Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind · chapter 8 · id sapiens-c8-01-patriarchy-has-been-nearly-uni

“Patriarchy has been nearly universal across all known human societies throughout history.”

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Receipts

Sanday (2002), Women at the Center: Life in a Modern Matriarchy, Cornell UPDOI registry: valid

The Minangkabau of West Sumatra (~4 million people) represent the world's largest matrilineal society where women control economic resources and domestic authority.

Dyble et al. (2015), Science 348(6236):796-798DOI registry: valid

Sex equality in residence decisions can explain the unique social structure of hunter-gatherer bands. Sexual equality was likely the norm in our evolutionary past.

Hrdy (2009), Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding, Harvard UPFLAGGED: DOI not in registry

Cooperative breeding and alloparenting in early human groups required egalitarian social structures. Strict patriarchy would have undermined the cooperative childcare that distinguishes humans.

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