From manspreading to mansplaining: Rethinking male dominance of space

This year’s theme for the International Women’s Day is “Give to Gain”. This is rooted in the value of reciprocity, akin to the biblical dictum that those who give receive much more in return. In the sense of the theme, when different entities (individuals, organisations and communities) contribute towards women’s advancement, society gains. One of the things men can give more to women is space. Why? What do men stand to gain by doing so? But first, how do they dominate space?

Various words have been coined to describe men’s domination of space. “Manspreading” refers to splashing self in spaces, hence denying others their fair share. It sends a message of entitlement and exclusion. “Manstanding” refers to using the upright body by men to physically block pathways such as gates, doors, corridors and stairs. It is a tactic to control entry and exit, and to intimidate others.

“Mansplaining” describes the habit of men taking over conversations to “elaborate better” what women are saying. It is a symptom of a superiority complex. Often, the man will say exactly what the woman was saying but get better acknowledgement from fellow men.

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Space domination can take other forms. For instance, a husband’s control over the wife’s membership in welfare groups or other associations, who to be friends with, who to vote for, which religion to belong to, where to go and when to return home illustrate the phenomenon. This is basically tantamount to micro-management, itself showing a lack of trust but also a sense of insecurity.

It is also exemplified in one community where the dictum is that the home belongs to the man but the house to the woman. This defines a cultural and ideological ethic where women are domesticated and romanticised as ministers for home affairs managing micro affairs, a veritable exercise in diminution, while men hog the external world of meso and macro level matters.

This social (mis)behaviour also manifests in digital and tech platforms where cyberstalking, online tracking and digital shadowing are used. These acts may give men a false sense of control. But in reality, they actually drain their emotions, energy, time and financial and material resources. Moreover, they betray a pathological deficiency of trust.

Read: Men should respect women in all spheres of life

Biological determinist schools of thought argue that because men are on average bigger than women physically, it is only natural that they require more physical space. They say that male hormonal make-up drives men to expansive behaviour. Sociological explanations posit that this behaviour is related to men’s conditioning based on the concept of masculinity where occupation of more space is a symbol of power, authority, dominance and control. In Space, Place, and Gender, Doreen Massey argues that “space is socially constructed and deeply gendered, with patriarchal power shaping who belongs where”. Liz Bondi and Joyce Davidson, in “Situating Gender”, shows that men’s domination of space is both material and symbolic.

Physical space is a visual symbol of conquest, which is a denominator of traditional masculinity. In this social scheme, women are trained to claim smaller space. Note, for example, that while there is no strict code about how boys should sit, girls are forever watched and reminded to close their legs, or sit with them crossed, stay indoors or avoid travelling at certain times or in certain places to avoid danger and not be too loud in public to retain respect and honour. The norm that women should speak less in public forums reinforces the paradigm that they occupy “less space”.

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Constraining women’s spaces is inimical to democracy. It limits our ability to harness all the human potential, and reduces the harvest of women’s knowledge, skills and talents. Effectively, this denies half the world a chance to realise its full potential and contribute towards global growth.

Logically, men giving women space achieve the reverse of the foregoing. It will result in women’s voices being amplified, ideas articulated and shared, insights integrated into decisions and talents utilised better. The aggregate is more holistic and inclusive development, to the benefit of all.

In addition, it relieves men of the struggle to be superhuman as their burdens are shared and made lighter. This leads to higher efficiency and productivity. It frees men from the baggage of suspicion, supervision and micro-management. It enables them to overcome the mentality of invincibility and indispensability. It contributes to less violence and hence a healthier world. It earns humanity a larger pool of material, cognitive, financial, technological and other resources.

The beginning lies in recognition that space belongs to all of us. The words attributed to Mahatma Gandhi illustrate. “The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not enough for everyone’s greed.”

The writer is a lecturer in Gender and Development Studies at South Eastern Kenya University ([email protected]).