The term mansplain is not new, but if it is new to you here's the idea: A woman expresses her perspective. A man disagrees, but rather than simply state that he disagrees, he explains to her what he supposes she must not understand. The assumption being, if you understood this subject adequately you would have the right (my) opinion. The assumption also being that a woman could not possibly know as much about any topic as he does. There are many different examples of mansplaining, different kinds of mansplainers . Not all men are mansplainers, but all mansplainers are men. Mansplaining is essentially taking advantage of the the many privileges in discourse that come along with being a man in our culture. It is presenting your (male) opinion as more authoritative or definitive than a woman's regardless of how much expertise she has on a topic. Mansplaining is especially common and frustrating when it is a man telling a woman that her feelings are invalid ...
so . . . I just found your blog and I have to say:
ReplyDeleteYou have to keep blogging! I blog over at confessions of a moderate mormon feminist.blogspot.com
We need more moderate mormon feminist bloggers. I started because I didn't hear very many moderate voices in the online conversations.
p.s. I almost didn't come to your blog because the title reminds me of 'a well behaved mormon woman' as in 'i'm one of the good mormons that behaves, not like those feminists over there'. imagine my surprise when it actually was mormon feminist!
Yeah, the title was meant to be sort of tongue in cheek, since being a feminist can feel so VERY improper in LDS culture. Thanks for your comment! I'm checking out your blog now.
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