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The Big Bang Theory - S12E05 - Mansplaining

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Kim Goodwin's chart that explains the requirements needed for someone to be "mansplaining".

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Basically combines the words “man” and “explaining” to describe the act

“man” is typically the person who does the activity of mansplaining, but anyone can mansplain as long as they perform all the components of the act

“–splaining” uses the word "explaining" and the definiton of this word is slightly altered since it assumes the speaker provides the correct information in their speech BUT, when the term is placed behind “man–”, the definition is that the explanation is incorrect and arrogant

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The term "mansplaining" is often credited to Rebecca Solnit for her 2008 essay Men Explain Things to Me.

Although she did not explicitly use the term, her recount of her experiences was something that resonated with many individuals, particularly women who had similar experiences as her.

"So, Mr. Very Important was going on smugly about this book I should have known when Sallie interrupted him to say, “That’s her book.” Or tried to interrupt him anyway.

But he just continued on his way. She had to say, “That’s her book” three or four times before he finally took it in. And then, as if in a nineteenth-century novel, he went ashen."

(Rebecca, 2008)

Later in 2008, the first usage of the word "mansplaining" appeared in a comment on LiveJournal (Ha, 2018).

The popularity of the word continues to rise, as in 2010, it became one of The New York Times' Words of the Year, and later added to dictionaries (Sifton and Barrett, 2010). Social media, such as Twitter and Instagram, also popularized the word with more people using it and others interacting with the content due to the relatability of it.

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Structure

present action

contains words/gestures which signal speech being overly simplified

providing excessive background information despite it being common knowledge

inaccurate or incorrect explanation on a topic

overconfident & condescending tone of speaker, displays contempt facial expressions (e.g., smirk, eye-rolling)

Speaker’s intention

informs listener about a topic

assumes listener (commonly a woman) is uneducated or lacks knowledge on a topic

assumes they themselves possess more knowledge than listener on the topic

speaker is usually a man (not always) and listener is usually a women (not always)

boasts about their endless expertise/knowledge on a topic to impress or belittle listener

Receiver’s perception

feel underestimated or belittled regarding on their knowledge/intellect despite having an understanding on the topic

listeners (who are women) are frustrated due to the unwarranted bias associated with their sex; feel devalued

encourages listeners to not speak up as their opinions won't be held to the same degree of importance compared to the speakers (tend to be male)

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Poehler's Response: Golden Globes 'Mansplain'

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Poehler's Response: Golden Globes 'Mansplain'

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Amy Poehler refuses Seth Meyer's punch line during 'mansplaining part' of 2018 Golden Globes

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How it feels when individuals mansplain...

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How it feels when individuals mansplain...

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Gender equality is a key aspect of society that strives for fairness and equal treatment of all individuals regardless of gender.

Equal Respect: Gender equality means respecting everyone’s insight and expertise. However, mansplaining undermines this because it suggests that women need unsolicited explanations thereby implying that they have a lack of understanding. By fighting against mansplaining, we can move to a society where women’s voices are equally respected.

Breaking Down Stereotypes: By actively confronting and addressing mansplaining, we are working for a societal shift towards a more equitable environment. In such a society, the voices of women are not only heard but are given the same weight and respect as those of their male counterparts.

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1. A man accidently bruised his knee in a game of soccer and it's been hurting for a week. Reluctantly he goes to his family doctor in an attempt to get some pain reduction medicine. After the doctor inspects his knee she informs him that he's missing a considerable amount of cartilage in his knee and should pursue physical therapy. The man scoffs at the idea, saying it's impossible and that his knee cartilage is perfectly fine because he's been drinking milk his entire life so he has very strong bones.

In this example the man completely disregards the doctor's medical expertise. Despite being consulted by a person with years of experience and a medical degree, the man confidently believes through the act of drinking milk that his knee is perfectly fine.

2. A teenager is practicing for his G2 driving test which he has next week with his aunt who's been driving for 30 years. The teenager at one point gains a surge of confidence and starts going 30 km/h over the speed limit in an attempt to overtake another driver. His aunt tells him to slow down and stay within the speed limit. He grins, saying "don't worry I know what I'm doing, I've been playing Need For Speed on the racing wheel since I was 7 years old." He overtakes the other car and the aunt swiftly ends their practice session, saying that he has to drive more safely. He disregards her advice and proceeds to fail his G2 for driving over the speed limit.

