Ever witnessed a man confidently explaining something to a woman while completely disregarding her expertise? That’s mansplaining! From a gas technician advising a qualified engineer to let her partner handle repairs, to a doctor downplaying the pain of a C-section, the stories are both eye-opening and frustrating. The discussion dives into the origins of the term, its social implications, and whether men are inherently to blame. This quick exploration raises thought-provoking questions about gender dynamics.
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Examples of Mansplaining
Women shared instances where men explained things to them condescendingly despite their expertise.
Examples include a gas man ignoring a qualified engineer and a doctor underestimating C-section pain.
insights INSIGHT
Origins of Mansplaining Term
Mansplaining reflects systemic patriarchy and the devaluing of women's voices.
The term was popularized after Rebecca Solnit's 2008 essay on men explaining things to women.
insights INSIGHT
Why Mansplaining Happens
Mansplaining arises from men's desire to dominate conversations and silence women.
It stems from the assumption that men know more than women.
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This book, published in 2014, features seven essays that delve into the experiences of women being silenced, ignored, and debased. The title essay, 'Men Explain Things to Me,' recounts Solnit's personal experience at a dinner party where a man condescendingly explains her own book to her. The collection also includes essays like '#YesAllWomen' and 'Cassandra Syndrome,' addressing broader issues such as violence against women, misogyny, and the global implications of patriarchal societies. The book is illustrated by visual and performance artist Ana Teresa Fernández and combines humor, personal anecdotes, and statistical facts to highlight the pervasive nature of gender inequality[2][3][4].
Have you ever noticed a man explaining something to a woman in a supremely confident way which suggests he absolutely knows more than her about the subject? Well, there’s a term for that, which is mansplaining.
A recent thread on parenting forum Mumsnet invited women to share their worst examples of mansplaining. Among them were patronising explanations of the offside rule, a gas man telling a qualified engineer to wait for her partner to get home so he could tell him how to fix the boiler rather than her and a male doctor telling a pregnant woman not to worry as C-sections aren’t painful!
How long has mansplaining been around? Why do men do this then? Are they really all that bad? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!
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Do you really know? 