Paper short abstract:

The historical view of matrilineal societies reveals more about the conceptual frames and worldviews of male writers than about the matricultures themselves. This paper will survey influential writings on matrilineal societies from the perspective of Guédon's concept of matriculture.

Paper long abstract:

Societies where women play a central role are present in Western historical accounts mostly through words written by men who are not members of the culture they describe, with the result that many analyses and descriptions reveal more about the authors' basic assumptions than provide an emic view of matricultural communities. From the Amazon warrior women to peace-loving matriarchs, scholars from dominant societies have projected both fears and hopes onto such cultures.

This paper will introduce and explore influential historical developments in European and Western views of matricultures, summarizing developments in the concept of women-centred societies from the perspective of outsiders - some visiting observers, some theorists, some hostile and others admiring. An analysis will be offered from the perspective of Marie-Françoise Guèdon's concept of matriculture, where matrilineal kinship is only one expression of a larger cultural system.