In this example the teenager disregards all of his aunt's advice despite the fact that she's passed the G2 herself and has in fact been a driver for 30 years. He has full confidence that his experience racing in Need For Speed makes him the perfect driver.

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Until we can name something, we can’t share the experience, we can’t describe it, we can’t respond to it.

(cited in Chemaly, 2014)

Can imply an overgeneralization that all men have the 'mansplaining' attribute

behaviours associated with gender-linked competence questioning

Can occur anywhere, such as the workplace, school, politics, mainstream media like films, music etc.

Some behaviours related to competence-questioning

1. Voice Nonrecognition

refers to the act of downplaying, possibly blatantly ignoring, one's input in a discussion. It can be considered a type of workplace incivility or a part of abusive supervision, as the value of the employee voice contribution is not appreciated (Briggs et al.).

2. Interruption

involves deliberately stopping one's speech or hindering them from completing their thoughts, which have been considered to be a "subtle, gender-linked behavio[u]r" to imply another's perspective is "not as valuable" (Briggs et al.).

3. Unrequested Feedback

this might look like someone else (typically a man) provides unwanted advice to another (typically a woman), and sometimes acting condescendingly as an expert in the field

4. Microaggression (racial slights, insults of sexist nature)

which has been defined as "indignities communicating racial slights and insults" (Briggs et al.).

Impacts of Mansplaining in the Workplace and School

Results from study demonstrated that when experiencing competence-questioning behaviour, women tended to react more negatively and view it as "indicative of gender bias when the communicator was a man" (Briggs et al.), which might cause many women to feel uncomfortable at the workplace.

How the media presents mansplaining

Over time, the frequency of sexist behaviours in films have not decreased

Sci-fi/fantasy films portrayed the least amount of sexist behaviours

(Brewington-Bobo et al).

Gender Differences in Politics Resulting from Mansplaining

Research shows that posting to Twitter raises the likelihood of men's report of being accused of mansplaining and women's report of experiencing mansplaining, and that 50+% of women have reported experiencing it, particularly ones who are "younger, well educated, and left-leaning" (Koc-Michalska et al.).

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Story found on reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXChromosomes/comments/szg57w/comment/hy3me06/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)

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Welcome to TwoXChromosomes, a subreddit for both serious and silly content, and intended for women's perspectives. We are a welcoming subreddit and support the rights of all genders. Posts are moderated for respect, equanimity, grace, and relevance.

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r/TwoXChromosomes - Comment by u/bexxyboo on "Tell me your "mansplaining" stories so I can laugh"

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5.9k votes, 3.4k comments. The day was yesterday. I was basically minding my own business on Facebook. As much as you can on Facebook. I made a post ...

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Mansplaining In Mainstream Media (Friends)

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Mansplaining In Mainstream Media (Friends)

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Rachel's famous "No uterus, no opinion"! (https://youtu.be/GT52VSIgVm8?si=3lMC0DZ2J16r-8wX)

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Exploring Mansplaining Through the Lens of Grice's Maxims

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Exploring Mansplaining Through the Lens of Grice's Maxims

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As learned throughout the course, Grice's conversational maxims provide a framework for understanding effective communication. However, when we examine the phenomenon of mansplaining, it's evident that these maxims are often disregarded.

Mansplaining typically involves:

overabundance of information

blatantly flouting the maxim of quantity

surplus of information can overwhelm the conversation, overshadowing the contributions of others, especially women.

As seen in the examples, mansplaining often strays off-topic, flouting the maxim of relevance.

1. information provided, although perhaps factually accurate, isn't pertinent to the ongoing discussion

2. diversion not only disrupts the flow of conversation but also devalues the relevance of the listener's input

3. implies their perspectives or understanding are less significant.

These deviations from Grice's maxims highlight a unique facet of mansplaining from a pragmatic linguistic perspective.

But perhaps more intriguing is the idea of a new, specific 'maxim' being flouted in instances of mansplaining. This proposed maxim would encapsulate the unique breaches of communicative etiquette inherent to mansplaining:

Focus on the balance of conversational participation

Respect for the listener's knowledge and perspective.

