Matriarchy

A social system in which women, especially mothers, hold primary authority in family, political, or community life. The term is also used in debates about whether such societies have existed.

Patriarchy: A social system in which men, especially fathers, hold primary authority in family, political, or community life. It names the gendered power arrangement most often set against matriarchy.
Matrilineality: A system in which descent or inheritance is traced through the maternal line. It is often confused with matriarchy, though tracing descent does not itself establish women's rule.
Minangkabau people: An Austronesian people of Indonesia whose kinship and property inheritance traditionally follow the maternal line. Their matrilineal institutions coexist with male religious and political roles, complicating simple labels.
Johann Jakob Bachofen: A Swiss jurist and classicist whose 1861 book proposed an early stage of maternal rule in human history. His speculative sequence helped establish matriarchy as a theory of social origins.
Matrifocality: A family arrangement in which mothers occupy the central, enduring position in household relationships. A mother-centered household need not grant women authority over a wider community.
Matriarchy myth: The theory that an earlier age of universal female rule preceded patriarchal societies. This influential historical narrative is often mistaken for evidence that matriarchal societies existed.
Matrilocal residence: A postmarital residence pattern in which a couple lives with or near the wife's family. Residence near a woman's kin can shape household influence without determining political authority.
Mosuo people: An ethnic group in southwest China known for matrilineal households and distinctive marriage practices. Their household organization is often cited in discussions of matriarchy, though authority varies by domain.
The Mother: An 1861 book by Johann Jakob Bachofen arguing that ancient societies passed through stages of maternal authority. This work made a historical matriarchy theory influential in nineteenth-century scholarship.
Gynocentrism: A social or cultural orientation that centers women or female perspectives. Cultural focus on women is distinct from women holding institutional power.

Linked from 7 pages