Article: Male privilege is the result of the patriarchal system we live in, where men are given more power and privilege than women.[citation needed] This means that as a man, you likely will earn higher wages than women, have a lower risk of sexual assault and sexual violence, and have access to financial and social support that is not extended to women. Because you benefit from male privilege as a man, it is important that you acknowledge this privilege in your discussions with feminists. This concept is also known as “checking your privilege”, where you recognize and acknowledge your male privilege before you respond to a woman who is speaking to you or to women that are in a shared space with you. This will allow you to keep in mind where you are coming from in relation to feminism and to be a positive ally to women. As a male feminist, it is important that you focus on active listening to women when they speak. This will show you are aware that women are the leaders in the feminist movement and that you are a supporting player in the movement. Though you may be used to asserting yourself in discussions with others, it is essential that you actively listen to women in discussions on feminism.  For example, perhaps you are in a conversation with a woman who identifies as a feminist. She may make a comment about the need for safe spaces for women to meet, talk, and hang out without heterosexual men around. You may feel that segregated spaces for women will feel exclusive to others. Rather than attack her point of view, ask her thoughtful questions about her comment and demonstrate you are actively listening to her. This means making eye contact with her, nodding your head as she speaks, and responding in an active way. For example, you may say, “What I am hearing you say is that safe spaces for women are important in our patriarchal society.” If she responds yes to your response, you can then present your argument. However, always check your privilege and acknowledge that you are viewing the situation from a male perspective. This will keep the discussion proactive and honest. It is also important in these discussions to recognize that you do not need to be right or win the argument against a female feminist. Instead, the idea is to foster discussion and communication between men and women in a safe, open way. Your male privilege does not mean you are automatically correct or have the right idea, and it is important that you recognize this during your discussions with women. “Mansplaining” is when a man explains a topic, such feminism, to a woman when she likely already knows and understands the topic. Mansplaining is often done by male politicians when they discuss women’s reproductive rights. But it can also occur in common conversation, where a male speaker “mansplains” a feminist concept to a woman or to a group of women in the room. Avoid doing this, as it indicates you are not supporting the feminist movement and are instead trying to assert your male privilege in front of women. You can avoid “mansplaining” by focusing on active listening to other women. Ask, “What do you think of this topic?” or state, “As a man, I am not qualified to talk about this but I look forward to hearing what you have to say.” Though sexist jokes or references may seem harmless to you, to women, sexist jokes only reinforce the gap between male privilege and women’s rights. Commenting on a woman’s physical appearance, such as calling a woman “hot” or sexualizing a woman, is offensive and disrespectful to women. Avoid making sexist jokes around your other guy friends, as this also indicates that it is okay to sexualize women and see them as sexual objects. Doing this works against feminism and the equality of the sexes. Being a feminist as a man is not like gaining entry into an exclusive club. Instead, it requires constant work and acknowledgment of your male privilege. Focus on educating yourself by talking to women who identify as feminists and to other men who are trying to support women as allies.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Acknowledge your male privilege. Practice active listening when a woman explains her perspective. Do not “mansplain” a feminist concept to a woman. Avoid making sexist jokes or sexist references. Continue to educate yourself through discussions with other feminists.
Article: Before you decide the specifics of a party, like what to serve or who to invite, you'll need to choose a location for the party. If you're sticking to a budget, you'll want to find a venue that is either free or very low-cost. If you're throwing a relatively small party, you can host it at your home or in your backyard. If the party will be too big for your home or yard, try booking a picnic area in your local park. Regardless of where you decide to have the party, you'll want to decorate the venue. This will help customize the space, ideally to make it unique to your child's interests and hobbies. Rather than paying a professional decorator, you can find and display your own decorations at a relatively low cost.  Instead of tablecloths, you can buy a cheap roll of plain white paper and drape big sheets over the tabletops. Then leave crayons out for the kids to draw and doodle on the paper. It won't cost much, and it will add a fun element of creativity to the party.  Balloons are fairly cheap, even if you buy them with helium from the store.  Decorate the tables with small, low-cost party favors. You can leave a small bowl of individually-wrapped candy at the center of the table, or put out a small bushel of freshly-picked apples for guests to take home.  If your child wants a theme birthday party, you can make things simple by buying plates and napkins with that theme's design on them. You can also cut costs by buying balloons and napkins that are the color of your theme - for example, red and blue for a Spiderman party, or teal blue for a Frozen party. Another easy way to cut costs for the party is by making your own invitations. You can use recycled paper on hand, or for even greater savings per project, try sending out an e-vite to the party. You can find free templates and sample invitations online. Search for "party invitations" to find examples of easy party invitation templates. If you're trying to plan a party on a budget, the reality of the situation is that you may need to invite fewer people. Each extra kid who's invited will require additional food and drinks, plus any party favors or supplies for activities you have planned. If you're worried about hurt feelings from your child's peers, consider inviting only friends and classmates, rather than leaving the invitation open to siblings or other outside friends.  For infants, it's best to stick to family members and/or close friends. No two year old is going to remember how many people were at a party, and the smaller, more-intimate setting will make it feel more like a family get-together.  If the child is in preschool, a general rule for the number of other kids to invite is the child's age plus one. So, for example, if your child is three or four years old, invite four or five other kids from preschool.  For older kids, it's more a question of how many classmates your child is actually friends with, and how many people you can reasonably accommodate (in terms of space and cost). However, if you do invite several classmates, you'll want to avoid sending invitations to all but one or two kids, as this will alienate the uninvited kids and may cause tension. If your child's birthday falls around the same time as one of your other kids' birthdays (or a friend/classmate's birthday), consider combining the two parties into one bigger party. You'll then be able to split the cost of the party with the other parent (if it's a friend's birthday), or at least consolidate the costs instead of having two parties (for siblings). Ask around among your friends' parents to find out when their children's birthdays fall. You can bring up the idea of combining parties casually. Say something like, "Our child's birthday is only a short while before/after. Would you be interested in combining the two parties together and having one big party?" Just make sure the other parent isn't planning anything too extravagant that would break your budget.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Choose a low-cost venue. Decorate the venue. Make your own invitations. Cut back on the guest list. Consider combining parties.