Focus on the need for awareness in communication, ensuring that all participants are given equal opportunities to contribute and be acknowledged

Using these values would perhaps make a new maxim known as "maxim of equitability".

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An Instance of Mansplaining on Twitter (X)

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An Instance of Mansplaining on Twitter (X)

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Post found on x.com (https://x.com/wheelswordsmith/status/962851814025474049?s=46&t=iHKNtOpUFbCfQWrNFr-xRQ)

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The maxim of equitability would focus on:

1. ensuring that communicative exchanges do not privilege one participant's contributions over another's based on gender or other biases

2. emphasize the importance of acknowledging and valuing each participant's knowledge and perspective, ensuring that no one is unfairly overshadowed or dismissed in a conversation

3. serve as a guideline for respectful and balanced communication, promoting a more inclusive and equitable conversational environment

4. directly addresses the core issues associated with mansplaining by advocating for a communication style that respects and values all voices equally

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Tiktok story about mansplaining (https://www.tiktok.com/@victoriagravesande/video/6956002129525984517)

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Ofc I know what a pillow is I’m a pillow princess 👸 #feminism #mansplain #stitchthis #iluvwomen #ughmen

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@victoriagravesande
Ofc I know what a pillow is I’m a pillow princess 👸 #feminism #mansplain #stitchthis #iluvwomen #ughmen
♬ original sound - Victoria Gravesande

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Spreading Awareness and Educating Society

Spreading awareness challenges unequal power dynamics and empowers women by promoting their voices and fostering situations where everyone's contributions and ideas are equally valued and appreciated.

Education society helps individuals better appreciate the detrimental effects of mansplaining on equality and self-confidence, especially for women.

How can you do this?

Launch awareness on social media platforms

Spread awareness about implemented gender education modules in schools, workplaces and communities

Partner with organizations and leaders to advocate against mansplaining

Conduct workshops that educate about mansplaining

Click this link below to view some widespread gender equality awareness campaigns:

https://www.rightsofequality.com/campaigns-on-gender-equality/

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Promoting Inclusivity and Respect

Encourage empathy and active listening

this can help foster more respectful interactions and encourages individuals to validate others' knowledge and experiences

promoting inclusivity creates safer spaces where diverse perspectives are valued, reducing assumptions and instances of mansplaining

Advocating for Change

Use gender-neutral language when appropriate

speaking out against stereotypes related to gender

Advocating for change in power structures helps address unequal dynamics, promoting equality in communication and decision-making

How can you do this?

Address any instances of mansplaining seen or heard in your community

Engage in conversations that promote equality

Support gender equality initiatives

Foster positive environments that combat gender discrimination

The link below illustrates 5 ways to build gender equality and sustainability:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2022/02/five-ways-to-build-gender-equality-and-sustainability

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Support Women-Owned Businesses

This creates a more inclusive and equitable environment where women's voices are valued and respected.

By supporting women-owned businesses, society can gradually shift its perspective on gender dynamics in professional settings. This challenges the notion that men are "inherently" more knowledgeable or authoritative.

Here are some ideas on where to start!

Click the links below and check out some fascinating women-owned businesses nearby:

https://www.destinationtoronto.com/leisure-blog/post/women-owned-businesses/

https://www.styledemocracy.com/female-owned-canadian-businesses-to-support-2/

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Sometimes in real life, the line between mansplaining or not could be blurry, here we explore such a scenario:

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Apply Your Learning: Is this mansplaining?

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Apply Your Learning: Is this mansplaining?

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Sarah: (standing at the front of the workshop room, presenting her coding technique) So, as you can see, this new algorithm significantly improves our processing speed, which is crucial for our project's success.

John: (raises his hand) Sarah, can I ask a question?

Sarah: Of course, John, go ahead.

John: (starts asking a detailed technical question) Well, it's just that I was thinking, wouldn't it be more efficient if we used a binary search tree instead of a hash table in this scenario? I mean, you're probably aware of binary search trees, but just in case...

Sarah: (listens patiently) That's an interesting point, John. However, for our specific use case, the hash table is actually more suitable because...

(As Sarah explains her rationale, John nods and seems to understand.)

(Time passes, and the workshop continues.)

John: (interrupts again) Sarah, just a thought here, but have you considered implementing memoization for this part? It could really optimize our performance.

