Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women
Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women is a 2020 book by feminist philosopher Kate Manne. The book explores the pervasive issue of male entitlement and its harmful consequences for women, offering a detailed analysis of how societal norms and systemic structures perpetuate gender inequality. It serves as Manne's second major work, following her acclaimed book Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny.
Overview
Manne argues that male entitlement extends beyond sexual expectations to include claims over admiration, care, bodily autonomy, knowledge, and power. This entitlement leads to widespread misogynistic behaviors, such as nagging, the neglect of women’s medical pain, mass shootings by incels, and the societal perception of women as “unelectable”. The book critiques toxic masculinity as a cultural phenomenon perpetuated not only by individual men but also by societal norms that condition everyone to uphold patriarchal values.The book is divided into ten chapters. Manne illustrates these entitlements using real-world examples such as the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, the #MeToo movement, and cultural phenomena like “Cat Person”. She also addresses underexplored areas like entitlement to knowledge and medical care.
Manne emphasizes that combating toxic masculinity requires exposing flaws in societal thinking while empowering women to resist entitled attitudes. She advocates for a vision of equality where women are equally entitled to care, respect, and opportunities.