Patriarchal Bargaining: Strategies, Adaptation and Resistance

Abstract

Patriarchal bargaining, as a theoretical construct, provides an analytical framework for
examining the operation of gender regimes, guiding both theoretical debates and empirical
inquiries in gender studies. In this respect, the article focuses on the role of patriarchal
bargaining in women’s studies and discusses its potential not only to reveal rights-based gender
inequalities but also to provide a theoretical basis for addressing them. As a review article, the
study is grounded in a systematic literature analysis. Based on keywords such as “gender,”
“patriarchy,” “patriarchal bargaining,” “women’s strategies,” and “women’s employment,”
eight academic works that employ the concept both theoretically and empirically were
examined. Published between 2009 and 2024, these studies draw on field research conducted in
China, Turkey, Bangladesh, Canada, Nigeria, South Africa, and Nepal. The literature
demonstrates how female and male subjectivities are constituted within patriarchal structures,
how gendered power relations are sustained, and how women develop strategic modes of
negotiation. Ultimately, the study highlights that patriarchal bargaining should be understood
not merely as an explanatory category but as a theoretical ground for developing critical and
transformative perspectives on gender inequalities.