The Gender Knot: Unraveling our Patriarchal Legacy
 Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | Allan G. Johnson |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Women's Studies, Sociology |
| Published | 1997 (Temple University Press) |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) |
| Pages | 294 (hardcover edition) |
| ISBN | 1-56639-518-6 |
The Gender Knot: Unraveling our Patriarchal Legacy is a 1997 book by Allan G. Johnson.[1] Johnson explains and addresses the concept of patriarchy and how it deeply affects the lives of both men and women. He stresses that avoiding "the path of least resistance" is the key to combating gender inequality. He lays out a guide that encourages every person to fight the patriarchy in their life.
Summary[edit]
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In The Gender Knot, Allan Johnson explains how the sexism that people experience is a direct result of the patriarchal structure of our society. Johnson also details how the average person helps reinforce the patriarchy by avoiding questioning the status quo. He explains how men directly benefit from patriarchy, and that they must contribute to the feminist movement by addressing their own male privilege. He dissects the phenomenon that men can be both privileged and made to feel powerless by the patriarchy. He uses the Tree of patriarchy as a way to visualize the system of patriarchy. He also criticizes the use of the terms misandry and reverse sexism and the motives of the men's rights movement.
Reception[edit]
Critical reception for The Gender Knot has been positive.[2][3] Abby L. Ferber, writing for Gender and Society, called The Gender Knot "a unique book that fills a void in the literature on gender."[4] In Off Our Backs, Karla Mantilla called it "a brilliant accounting of patriarchy."[5] In a review for Contemporary Sociology, Rebecca Bach states that Johnson follows the tradition of "the best of feminist theory" in his writing.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ Johnson, Allan G (2014-01-01). The gender knot: unraveling our patriarchal legacy. ISBN 9781439911853.
- ^ Rosenthal, N.B. (April 2015). "Johnson, Allan G.: The gender knot: unraveling our patriarchal legacy (review)". CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries. 52 (8): 1409. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
- ^ Kahn, Arnold S (1998-06-01). "UNRAVELING PATRIARCHY (review)". Psychology of Women Quarterly. 22 (2): 305–307. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.1998.tb00156.x. ISSN 1471-6402. S2CID 149412743.
- ^ Ferber, Abby L. (1999-01-01). "Review of The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy". Gender and Society. 13 (4): 565–566. doi:10.1177/089124399013004013. JSTOR 190319. S2CID 220475220.
- ^ Mantilla, Karla (2004-01-01). Stoltenberg, John; Johnson, Allan G.; Real, Terrence; Kivel, Paul (eds.). "Books by Men of Conscience". Off Our Backs. 34 (9/10): 51–52. JSTOR 20838175.
- ^ Bach, Rebecca (1998-01-01). "Review of The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy". Contemporary Sociology. 27 (3): 241–242. doi:10.2307/2655166. JSTOR 2655166.