What is the connection between gender and history? Which came first -- matriarchy or patriarchy? Is there a real basis for the matriarchal interpretation of history? And how was male power institutionalized in the patriarchal structures of family and state? These are just some of the questions raised in Marielouise Janssen-Jurreit's powerful new book. "Sexism" goes beyond the work of such world-famous feminists as Simone de Beauvoir and makes the essential point that women must create new models of behavior suitable for a transformed vision of society. Ultimately, Janssen-Jureit sets the stage for a new Feminism, proposing that reproduction can exert pressure on a male-dominated world culture and be used to create new female power structures. -- From publisher's description.