The role of translation in the travels of ‘mansplaining’
The case of online translation activism in Türkiye
Published online: 5 September 2025
https://doi.org/10.1075/target.24063.erk
https://doi.org/10.1075/target.24063.erk
Abstract
This study discusses ‘mansplaining’ as a traveling neologism, tracing its trajectory across online activist
platforms in Türkiye. The study shows that the initial Turkish equivalents that were proposed for ‘mansplaining’ on feminist blogs
sparked controversy owing to their emphasis on male genitalia and physiology. Those equivalents reveal that narratives of
heterosexuality, gender binaries, and biological essentialism may permeate feminist translation, which, despite its progressive
intentions, needs to embrace more inclusive and transformative perspectives on gender and sexuality. The research indicates that
the initial equivalents proposed were ultimately dismissed in favor of the formulation of other neologisms to confront
cisnormativity. The study concludes that the term ‘mansplaining’ has foregrounded the significance of the incorporation of gender
and sexual diversity in the translation practices of online activism in Türkiye.
Keywords: mansplaining, traveling neologism, translation, cisnormativity, online activism
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Gender activism in Türkiye
- 3.The translation of ‘mansplaining’ in Türkiye
- 3.1Translation between paradigms: The travels of ‘mansplaining’ in different ideological contexts
- 3.2Translation between theory and action
- 4.Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
References
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