Conceptualizing and measuring patriarchy: The importance of feminist theory

‘Patriarchy’ is increasingly part of the political science lexicon, particularly in work on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Yet I argue that political scientists often under-conceptualize patriarchy, failing to draw on existing feminist theory. This hinders explanation of the mechanisms sustaining gender inequality. By engaging with Kandiyoti’s ‘patriarchal bargain,’ which sees gender relations as the outcome of negotiation, and Sadiqi’s ‘private’ and ‘public’ patriarchy, political scientists can capture the multi-dimensional and intersectional nature of patriarchy and better integrate their work within institutional approaches to political science. I illustrate the multi-dimensionality of patriarchy using survey questions from the Arab Barometer.