What Is Mansplaining?
Mansplaining occurs when a man, usually towards a woman, is patronizing or patronizing. This phenomenon is only an echo of a way of behaving and thinking of a good part of the more traditional society.
Frequently, this type of behavior is usually related to macho behavior, even if it occurs in a subtle way, and even without the man being aware of his way of acting and what is derived from it.
What is mansplaining?
The term “mansplaining” comes from English, and is made up of the words “man” and “explain”, which mean “man” and “explain”, respectively. The most common is that it refers to the condescending and paternalistic treatment that many men dispense to women, as if their interlocutors did not have enough capacity, sharpness or dexterity to function in a conversation or in a situation in which this “added” did not exist.
In many cases, examples of mansplaining can be seen when a man talks about topics that have traditionally been masculine, trying to appear more understanding and with the intention of causing the woman to simply shut up and learn.
The relationship between mansplaining and machismo
Mansplaining is, as a rule, a macho manifestation, since the man expresses himself or relates from an apparent position of superiority. We speak, sometimes of a quite subtle phenomenon, so mansplaining is usually described as micromachismo.
In short, mansplaining has a clear effect on power relations, which can mean that a woman is invisible and annulled in a professional field, when dealing with colleagues or bosses who are considered wiser, more experienced or intelligent.
Mansplaining towards other men
Although the majority of situations related to mansplaining occur from men to women, there can also be cases of mansplaining directed towards other men. This usually happens in contexts where competitiveness is very high.
It is also more difficult for this phenomenon to occur from women to men. On the one hand, there is no traditional culture that has educated in this sense; on the other hand, there are several studies that suggest that women have a greater preference for symmetrical relationships.
Ideas on which mansplaining is based
Depending on the behavior of each person, different variants of mansplaining can be found depending on the logic on which they are based:
The biologist
This first example is related to men who consider women inferior on a biological level. According to this logic, the natural inferiority of women would make such condescending and paternalistic treatment necessary. Thus, many men may come to think that acting in this way makes them better, more humane, consistent and sensitive.
The truth is that most studies have not found significant differences between men and women in intellectual performance. Thus, in most, if not all, fields, this position would not hold.
The teacher
A final example of behavior related to mansplaining is perhaps the most typical. These types of people tend to consider themselves as more knowledgeable in any subject than a woman, even in subjects that may be closer to the woman, such as pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Ultimately, behind most of these mansplaining behaviors is a macho attitude to the extent that they start from an undervalued conception of the person due to the fact of being a woman. This conception in many cases is manifested in the treatment in a subtle way; in fact, it is so subtle that it is very difficult to identify if there is no conscious reflection on it.
