From: viktor@mks.com (Viktor Haag)
Subject: Re: Matriarchal Societies...Fact or Fiction
Organization: Mortice Kern Systems Inc., Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 17:59:02 GMT

In article <Bu99tL.5zx@acsu.buffalo.edu> v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!) writes:
>I am not going to debate the value of Matriarchal socieites despite current
>growing trends to claim that they did exists and were without exception
>veritable golden eras while patriarchal societies are hell on earth...all Iwant
>to say is that there is archeological evidence to suggest that therer was a
>time when Greece was indeed a matriarchal society.  Now then, if there is
>sufficient evidence to suggest this possibility can we not accept the
>probability if the existance of matriarchal societies and include them in our
>gaming worlds with a clear concious, a noble thought, and all of that other bs? 
>It is ironic, people accept the existance of Atlantis on an off handed remark
>by one philosopher but they seem to run in fear of the idea that men were not
>always in charge???

I do not know of any reliable "archeological evidence" to support the
construct we traditionally term a matriarchal culture.  If you have such
evidence, could you please forward your references?

The concept of matriarchal culture presents lots of sticky problems, mostly
because people refuse to agree on a definition of the term.  A blanket 
statement about it being "a society where women are in charge" is
misleading at best.  There is plenty of leeway in the phrase "in charge" to 
begin with, never mind deciding what, exactly, qualifies as a "woman".

The traditional concept of matriarchy (at least, that one presented in
early anthropology, and in pop literature) is an unrealistic fabrication
built on fallacious and superficial western comprehension of its
own culture.  At least, this is the view accepted among most 
respected authorities of which I am aware.

I would go so far as to rebut your assertion that there is a growing 
trend towards the claim that these "societies" did exist.  The only
evidence I have seen of this trend has been in disreputable research,
or pop culture (which has nearly always been in the position of
woeful misinformation through encapsulation).

It has always been my position that ayone who wants to accurately portray 
a picture of a different "culture" either in fiction or roleplaying 
would do well to take some courses in the social science areas, or at 
the very least to read some reputable texts on the phenomenon of culture.

I'll get down off my high horse now.  What you do in your gaming group
is your own business, and pleasure, of course.  But you should be careful
about the sources you use to create your gameworld "societies"; unless you 
want something that is merely early America with some window dressing.
Obviously there are degrees of versimilitude, and in the end, your group
only needs as much as it takes to make everyone happy with the 
result.



-- 
Viktor Haag					viktor@mks.com
Mortice Kern Systems				(519) 884-2251
35 King North, Waterloo, Ontario		ext. 16
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