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RELEASE DATES!!
March 2025 (UK/OZ/NZ) August 2025 (North America) "[an] excellent and incredibly timely new book" - Caroline Criado Perez, bestselling author of Invisible Women
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PATRIARCHY INC. offers a razor-sharp and quick-witted analysis of why we need a new approach to fixing the gender inequality embedded in work.
Work - who does what tasks in society, and what they get in return - is at the heart of social justice. Even today, the gender system brings about a gendered division of labour that is both cause and consequence of men's greater status and power. These dynamics limit what we can do and be, unfairly tip the scales when it comes to what we get in return, create gendered distortions of competence and productivity, and irrational resistance to reforms that would make our workplaces more productive and fairer. The effects seep well beyond workplaces, contributing to poverty, undermining health, putting pressure on family life and preserving females' second-class status, and causing real harm and injustice for both sexes.
But progress in dismantling these arrangements is being stymied by two false visions that pervade mainstream debate and discussion.
The business-case Diversity, Equality & Inclusion (DEI) approach offers us band-aid solutions, sold to powerful stakeholders with promises of enhanced profits and performance, while "Different But Equal" perspectives reassure that contemporary arrangements are fair, and reflect natural differences between the sexes.
In response, Patriarchy Inc. offers perceptive and much-needed insight into persistent inequalities in who does what and who gets what, dispels the false visions of gender equality that distract us, and charts a path towards effective, common-sense reforms that will make workplaces and society fairer and freer for everyone.
Work - who does what tasks in society, and what they get in return - is at the heart of social justice. Even today, the gender system brings about a gendered division of labour that is both cause and consequence of men's greater status and power. These dynamics limit what we can do and be, unfairly tip the scales when it comes to what we get in return, create gendered distortions of competence and productivity, and irrational resistance to reforms that would make our workplaces more productive and fairer. The effects seep well beyond workplaces, contributing to poverty, undermining health, putting pressure on family life and preserving females' second-class status, and causing real harm and injustice for both sexes.
But progress in dismantling these arrangements is being stymied by two false visions that pervade mainstream debate and discussion.
The business-case Diversity, Equality & Inclusion (DEI) approach offers us band-aid solutions, sold to powerful stakeholders with promises of enhanced profits and performance, while "Different But Equal" perspectives reassure that contemporary arrangements are fair, and reflect natural differences between the sexes.
In response, Patriarchy Inc. offers perceptive and much-needed insight into persistent inequalities in who does what and who gets what, dispels the false visions of gender equality that distract us, and charts a path towards effective, common-sense reforms that will make workplaces and society fairer and freer for everyone.
Reviews & Endorsements
"Delusions of Gender skewered neurosexism. Testosterone Rex punctured inflated claims about the hormonal basis of gender. With Patriarchy Inc. Cordelia Fine now turns her fierce intelligence and wit to the world of work. The idea that men and women are different-but-equal is unmasked as naïve about the origins of sex differences and complacent about enduring inequities. The rival idea that diversity, equity, and inclusion are good for the bottom line is also pulled apart, shown to be driven by considerations of market value rather than human welfare or fairness. With her trademark command of theory, marshalling of social scientific evidence, and ear for le mot juste, Fine makes a powerful case for a new approach to gender in the workplace, one that would make work fairer, more secure, and more rewarding for all of us." ― Professor Nick Haslam, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne
"This book makes intriguing science and gender research come alive. It's a wonderful way of learning while enjoying great stories and occasionally laughing out loud." ― Hon Julia Gillard AC, Former Prime Minister of Australia
Why is it that throughout the western world, most of the high-paid, high prestige posts are held by men? Not because this reflects innate differences in ability or personality. Not because it reflects average differences across the genders in human capital. Not because men and women have different conceptions of the good life, and make choices reflecting these. Not for any single, simple, reason. Patriarchy Inc. is informed, nuanced, penetrating, written with understated passion but wonderfully free of leaden moralising. ― Professor Kim Sterelny, School of Philosophy, Australian National University
