WHAT IS TOXIC MASCULINITY?
Our society places a huge amount of expectations on men. It is often expected that men should be breadwinners, they should be providers, they should be physically powerful and if they can’t be all that, they better be rich. Men also are expected to repress their emotions and not cry. They should also be dominant, and if they are not, they are lesser males and may even be humiliated. Sometimes this humiliation is likening them to girls. This is because things that are female or feminine are often considered as something bad. Think of the popular expression "Acting like a girl". It is often understood as something negative, like someone that is being weak or whiny. However another popular expression "Acting like a man" is used in a usually encouraging way, for instance when someone is being brave, or taking ownership. The male gender role of being aggressive and unemotional is what has been described as "toxic masculinity". This is the way that patriarchy is most harmful for men.
Toxic masculinity is very damaging to society as a whole. The idea of being a man ends up being very tied to the idea of success and power, while women start from a powerless position unless she too "fights like a man". As women fight to be equal in society and hold the same jobs as men, men with high demands of masculinity feel their positions of power are taken from them. When women have their own power, it is more difficult for men to dominate them. All of a sudden, traditional male roles of being decision-makers, protectors and providers, fall a part.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF TOXIC MASCULINITY?
1. Loss of Identity
So we see men’s role as sole decision-maker, protector and provider are disappearing. But at the same time, since boy are not encouraged to be emotionally intelligent, they’re not supposed to be caretakers or nurturers. If women are taking their traditional roles and they’re not supposed to take on the roles traditionally understood to belong to women… what’s left for them? Not much.
2. Increased Self-harm
We see how the results of this can be hurtful for everyone. For example, in the UK suicide rates have been climbing among men since 2007 while female rates have remained pretty much the same. This has generally been tied to men losing their jobs (and thereby a large part of their identity) with the 2008 crisis and the lead up to it. According to the chair of England's National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group men are in general seen to be "more at risk of suicide because they are more likely to drink heavily, use self-harm methods that are more often fatal and are reluctant to seek help."
3. Violence Against Women
For women this can be damaging in the form of men perceiving them as a threat to their identity or simply as a frustrating reminder of their own loss of identity. This which can lead to violence against women, both physical and verbal.
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT TOXIC MASCULINITY?
We can do a lot! We can start by allowing, encouraging, and teaching males to be emotional human beings. This ranges from small behaviors like allowing men to cry, to larger goals like having men share care-taking responsibilities. These responsibilities includes several traditionally female responsibilities, such as taking their part in caring for children or the elderly, or participating in housework. It is crucial to educate men about gender justice and equity. In order to achieve changes in our society, we need men to become allies of groups oppressed by sexism and defend feminist principles that will ultimately help benefit them too! A true feminist society would allow us to develop progressive systems in which everyone - regardless of gender- could have the time and resources to thrive in our careers, families, friendships and communities (and not need to pick one of them!).
Our society places a huge amount of expectations on men. It is often expected that men should be breadwinners, they should be providers, they should be physically powerful and if they can’t be all that, they better be rich. Men also are expected to repress their emotions and not cry. They should also be dominant, and if they are not, they are lesser males and may even be humiliated. Sometimes this humiliation is likening them to girls. This is because things that are female or feminine are often considered as something bad. Think of the popular expression "Acting like a girl". It is often understood as something negative, like someone that is being weak or whiny. However another popular expression "Acting like a man" is used in a usually encouraging way, for instance when someone is being brave, or taking ownership. The male gender role of being aggressive and unemotional is what has been described as "toxic masculinity". This is the way that patriarchy is most harmful for men.
Toxic masculinity is very damaging to society as a whole. The idea of being a man ends up being very tied to the idea of success and power, while women start from a powerless position unless she too "fights like a man". As women fight to be equal in society and hold the same jobs as men, men with high demands of masculinity feel their positions of power are taken from them. When women have their own power, it is more difficult for men to dominate them. All of a sudden, traditional male roles of being decision-makers, protectors and providers, fall a part.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF TOXIC MASCULINITY?
1. Loss of Identity
So we see men’s role as sole decision-maker, protector and provider are disappearing. But at the same time, since boy are not encouraged to be emotionally intelligent, they’re not supposed to be caretakers or nurturers. If women are taking their traditional roles and they’re not supposed to take on the roles traditionally understood to belong to women… what’s left for them? Not much.
2. Increased Self-harm
We see how the results of this can be hurtful for everyone. For example, in the UK suicide rates have been climbing among men since 2007 while female rates have remained pretty much the same. This has generally been tied to men losing their jobs (and thereby a large part of their identity) with the 2008 crisis and the lead up to it. According to the chair of England's National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group men are in general seen to be "more at risk of suicide because they are more likely to drink heavily, use self-harm methods that are more often fatal and are reluctant to seek help."
3. Violence Against Women
For women this can be damaging in the form of men perceiving them as a threat to their identity or simply as a frustrating reminder of their own loss of identity. This which can lead to violence against women, both physical and verbal.
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT TOXIC MASCULINITY?
We can do a lot! We can start by allowing, encouraging, and teaching males to be emotional human beings. This ranges from small behaviors like allowing men to cry, to larger goals like having men share care-taking responsibilities. These responsibilities includes several traditionally female responsibilities, such as taking their part in caring for children or the elderly, or participating in housework. It is crucial to educate men about gender justice and equity. In order to achieve changes in our society, we need men to become allies of groups oppressed by sexism and defend feminist principles that will ultimately help benefit them too! A true feminist society would allow us to develop progressive systems in which everyone - regardless of gender- could have the time and resources to thrive in our careers, families, friendships and communities (and not need to pick one of them!).