JaimeS
Senior Member
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Hmmm, I always thought patriachy meant men in power.... it appears we are using different definitions for the same word.
Here is the definition from Wikipedia:
Feminist theory defines patriarchy as an unjust social system that enforces gender roles and is oppressive to both men and women.
Anti-feminist ranters on the interwebs (NOT you!) like to redefine feminist-associated terminology to stupider things in order to strawman it. "The patriarchy" refers not just to the way that feminine traits aren't valuable in women, but that men are tormented for showing the slightest hint of traditional femininity. Women, on the other hand, are praised for displaying masculine traits like "toughness". Why? Because the masculine is the ideal to which we all should strive, and the feminine is weak and useless. Just by having a chronic illness, you are flouting traditional masculinity! How dare you!
First it was probably dissmissed as women being emotional but now I think bad science, financial insentives, and lack of test/biomarker are the main factors in this.
In the doctor's office, on a one-on-one basis, being dismissed as "just" being too emotional has resonance and immediate meaning for nearly everyone who writes, here. Obviously it is a significant concern for us.
The thing is, ME/CFS does have lots of research on it; that research continues to be ignored. Just look at the headlines every time we discover something new:
ME/CFS Not In Your Head After All!
There is a perception problem that persists, even in the face of good science.
Finally there is no problem discussing this as an issue of gender and fighting for biomedical research.