Many girls, one guy - is this system patriarchal or matriarchal?

[Jean-Marie_Céline]

Read carefully.
The Emperor is surrounded by women - wives, concubines and relatives, that are addressed as Empresses, Dowager empresses, Deputy Empresses - that on a theoritical level put him in the highest position and in thory, follow his wishes and demands.
However, in practice, the Emperor has little actual authority while the women - the Empresses - make all the practical decisions and use the Emperor as a rubber stamp for their decisions.
So what is it?

Patriarchal

Matriarchal

Other

[TheorionMage]

I suggest you research the historic Arab Muslim Caliphate Harem structures... as with many historic 'marriages of State' the primary 'value' of daughters was to marry well to cement supporting political affiliations and to produce MALE heirs to inherit the mantle and obligations of State.

Unfortunately, there existed a 'precedence' of succession and there was a time wherein all NON-chosen offspring were summarily executed en masse, shortly upon the passing of the Caliph, to preclude subsequent 'accession by assassination' ... in the mean time, those female consorts & companions had THEIR OWN in-harem hierarchy often overseen by the Eunuchs~

In Polyamory (many women one man) whom uses whom, is a matter of objectives and perspectives. In modern culture, to borrow a much clichéd quotation: "In the end, there can BE only ONE!" - Highlander

[Jean-Marie_Céline]

Well detailed answer

[NathanDavis]

Patriarchy would be more about the fact that fathers would own most of the property therefore have given authority over it. so is not really about who imposes either, but who's going to "benefit" from that system.

If an Empress decides that all lower levels of society, will have the men as the authority and the owner, then that's still a patriarchy by definition, even if the Empress imposed it.

And it is not all about benefit, but many responsibilities as well, and demands for such men, coming from the Empress.

And the best reason the Empress would have, to enforce a patriarchy would be to keep her and her family in control, by keeping all other women down the lines out of the hierarchy competition.

[FreyaRed]

Depends, if the guy is the tamer or just useful tool for girls who surround him

[cicadas]

Patriarchal in appearance, matriarchal in substance.

[msc545]

Very good answer.

[cicadas]

@msc545 thanks!

[MCheetah]

It's clearly Matriarchal:

"In practice, the Emperor has little actual authority while the women - the Empresses - make all the practical decisions and use the Emperor as a rubber stamp for their decisions."

It's all about who has the REAL power, not who is the figurehead leader. Which is why a filthy hippie who runs Twitter can ban the most powerful world leader off of his platform.

But more importantly, all the most powerful people in this story are female. Even if it was a King, that wouldn't change that the society is mostly female.

[Twinrova]

Patriarchal. The man has his pick of the litter here, and therefore, all of the leverage. If Stacey doesn't want to do things his way, he doesn't care that it makes her indignant, he will just sleep with Brittany on that night. The person who has higher desirability, and therefore more options, will always have more leverage over their partners.

[TomGarand]

"However, in practice, the Emperor has little actual authority while the women - the Empresses - make all the practical decisions..." You just answered your own question. This relationship is matriarchal, since the women make most of the choices. So if an outsider looking in saw this relationship, they'd think the man is an alpha male, when he was basically the omega of the pack.

[Adam1978]

Depends on who make it so, if they guy go around picking women up and stack them in a harem and it seen as a good thing. Its patriarchal. If you guy go around and get swarmed by women that wants to be in his harem it's matriarch. So who ever drive the result can be judge for the result.

[msc545]

He is the titular head of state, so it's patriarchal

[Gwenhwyfar]

In that example matriarchy

[es20490446e]

The guy is who is giving that power to women, so still patriarchal.

[lillianaustin]

In this example, Matriarchal

[GothQueen12]

Matriarchal all of the way

[Ilittles]

Sounds like desparate whores

[Joshua213]

Netiher.