The word Matriarchy is a section of society where the women become a mother figure of a community.

The actual word comes from the Latin word mater which means mother and the Greek word archein meaning to rule. There is another term which is similar to the word matriarchy; the word is matrilineality which is when the children of a family identify with the mom rather than the dad. For example, in Jewish families, the child identify with the mother that when they are born they naturally become Jewish like the mother.

But Matriarchy is a combination of two things, Matrilineality and Matrilocality. Matrtrilocality is described as the offspring of the mother living in the mother’s house. This would be considered a clan with the extended family living there as well. Back in time, there was a form of marriage called visiting marriage, this is when there is a husband and wife but they live apart. The children love with the mother and the other generations of their families. The father does not have an active role in the raising of the children but he is still married to the wife.

You don’t see that form of marriage anymore. These were mostly practiced by people of the Ancient Pueblo Peoples of Chaco Canyon, the Mosu of Southwestern China and the people of Minangkabau of the Western Sumatra. These were ancient societies and they may still exist in some of the more primitive tribes. Those types of societies are considered to be Matriarchal. In the older societies and in places where they have not advanced into the society we have today. These are places that are deep into the jungles of countries that are not advanced; they live off the land and live by the Matriarchal society.