Because it’s not a gender-neutral problem. In a non-gendered language, an explicitly gendered term is generally used for strong emphasis. I’m sorry, I just don’t know why insights about semantics in a gendered language are relevant in a discussion of a non-gendered language. It’s not that it’s not interesting, it is, I just don’t know how to address it within this context. (Does german have the word “mansplaining” too? Or like, a term to describe a similar concept? Maybe we can ‘borrow’ that one off you guys too, compound words are so dang handy sometimes…)
Yes, German does have the term “mainsplaining” too.
The issue here that “mansplaining” tries to tackle is “person with little knowledge thinks that everyone else (or specifically a person with a lot of knowledge) is stupid and thus has to explain stuff they already know”.
And while in many male-dominated fields that is a mostly-but-not-exclusively male problem, just go to any parenting-related thing as a man. Then you’ll have tons of women “mansplaining” very simple parenting concepts to you.
As the father of two young children, I have been “mansplained” by women about everything from how to change diapers to how to talk to children. Quite often by women who are about the age of my grandmother, but who think they still know everything about raising children.
I try to give my wife the chance for a child-free night out 1-3 days a week. Been doing that for years now. And yet, every single time my wife does something with her mother and I have the kids, my mother-in-law asks me if I can really handle that and gives me “helpful tips” about what I can do with my own children.
And do you know how often random women butt in when I disinfect my immunocompromised child’s hands in public places? “Desinfection hurts the immune system”. Yeah, sure. Dying from an infection does so as well. (The kid has cystic fibrosis.)
Women “mansplain” just as much, just about other topics.
Because it’s not a gender-neutral problem. In a non-gendered language, an explicitly gendered term is generally used for strong emphasis. I’m sorry, I just don’t know why insights about semantics in a gendered language are relevant in a discussion of a non-gendered language. It’s not that it’s not interesting, it is, I just don’t know how to address it within this context. (Does german have the word “mansplaining” too? Or like, a term to describe a similar concept? Maybe we can ‘borrow’ that one off you guys too, compound words are so dang handy sometimes…)
Yes, German does have the term “mainsplaining” too.
The issue here that “mansplaining” tries to tackle is “person with little knowledge thinks that everyone else (or specifically a person with a lot of knowledge) is stupid and thus has to explain stuff they already know”.
And while in many male-dominated fields that is a mostly-but-not-exclusively male problem, just go to any parenting-related thing as a man. Then you’ll have tons of women “mansplaining” very simple parenting concepts to you.
As the father of two young children, I have been “mansplained” by women about everything from how to change diapers to how to talk to children. Quite often by women who are about the age of my grandmother, but who think they still know everything about raising children.
I try to give my wife the chance for a child-free night out 1-3 days a week. Been doing that for years now. And yet, every single time my wife does something with her mother and I have the kids, my mother-in-law asks me if I can really handle that and gives me “helpful tips” about what I can do with my own children.
And do you know how often random women butt in when I disinfect my immunocompromised child’s hands in public places? “Desinfection hurts the immune system”. Yeah, sure. Dying from an infection does so as well. (The kid has cystic fibrosis.)
Women “mansplain” just as much, just about other topics.