Final answer:
Paternalism is a system where an authority decides what is best for others while limiting their autonomy. It has historically been used to justify oppressive social structures such as slavery, imperialism, and patriarchal gender relations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Paternalism is a term that refers to a system or practice where an authority undertakes to provide for the needs or decide what is best for subordinates while also restricting their freedom or responsibility. In history, paternalism often justified social hierarchies, such as the relationship between slaveholders and enslaved people in the American South. Although it claimed to operate in the best interests of the enslaved, it was a gross misrepresentation of the harsh and inhumane realities of slavery. Enslaved people sought to resist and form their own communities and cultures, sometimes using the notion of paternalism to their advantage by engaging in subtle acts of resistance. Paternalistic views were not only confined to the institution of slavery but were also applied in the context of imperialism and gender relations, with oppressive implications in each case.