Rebecca Solnit says 'mansplaining' is destructive to women
CBC Radio | Posted: June 12, 2014 4:00 AM | Last Updated: June 12, 2014
Writer Rebecca Solnit joins us to talk about what she's identified as insidious condescension in the way some men engage in conversation with women. And while it can be annoying, Ms. Solnit argues the misogyny behind it can also have sinister consequences.There's a kind of assumption that they're in charge, that they're the boss, that they know that we're ignorant... It's a slippery slope, and it's part of the larger landscape of misogyny that I think it signifies. Rebecca Solnit
These consequences made news in the aftermath of a deadly shooting spree in California. When the killer's deep hatred of women emerged, the #yesallwomen hashtag took off as a way for women to share their experiences of sexism. It was in response to the phrase "not all men," which has long been used to argue that not all men are to blame for the actions of a few.
Feminism, and the way men and women communicate, are things that Rebecca Solnit has thought a lot about. Her latest book is a collection of essays called Men Explain Things to Me.
Have you ever experienced 'mansplaining'? Or have you caught yourself doing it to someone else?
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This segment was produced by The Current's Elizabeth Hoath.