Section I. Origins of Patriarchy. Tribal elder tale / Minnie Mace -- Notes on the rise and development of patriarchy / Heide Goettner-Abendroth -- The Saharasian origins of patriarchal authoritarian culture / James DeMeo -- The beginnings of patriarchy in Europe : reflections on the Kurgan theory of Marija Gimbutas / Joan Marler -- The roots of patriarchy in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia (or) Why did the Kurgans become warlike? / Cristina Biaggi -- Antigone in Sumatra : matriarchal values in a patriarchal context / Peggy Reeves Sanday -- The projection of gender relations in prehistoric China / Cai Junsheng -- Nomads and patriarchy / Jeannine Davis-Kimball -- The roots of Indo-European patriarchy : Indo-European female figures and the principles of energy / Miriam Robbins Dexter -- On the patriarchal transformation of matricentric cultures / Carola Meier-Seethaler -- Why did patriarchy supersede egalitarianism? / Harald Haarmann -- Magic maidens and heroic horsemen in Romanian folklore / Adrian Poruciuc -- From priestess to bride : marriage as a colonizing process in patriarchal conquest / Vicki Noble -- Clan and tribe / Sandra Barnhouse -- Section II. The Ramifications of Patriarchy. Violence against women and children in religious scriptures and in the home / Mara Lynn Keller -- War is man's business / Elinor Gadon -- Perpetuating patriarchy after the American Revolution / Mark E. Kann -- Patriarchal capitalism vs. a gift economy / Genevieve Vaughan -- The role patriarchy plays in our contemporary world situation / Leslene della Madre -- Section III. Philosophical Perspectives. A letter to Cristina / Glenda Cloughley -- Taming testosterone / Jeannette Blonigen Clancy -- Toward neo-patriarchy? / Paola Melchiori -- Section IV. The Personal is Political. Seven chariots of war / Suzanne Bellamy -- Patriarchy and its toxicities, matriarchy and its possibilities / Lucia Chiavola Birnbaum -- Observations on patriarchy and its decline / Tatyana Mamonova -- The fable of the invisible woman / Starr Goode -- Placating the beast : how women sustain patriarchy / Stephanie Hiller -- Patriarchy : the role women play / Kristina Berggren -- The legacy of the Amazons / Donna Henes -- Section V. Pathways for Change. Changing our ways of thinking / Mary E. Clark -- Partnership : beyond patriarchy and matriarchy / Riane Eisler -- Options for the future : transforming patriarchy through a process of cultural metamorphosis / Imogene Drummond -- Postlude -- Glossary.

"An anthology of the best work by leading scholars on the subject of patriarchy: how it came to be the dominant social system, how it has been maintained, and its impact on contemporary life. In today's world, it is important to understand the underlining dynamics of our political and social life so that change can be relevant and substantial...This outstanding collection of 32 essays from renowned scholars, artists and activists is a fresh approach to a topic with ancient roots. Patriarchy is not the inevitable outcome of civilization, these authors contend, but rather a deliberately chosen social structure with a beginning, a middle, and, hopefully, an end. This diverse collection of provocative authors each takes her or his own approach to the material at hand. Together they examine the possible origins of patriarchy such as the collapse of the fertility of the once "fertile crescent" to the loss of land in the great Black Sea flood. They examine the evidence of ancient cultures based on equality and a reverence for both genders, contrasting that with the contemporary patriarchy that brings so much strife to our world. And they bring hope with thoughtful suggestions for real change so that humankind can once again live in equality."--Publisher's website.