"If you are a woman and have ever been trapped in a monologue with a man telling you about your "female nature" - you should read this book. If you are that man - I dare you to read it. If you are neither, you will love this book which shows that we have all been defined against the core of our true natures, and invites us to think again about what we might be and how we might live." ― Philippa Gregory, Sunday Times-bestselling author of Normal Women
"Combining feminist economics with a close analysis of scientific "justifications" for inequality, Fine offers fascinating, convincing answers to the question of why, if some women have so much choice and DEI initiatives are so widespread, men retain so much dominance in the workplace. As in Delusions of Gender and Testosterone Rex, complex ideas are delivered clearly and wittily, with the author once again unafraid to tackle research into sex differences that feminists are supposedly unable or unwilling to deal with. Both entertaining and enraging, this is a brilliant resource for any woman who has been told "it's not really a gender pay gap" or been faced with inclusion policies which tell her she's the one in need of fixing." ― Victoria Smith, author of Hags
Why do women still earn so much less than men? If you thought it was just the playing out of biological differences or the judgements of the market, Cordelia Fine's excellent new book, erudite, witty and always a pleasure to read, will set you straight. She also explains clearly the complex cultural and social forces that actually maintain inequality and offers some radical and compelling suggestions on how we should move forward. It should be read by anyone who wants to understand gender in the twenty-first century. ― Professor John Dupre, Egenis, The Centre for the Study of Life Sciences, University of Exeter
"In Patriarchy Inc., Cordelia Fine once again demonstrates her remarkable ability to provide a fresh and critical view, this time to tackle the persistent problem of gender inequality in the workplace. She skillfully dismantles both the 'Different But Equal' defense of workplace inequality and the corporate-friendly DEI approach, offering instead a compelling new framework for understanding how gender hierarchies persist in modern workplaces. Fine's characteristic wit and incisive thinking make this essential reading for anyone interested in creating genuinely fair and productive workplaces." ― Professor Daphna Joel, School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University
"This book provides a timely analysis of how problematic patriarchal structures are negatively impacting our lives. It offers a comprehensive examination of prevalent myths and misconceptions surrounding gender equality issues in contemporary society, supported by robust scientific evidence. Cordelia doesn't shy away from taking on some of the established notions around gender and gender roles. This book is an essential resource for anyone interested in gender equity." ― Professor Heejung Chung, Director of the King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and author of The Flexibility Paradox
Fine is a superb science writer. Every book she writes teaches me something new. Patriarchy Inc. is no different. If you have ever wondered why WWII code-breaker films are full of women typing away at proto-computers and nowadays programming is the domain of tech bros read this book. It is an engaging, humorous, and deftly argued account of why the modern work places remains challenging if you don't look, dress and act like "the man". ― Michael Jennions, Professor of Evolutionary Ecology, The Australian National University
Cordelia Fine has done it again! Somehow, she is able to take a serious topic, decant decades of research into informative and persuasive prose, all whilst bringing a wry smile to the reader's lips. Fine illustrates how the pivot away from fairness arguments in the pursuit of gender equality to 'the business case' has failed to deliver. She punctuates the perpetual nature/nurture debate employing an interdisciplinary perspective to trace how and why contemporary gendered divisions of labour emerged and to resuscitate efforts to bring about a new vision of real equality for both women and men. ― Professor Rosie Campbell, King's College London
Fine is a superb science writer. Every book she writes teaches me something new. Patriarchy Inc. is no different. If you have ever wondered why WWII code-breaker films are full of women typing away at proto-computers and nowadays programming is the domain of tech bros read this book. It is an engaging, humorous, and deftly argued account of why the modern work places remains challenging if you don't look, dress and act like "the man". ― Michael Jennions, Professor of Evolutionary Ecology, The Australian National University
Cordelia Fine has done it again! Somehow, she is able to take a serious topic, decant decades of research into informative and persuasive prose, all whilst bringing a wry smile to the reader's lips. Fine illustrates how the pivot away from fairness arguments in the pursuit of gender equality to 'the business case' has failed to deliver. She punctuates the perpetual nature/nurture debate employing an interdisciplinary perspective to trace how and why contemporary gendered divisions of labour emerged and to resuscitate efforts to bring about a new vision of real equality for both women and men. ― Professor Rosie Campbell, King's College London