English Readers
Hey there! If you're following me from a country other than Italy, this is Patrilineare, a newsletter that - as the tagline says - aims to "dismantle patriarchy from within", or at least try to.
Who am I and what is this, exactly?
I am Pietro, I have been working professionally in digital communication for over thirty years, and for about ten years I have been studying gender issues out of personal passion, in particular regarding the patriarchal system and the damage it causes even to heterosexual and cisgender males. This newsletter is called "Patrilinear" precisely because the poison of patriarchy is traditionally transmitted from father to son.
Since I too have a son (who is currently 11 years old) I feel very involved in several topics that I often address in this newsletter: male sexual and affective education, male studies, gender issues and the transgender experience, the claims of the LGBTQIA+ community, inclusive language (from the famous pronouns they/them onwards), digital education and cyberbullying prevention, pornography, the manosphere and the risks of male radicalization, the much hated "woke culture" (which to me seems simply an education in mutual respect and compassion).
Usually each new issue of Patrilineare contains a main post and a press review on thematic news that mainly link to Italian sources but very often also to English and American sources, more rarely to French or Spanish sources. At the end, there is always some report on books, movies or albums that I like to share with readers.
About the translator
I write in Italian, and I write with a style (and with some local references) that sometimes doesn't go well with Google Translate's automatic translations1, which are generally very appreciable. Anyway, since 2025 every time I publish a new post I try to include a button to access the translated post (you can find it under the cover photo, before the text). Over time, I would also like to translate the archive of old posts to allow you to navigate all of Patrilineare.
Update May 2025
OK: sadly, it seems this trick is no longer working. So, you may have to right-click inside the post and select “Translate the whole page”. This way it should work. Also, people report to me that fiddling with the “Original/Translation” drop down menu on the top right corner of the Google Translate interface gets the job done.
I'll start linking the latest translated posts below.
Check back for more! See you soon and take care.
Greetings from Patrilineare’s biggest fan!
Read Patrilineare in English
Depression in Men: The Tiredness of Being Strong
It's just a little stress. I just need to sleep a little more and I'll fix it. I don't feel like seeing anyone now, then it will pass. What if it doesn't pass?
JUN 11, 2025
Die Hard? The Evolution of the Action Hero
Masculinity in cinema has been represented for decades by a very stereotypical type of hero. Today something is moving, let's see how.
JUN 01, 2025
Translating Emotions: The Male and the Story of Himself
Listening to your emotions is already difficult. Translating them into feelings? For some it is almost impossible. In the story of the masculine there is much to learn.
MAY 21, 2025
Wrong Words, Lonely Boys: Rap, Masculinity and the Need to Be Heard
A few weeks ago there was a news story involving Marracash that features the usual moral panic surrounding hip hop lyrics: let's talk about it.
MAY 11, 2025
Schools of Ordinary Madness ***
It's Labor Day: the usual Patrilineare "skips", but I propose you a vintage post on the theme of parenthood, school, educational community.
MAY 1, 2025
War of the Poor: TERF vs. Trans*
A UK Supreme Court ruling crystallizes an ideological clash where "some are more equal than others"
APR 21, 2025
No Means No: Rethinking Male Desire Through Consent
There is no law on consent: our representatives must do it. There is also no culture of consent: we must think about that.
APR 11, 2025
How to Stop Clinging to Power and Live Better
This is a follow-up to a great post from last year, explaining what despoilment is and why you should care.
APR 1, 2025
Studies of a certain kind
Where do I go in Italy if I want to graduate in Gender Studies? The answer to this question is useful to me above all, but it doesn't mean it won't be useful to you too.
MAR 21, 2025
WhatsApp: Authority and Control
Probably an unpopular statement: I monitor my son's (11 year old) WhatsApp chats. But let's see how and why.
MAR 11, 2025
Manosphere: Where is the exit?
Is it possible to de-radicalize once you have taken the red pill? Maybe so: the first step, of course, is to recognize that you have a problem.
MAR 01, 2025
Time to write, mental load and monstrosity
Reflections on fatherhood, chaos, and the work of writing after reading "Monsters" by Claire Dederer.
FEB 21, 2025
What the sigma? A Little Guide to Gen-Alpha Slang ***
Have you ever thought that you understand less and less what 10- to 13-year-olds say to each other? We are in the same boat, but I can help you.
FEB 11, 2025
I'm a male: obviously I don't let myself be checked down there
How harmful is it to adhere to the male stereotype of the man who never goes to the doctor? Hint: It's a rhetorical question.
FEB 01, 2025
Can I tell you a secret? The patriarchy oppresses me.
We are the last to arrive, also because - at least to us males - patriarchy also offers the benefit of privilege. But can we talk about it with others?
JAN 21, 2025