Sarah: (smiling) Thanks, John, but actually, memoization is already a fundamental part of this algorithm. It's what enables us to achieve the performance gains I mentioned earlier.

John: (pauses) Oh, right, I must have missed that. Thanks for explaining, Sarah.

(As the workshop progresses, Sarah continues her presentation, but John keeps interjecting with questions and suggestions. Some of his questions are genuinely helpful, while others seem to be focused on concepts Sarah has already covered. She remains uncertain about whether John genuinely wants to contribute to the discussion or if he might be mansplaining by repeatedly suggesting concepts she's already incorporated into her work.)

Sarah: (finishing her presentation) In conclusion, this algorithm has the potential to revolutionize our data processing speed, and I'm eager to hear your feedback and thoughts on how we can further refine it.

John: (raising his hand again) One last thing, Sarah. What if we consider parallel processing in addition to all these optimizations? That could make it even faster, don't you think?

Sarah: (smiles) John, that's an excellent suggestion, and it's actually something we've been exploring in the team discussions. I appreciate your input.

(As the workshop concludes, Sarah reflects on the conversation, still uncertain about John's intentions but remaining open to constructive feedback.)

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Do you think the scenario below is a case of mansplaining?

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No, he is just trying to engage with the conversation

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Brewington-Bobo, Morgan & Hackathorn, Jana & Velez, Alex. (2022). Sexism, Actually? Analysis of Ambivalent Sexism in Popular Movies. Sexuality & Culture. 26. 10.1007/s12119-022-09958-6.

Briggs, Caitlin Q et al. “Competence-Questioning Communication and Gender: Exploring Mansplaining, Ignoring, and Interruption Behaviors.” Journal of business and psychology, 1-29. 9 Jan. 2023, doi:10.1007/s10869-022-09871-7

Chemaly, Soraya. “”Men explaining things to me had been happening my whole life": The author behind "mansplaining" on the origin of her famous term”. Salon. Salon. 20 May 2014, https://www.salon.com/2014/05/20/men_explain_things_to_me_the_author_behind_mansplaining_on_the_origin_of_her_famous_coinage/.

Goodwin, Kim. “Mansplaining, Explained in One Chart.” BBC News, BBC, 25 Feb. 2022, www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20180727-mansplaining-explained-in-one-chart.

Ha, Thu-Huong. “Dictionary-makers found the first known use of “mansplain”. Quartz, Quartz, 25 February 2018, https://qz.com/1214707/where-does-the-word-mansplain-come-from.

Jones, Taylor. “A Deep Dive into Mansplaining.” Language Jones, Language Jones, 16 June 2016, www.languagejones.com/blog-1/2016/5/30/a-deep-dive-into-mansplaining.

Koc-Michalska, K., Schiffrin, A., Lopez, A., Boulianne, S., & Bimber, B. (2021). From Online Political Posting to Mansplaining: The Gender Gap and Social Media in Political Discussion. Social Science Computer Review, 39(2), 197-210. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439319870259

Perlman, Merrill. “‘Mansplaining’ and its offspring”. Columbia Journalism Review. Columbia Journalism Review. 18 February 2019, https://www.cjr.org/language_corner/mansplaining.php.

Sen, S. (2022, October 4). 5 gender equality campaigns that made huge impacts. Rights of Equality - Promoting Gender Equality and Women Empowerment. https://www.rightsofequality.com/campaigns-on-gender-equality/

Sifton, Sam, & Barrett, Grant. "The Words of the Year". The New York Times. The New York Times. 18 December 2010, https://web.archive.org/web/20111022033800/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/weekinreview/19sifton.html.

Solnit, Rebecca. “Men Explain Things to Me.” TomDispatch, TomDispatch, 13 April 2009,

https://tomdispatch.com/rebecca-solnit-the-archipelago-of-arrogance/.

StyleDemocracy. (2022, June 3). 20 female-owned Canadian businesses to support. https://www.styledemocracy.com/female-owned-canadian-businesses-to-support-2/

Young, M. Y. (2023, May 17). Shop local: Women-owned businesses in Toronto: Destination Toronto. Tourism Toronto. https://www.destinationtoronto.com/leisure-blog/post/women-owned-businesses/