Professional activity has a great influence on the decision of women to have children and to cultivate

personal interest and passions.

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