Title
The Patriarch of Publishing: How the Fiction Publishing Industry Clings to Problematic Narratives
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Spring 2022
Abstract
Within her secular work The Ethics of Ambiguity, activist and philosopher Simone de Beauvoir wrote that “the oppressor would not be so strong if he did not have accomplices among the oppressed.” The use of the term “he” to describe the oppressor indicates that the metaphorical “he” is a symbol for all men. Our society can be described as a “he” due to the ways in which it most benefits cis white heterosexual men – men have society as an accomplice as it was only ever built for the progression of mankind. In one way or another, men hold a more privileged position over others within life; thus why the term “patriarchy” has frequently been used to describe the society in which we currently live. In a patriarchy, society is built upon/for a specific white cishet (cis-gendered and heterosexual) male perspective. This limits a society substantially, silencing the voices of people of color, women, and those in the LGBTQ+ community. White cishet men are rewarded within a patriarchy while all others are punished whether it be socially, financially, emotionally, or physically. The limits of the patriarchy have been enforced for millennia in government, social structures, basic human rights, and in business. While within the past centuries there have been efforts to add representation, rights, and presence of those who the patriarchy punishes, throughout the world there remains evidence of a lack of diversity within businesses. It is white cishet men that tend to be rewarded higher ranking positions, who are respected, represented, and who are praised.
Recommended Citation
Simon, Brynn, "The Patriarch of Publishing: How the Fiction Publishing Industry Clings to Problematic Narratives" (2022). College of Global Studies Student Work. 2.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/global_studies_student_work/2