ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some of the ways that some boys and men are privileged over some girls and women in society. It focuses on Sylvia Walby’s theorization of patriarchy to understand the roots of male privilege. The chapter discusses feminism as a set of activist and academic ideas that aim to challenge male privilege and power. It explores an advantage that most have not previously considered: men’s medical research and resultant care. A dominant philosophy that attempts to unify disparate sets of data related to men’s advantages comes through the idea of patriarchy. Walby argues that the second area where men have traditionally been advantaged concerns how men have maintained economic control over the household, limiting how women can spend family income. Another key focus of Walby’s work is sexuality. As with other feminists, Walby argues that violence against women is a form of male privilege and male control over women.
