What is patriarchal family?

A patriarchal family is one where the father is the autocratic head of the family. The father makes all the decisions. The mother and children, even adult children, must follow his orders and defer to him in all matters.

Historical perspective:

Patriarchy is a social system where the father/husband is the absolute head of the family. The Word literally means "rule of fathers". The power in a patriarchal community is held by men. Although evidence indicates that pre-historic hunter gatherer communities were egalitarian, domination by men evolved as societies became more advanced. Scholars point to a time around 4000 years ago when cultures began to officially exclude women from recognition, representation, religion, legal rights, civil rights and public life in general.

Women in general are physically inferior to men and childbearing makes women extremely vulnerable and in need of protection. That reality was used to usher in the idea that that since women were physically inferior to men they were also morally and intellectually inferior, contrary to the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. They were assigned a role that required them to be subordinate and subservient to men and that devolved into actual ownership. Women became the property of their fathers and husbands and other male relatives in patriarchal cultures, especially in the East. They had no independent legal rights, were not educated and could not own property. Historically, the patriarchal model was especially promoted by organized religions.