Gender Knot Revised Ed: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy [Paperback]

Allan G. Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2005

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviews of the previous edition: "Johnson argues...that although female oppression "is at the heart of patriarchy," its fundamental essence is men's relationship with other men as they engage in a continuous struggle to prove their manhood-not to women, but to each other... Johnson takes patriarchy to task, critically examining its dynamics to reveal an underlying, pervasive domination-and-control mentality that is destructive to both females and males." Choice "... this book is a worthy addition to the small group of serious writing by men who understand the oppression of women, who can clearly and without defensiveness define a system of patriarchy, and who can voice the participation of both men and women in patriarchy without blaming the victim. Written in clear and accessible language-without academic boorishness or political rhetoric-this is a good introduction for women as well as men-but most importantly, it is from a man who can clearly explain to men what's happening and what they can do to change it." Feminist Bookstore News "The best of feminist theory is linked with practice, and Johnson's book follows this tradition by connecting patriarchy's macrostructure to its microstructure and by encouraging the reader to envision taking the necessary steps to dismantle the system... It is beautifully written and thoughtful, and provides compelling analyses of contemporary patriarchy and of the powerful ideology that supports the system and inhibits change... In addition to the quality scholarship, Johnson makes it clear throughout The Gender Knot that his work is more than an academic exercise; it is a guidebook for a life-changing adventure." Contemporary Sociology "Highly accessible and a pleasure to read, Johnson never oversimplifies the complex issue he explores. His engaging and conversational style will appeal to a wide audience and will be particularly useful for the classroom." Gender and Society "Allan G. Johnson's stirring new book ... more than dusts off the word [patriarchy] to parse it; he resurrects it. He makes it pulse again with portent. And he emboldens readers to do something about it that will make a difference...The Gender Knot belongs on the reading list of every course in sexual politics that encourages students to engage (if not "smash") patriarchy meaningfully." Men and Masculinities

From the Publisher

A compelling approach to gender inequality that empowers both men and women to be part of the solution instead of just part of the problem --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Temple University Press; 1 edition (April 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592133835
• ISBN-13: 978-1592133833
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #321,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Allan G. Johnson is a nationally recognized writer, novelist, and public speaker who has worked on issues of privilege, oppression, and social inequality since receiving his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan in 1972. His nonfiction writing has been translated into several languages and excerpted in numerous anthologies. His novels, The First Thing and the Last and Nothing Left to Lose, come from a lifelong devotion to the art of writing coupled with a passionate commitment to understanding what it means to be a human being in a complex world full of unnecessary suffering. He shares his life with Nora L. Jamieson, a writer, healer, and gatherer of women. They live in the hills of northwestern Connecticut.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Micro/macro view of how oppressive systems work January 15, 2000

By Chris Tarr

Format:Paperback

Allan Johnson takes a complex and highly charged topic and makes it clear, concise and understandable, regardless of one's gender. His analysis spans the gamut from the personal to the general with regards to not only power relationships between men and women, but also the dynamics of all kinds of oppression. He is "radical" in that he gets to the root causes of sexism -- all isms for that matter. Yet he stays clear of the guilt/blame spiral and instead inspires a sense of empowerment, suggesting how to be part of the solution to the immense problems wrought by patriarchy's fallacies.

Also, appreciated his challenges to some of the leading gurus in the "mythopoetic men's movement" as well as the trendy gender arbiters like John Gray and Debra Tannen, who normalize male/female behavior differences, without examining the root causes and how they actually perpetuate behaviors formed out of thousands of years of patriarchal conditioning.

This book removes the veil of illusion about the world we live in -- while offering hope, not for quick fixes, but of the long-term, big-picture variety. It reveals the scholarship of one who has gone to the depths in the study of people, social systems and how they interact.

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard, compelling truths May 10, 2000

By Hugo Schwyzer

Format:Paperback

When I first read this book a couple of years ago, I was not prepared to accept the full sweep of Johnson's arguments. It was not that I disagreed with his reasoning -- his logic is as sound as his prose is lucid! But I was not prepared for the implications of what he had written for my own life -- as a man who professed to be active in the feminist movement, I was for some time not prepared to make the changes in my private life which were necessary to unravel my own "gender knot". But I have grown, I have changed, and as I mature both as a man and an academician, I realize just how fundamentally right on Johnson is. His words haunt me: "That I don't rape women doesn't mean I'm not involved in a patriarchal society that promotes both male privilege and male violence against women." Men need to remember that.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous! Highly insightful June 25, 2000

By Kimberly Allen

Format:Paperback

Allan Johnson writes with rare clarity about gender issues.

Here at last is a book about gender relations that both men and women can feel connected to. Johnson validates women's feminist work, holding it up as an example of both moral and intellectual achievement. In fact, he takes feminism absolutely seriously, which made me realize just how rare that is. And yet, he's not a guilt-ridden "sensitive 90's guy" who is merely kow-towing to anything female because of the long history of our mistreatment at the hands of his gender. Instead, Johnson takes a far more responsible role than passive guilt. He is actively working to understand patriarchy from a male perspective in order that he can be part of a large-scale, *societal* (not individual-level) solution to the gender problems we are mired in. Men will not feel personally attacked by his stance on patriarchy, and yet, women will feel validated.

This is a very important book.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars who's to blame? April 12, 2004

By april wolfe

Format:Paperback

This is an excellent book because he does not enforce a man-hating policy. Instead, he addresses everyone who participates in the patriarchal society. So many men and women resist feminism because everyone's looking for the people to blame, and no one wants to feel guilty. He states simply that we are all to blame if we do not examine how we live our lives. I know now that even though i'm a woman, i too was to blame. Patriarchy is bigger than all of us, and to say that Johnson hates men or is self-loathing is ignorant and only goes to prove the point of his book. If you have the chance to see him speak--do so. It's worth it.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gender Knot clarifies all I have read on Feminism/Gender July 7, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

If I had to choose one book that would be mandatory for everyone, it would be The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchy Legacy. It lends power to and clarifies much of what I have read on Feminist Theory/Gender Issues. Everything that I have read since has had much more meaning because of the clarity with which Johnson explained the impact of patriarchy on how we view the world. It was a "hoot" reading Faludi's Stiffed on the heels of The Gender Knot. This is a "must" for all self-directed Feminist Scholars.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, The Keys to a Lasting, Genuine Gender Peace! September 17, 1997

By [e-mail]

Format:Paperback

Sociologist Allan Johnson's "The Gender Knot" is
an eloquent, readable, and optimistic work which
describes our modern patriarchal system and gives
practical pointers on how both men and women can
work for gender justice. Without playing blame
games, Johnson convincingly argues that society
is stuck in a debilitating "gender knot" because it takes an individualistic rather than a systemic approach towards sexism.

While "The Gender Knot" always has a sociological
focus, it is also a profoundly personal work, for
Johnson openly shares his experiences as a
husband, father, son, brother, colleague, and
friend. "The Gender Knot" derives much of its
power from the smooth interweaving of Johnson's
sociological analysis with candid accounts of his
struggles as a man in a patriarchal society.

In an age of Mars and Venus at one extreme and
blame games at the other, "The Gender Knot"
compels us to take a third way towards ending the
"battle of the sexes", a road less traveled which
will lead to a lasting, genuine gender peace.