056 | The Patriarchy Problem

Everyone blames the patriarchy. But what if it isn’t a villain — it’s a system we forgot to update? In this episode, Denaige traces the word’s origins from its Greek roots to modern headlines, unpacking how a structure that once organized society has become both a scapegoat and a mirror. From crash-test dummies and office thermostats to economics, medicine, and gender roles, she reveals the deeper truth: patriarchy isn’t about men — it’s about design. This isn’t a takedown. It’s an audit. Because once you can see the pattern, you can start redesigning it.

In This Episode

• The real etymology of “patriarchy” — and what it was originally meant to describe

• How patriarchal systems emerged naturally across cultures as tools for survival

• Why the Western model became dominant — and how colonialism globalized it

• The 20th-century turning point: feminism, academia, and the politicization of the term

• How words like patriarchy, trauma, and narcissism lost their diagnostic precision

• The patriarchy as a design system — visible in medicine, economics, and architecture

• Post-war gender dynamics: trauma, labour, and the rise of the dual-income household

• Why emotional and social exhaustion are symptoms of outdated systems, not failed people

• What “healing the patriarchy” actually means