The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy by Allan Johnson

From the Publisher

The Gender Knot, Allan Johnson's response to the pain and confusion that men and women experience by living with gender inequality, explains what patriarchy is and isn't, how it works, and what gets in the way of understanding and doing something about it. Johnson's simple yet powerful approach avoids the paralyzing trap of guilt, blame, anger, and defensive denial that often result from conversations about gender. He shows how we all participate in an oppressive system we didn't create and how each of us can contribute towards its dissolution. He argues persuasively that something much better is possible and that our individual choices matter more than we can ever know.

This revised, and updated edition features expanded discussions of:

* the core characteristics of patriarchy and its power as a social system
* the relationship between individuals and social systems
* Women's movement assessments of patriarchy and gender inequality
* key-and controversial-terms such as sexism, privilege, and political correctness\

Michael Kimmel

From Michael Kimmel, author of Manhood in America: A Cultural History: \ "As any knitter will tell you, the way to untangle a knot is not to pull hard on one end, but to gently shake the entire skein until all the threads are loosened. In this book, Allan Johnson gently and patiently shakes the patriarchal knot until each of the constituent threads becomes analytically clear. In doing so, he gives men a way to be part of unraveling that oppressive knot, rather than simply tugging defensively on their end." \

Selma Miriam

From Selma Miriam, Bloodroot Feminist Bookstore: \ "At last a man who got it right . . . . he creates a unique political context in which women and men can have feminist conversations . . . . and brings a freshness to . . . feminism that encourages us and gives us hope." \

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents