"(One could theoretically hope that gender-studies departments at various universities should find it productive to scrutinize the differences in these patriarc

"(One could theoretically hope that gender-studies departments at various universities should find it productive to scrutinize the differences in these patriarchal, sexist regimes in order to understand the nature of the cultural differences which engendered these disparate results. Theoretically.)" Empirically, this is a core part of what gender studies departments in fact do. Just off the top of a quick Google search: http://isites.harvard.edu/course/colgsas-83347 http://isites.harvard.edu/course/colgsas-83347 http://wellesley.smartcatalogiq.com/2013-2014/Course-Catalog/2013-2014-Course-Catalog/Departments-and-Programs/Department-of-Womens-and-Gender-Studies/Womens-and-Gender-Studies-Courses/200/WGST-205 http://wellesley.smartcatalogiq.com/2013-2014/Course-Catalog... We could debate whether this is doing it well or adequately, but gender studies, if we're discussing it in practice at decent universities and not just theoretically, has a non-zero amount of rigor as a discipline.