Beyond Gender: A common thread Between Patriarchy, Capitalism, and Climate Crisis in a deeply Imbalanced World?
Maria Cheung BSc., MPH, ABS
Registered Clinical Sexologist
Authentic Tantra Practitioner (R)
In our modern world, we often view societal issues through silos, failing to see the interconnectedness between them. Have you ever considered that the patriarchy, late-stage capitalism, and our ongoing climate crisis might be related to a common thread? Consider that our distorted understanding of gender – particularly through a “Modern Day” Eurocentric worldview – plays a significant role in these seemingly disparate challenges.
The Eurocentric Lens and Its Limitations
The predominant worldview that shapes modern Western society is deeply Eurocentric – a legacy of colonization that has profoundly influenced recent globalized human history. This perspective has coloured how we perceive the world, particularly through an often rigid and binary fixation on gender. What's striking is that this rigid gender categorization doesn't exist uniformly across all cultures and philosophical traditions. Many non-Western perspectives could offer more nuanced non-dualistic and balanced approaches to understanding human experience.
Taoism: A Philosophy of Balance
An alternative perspective that could offer fresh insights, is through the ancient wisdom of Taoism, with its central concept of balance through Yin and Yang where balance represents the cornerstone of Taoist thought.
Through a Western Eurocentric lens, many mistakenly equate Yin and Yang with feminine and masculine energy. This interpretation, however, oversimplifies and distorts the profound non-dualistic wisdom these concepts embody (which were never supposed to be gendered by the way). The Taoist understanding goes far beyond gender binaries, offering instead a holistic and dynamic framework for understanding complementary forces that exist within everything and everyone.
Understanding Balanced Yang Wisdom
Balanced Yang wisdom encompasses qualities that all humans possess and express regardless of gender identity:
The analytical mind and rational thinking
Logical processing and structured approaches
Production and creation of tangible outcomes
Output-oriented action and implementation
Decision-making capabilities and judgment
Assertiveness and directed energy
Leadership and individualism
Understanding Balanced Yin Wisdom
Similarly, balanced Yin wisdom represents complementary qualities essential to wholeness:
The emotional intelligence of the heart
Creativity and innovative thinking
Restoration, rest, and healing processes
Introspection, and intuition
Collective care and community-mindedness
Embodied wisdom and somatic awareness
Connection to the earth and natural systems
The crucial understanding here is that every person embodies both Yin and Yang energies, regardless of their physical body or gender identity. These complementary forces exist within all of us and function best when in dynamic, harmonious balance.
The Imbalance in Modern Systems
When we examine our modern societal structures through this framework, two critical observations emerge:
Firstly, Yin and Yang wisdom were never meant to be gendered, and both wisdoms exist in all bodies and things. The collapse of these balanced wisdoms with gender (Yang only with masculinity, and Yin only with femininity) over-simplifies and deeply distorts these universally existing wisdoms from the individual to the collective.
Modern systems and cultures overwhelmingly prioritize Yang wisdom while frequently devaluing or completely negating Yin wisdom. Our economic models prize constant growth, production, and assertive action while undervaluing rest, restoration, and collective care.
The Harm of Collapsing Gender with Yin and Yang
When we collapse gender with the concepts of Yin and Yang, we create profound distortions that harm individuals and societies in multiple ways:
Cultural Degradation: Our culture becomes increasingly superficial and performative, valuing appearance and productivity over authenticity and depth. We see this in the rise of curated social media personas and "hustle culture" that prioritizes constant action (yang) over meaningful reflection (yin).
Relationship Dysfunction: The imbalance manifests in our relationships, where power dynamics can become distorted. At its extreme, this contributes to domestic violence, with predominantly Yang-identified individuals using dominance and control rather than embracing vulnerability and emotional intelligence.
Bodily Harm: On an individual level, the imbalance creates feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness. People feel they're never "enough" – never productive enough, never attractive enough, never successful enough. This drives overcompensating behaviors like hyper-consumption, overworking, and various forms of addiction.
Systemic Oppression: Systems built on this imbalance perpetuate various forms of oppression, where those associated with Yin qualities (regardless of gender) are systematically devalued, underpaid, and marginalized.
The Interconnected Crises
This fundamental imbalance manifests in our major societal challenges. The patriarchy thrives on elevating Yang-associated qualities while diminishing Yin wisdom, creating hierarchical power structures that benefit few at the expense of many. Late-stage capitalism represents Yang energy taken to an extreme – prioritizing unlimited production and consumption while disregarding restoration, sustainability, and collective wellbeing.
Our climate crisis perhaps most clearly demonstrates this imbalance. We have prioritized extraction, production, and consumption (Yang) while severely neglecting our relationship with the natural world, sustainability, and the needs of future generations (Yin). The exploitation of the planet mirrors the exploitation inherent in patriarchal and capitalist systems.
Restoring Balance as a Path Forward
The path toward healing these interconnected crises may lie in restoring balance rather than continuing to operate within frameworks that reinforce binary thinking. What might our world look like if we moved beyond our fixation on gender and instead focused on cultivating balance?
Imagine economic systems that value restoration as much as production. Envision leadership models that honour collective care alongside decisive action. Consider educational approaches that nurture both logical thinking and emotional intelligence. Picture healthcare that integrates both treatment of symptoms and holistic healing.
By recognizing that Yin and Yang wisdom exist within all people regardless of gender, we can begin to dismantle the artificial constructs that have led to our current imbalances and ignorant suffering. This doesn't mean erasing gender identity or expression – rather, it means liberating these complementary energies from the restrictive gender associations that have been imposed upon them.
The Invitation
As we face the complex challenges of our time, perhaps the ancient wisdoms that centre balance offers a valuable perspective. By recognizing how our distorted views of gender have influenced our societal structures, we can begin to envision more balanced and sustainable approaches to living.
What resonates with you in this perspective? How might restoring balance between Yin and Yang wisdom influence your own life, and the systems you participate in?
If you have been feeling the confusion, pressure or suffering from the rigidity of gender expectations, or from living in an excessively Yang dominant world that has impacted your body and/or your relationships, you are not alone. If this spoke to you and you would like to bring healing and empowering balance back into your body and relationships, book a call with our Somatic Sexologist Maria Cheung to learn about how she can support you to come back to your authentic you.