The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens

Riane Eisler: "Domination and Partnership in Society"

Mar 27, 2024

Nate Hagens chats with systems scientist Riane Eisler about transitioning to sustainable societies by valuing empathy and caring. They discuss partnership vs. domination structures, nurturing a partnership-oriented system, and shifting towards cultures of empathy and equality. Eisler advocates for a caring economy, valuing care work, and empowering leadership for positive societal transformation.

01:09:43

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Episode guests

Riane Eisler

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Quick takeaways

Societies reflect values at all levels; empathy and caring lead to cooperative governance systems.

Understanding domination vs. partnership systems; family, gender, economics, and language shape societal structures.

Advocacy for a caring economy and gender equity; nurturing behaviors essential for societal transformation.

Deep dives

Understanding Systems and Childhood Experiences

The speaker delves into the importance of understanding systems and shares personal childhood experiences that influenced her interest in systems thinking. She highlights the critical role of the first five years of childhood in shaping brain development and emphasizes the need for a systems approach in addressing complex societal issues.

Empowering Change through Partnership and Pattern Recognition

02:24

Challenging Traditions of Domination

00:26

Exploring the Impact of Social Environment on Gender Roles and Societal Dynamics

02:20

Introduction

2min

Exploring Systems Thinking and Partnership vs. Domination Structures

16min

Nature and Nurture in Shaping Societal Dynamics

15min

Shifting from Domination to Partnership Cultures

9min

Fostering a Culture of Empathy and Partnership

20min

Exploring Caring for Nature and the Impact of Different Self-Definitions and Competition on Society

2min

Empowering Change through Partnership and Pattern Recognition

2min

Exploring Chaos Theory and Relational Dynamics for Systems Transformation

4min

On this episode, Nate is joined by systems scientist Riane Eisler to discuss her decades of work studying ‘domination’ and ‘partnership’ societies throughout history and what it might mean to transition to more sustainable societies in the future. What we value at the individual and family level directly translates to the way we frame our governance systems - societies that emphasize empathy and caring also implement the same types of policies and values. How could we foster the more cooperative side of our humanity across all scales to create empowered communities and balanced decision making? What societies - past and present - lean towards a partnership paradigm and what benefits do their people receive? Is it possible to move away from violence and control oriented systems and into ones that value wide boundaries of empathy and understand the vital nature of care work?

About Riane Eisler

Riane Eisler is the President of the Center for Partnership Systems, which provides practical applications of her work, and Editor in Chief of the online Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies published at the University of Minnesota. Eisler’s innovative whole-systems research offers new perspectives and practical tools for constructing a less violent, more egalitarian, gender-balanced, and sustainable future. She is author of many books, including The Chalice and the Blade, now in its 57th US printing and 27 foreign editions, The Real Wealth of Nations, and Nurturing Our Humanity co-authored with Douglas P. Fry. For more information, see www.rianeeisler.com and www.centerforpartnership.org.

Find out more, and show notes: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/116-riane-eisler

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UUF5XWOxVdY