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MPR News Presents

The Making of Male Dominance: A History of Patriarchy

Celeste Headlee and John Biewen
Celeste Headlee, left, and John Biewen of the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, host the documentary "The Making of Male Dominance."
Image of Headlee courtesy of Jeff Roman Photography. Biewen image courtesy Duke University

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To mark International Women’s Day, a documentary about the history of patriarchy.

It takes a look at the latest research by historians, sociologists and anthropologists on how male supremacy got started, going all the way back to the ancient world and leading up to the present day.

The documentary is called, "The Making of Male Dominance."

How did men hold on to the dominant position for so long? And why?

John Biewen concludes with this: "Even if you think there are some innate differences between men and women on average, and that's an unsettled controversial point, the power dynamic, the gender hierarchy, male dominance as we know it, is a human invention. And it can be un-built."

Co-hosted by John Biewen and Celeste Headlee of the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. Part of the Scene on Radio podcast from Duke University and PRX. This documentary is drawn from the podcast series, MEN.