>>114848
I will indulge your comment because I have thought this over as well.
In a 'collapse' where the government ceases to function and lawlessness rules the day. Where things like food, electricity and oil become scarce. You will see a return to something like the late 1800's. Difference being better tech and a reckoning of societal roles during the transition.
Much like on that one survivor series that pitted men against women, or that series the colony, or any situation in which a man and woman had to survive; It will quickly become apparent just how weak and inferior women are. Without the current power structure there to prop them up the day will once again be returned to me. Otherwise the women aren't protected, fed or safe. If they try to fight alone they are screwed. Alternatively women will no longer be able to dictate what men do, without cops and laws there is nothing to restrain a man from slapping a bitch or just plain abandoning her to the wilds. Women will begrudgingly be returned to their traditional role and hopefully men will be wise enough this time around to keep them there.
On a more general scale things will not be so drastically reduced that it will be a madmax or fallout type world. As you have stated it will be small communities of men (or patriarchies if you prefer) establishing their own regions of control. Without the sophisticated system of law enforcement in place you will likely see law enforcement returned to the individual not unlike the wild west days. Without high tech crime solving tools and forensics, justice will become more personal and meted out with less accuracy and stricter repercussions. What once might have gotten you a few years in the slammer, will now get you lynched.
If 'wars' break out it will likely be small regional conflicts between small towns and organized gangs making their ways out of more dangerous urban areas. These groups will be looking to carve out their own turf and small towns around nearby areas will be rip for the picking. Because remember without electricity or fast transportation of food, most urban areas could never sustain themselves. It is doubtful that even the local farmers of surrounding areas would be able to feed all of them. So the end result quickly becomes a population bottleneck creating some truly vicious gangs that spread out in search of food and shelter after their initial reserves in the cities run out.