Men Changing Men Analysis

Gloria Steinem states, “We 've begun to raise daughters more like sons … but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters." The words of Steinem reflect how today’s society has embraced raising daughters to be independent leaders, yet parents are still afraid to stray from raising their sons according to gender norms. It will be argued that the reinforcement of stereotypical masculinity is harmful, as boys are told that violence and dominance is natural, and this has a lasting effect on their adulthood. Steinem believes that to raise a son untraditionally is a truly audacious act, as it rejects the notion that ‘manly’ characteristics are innate. Accordingly, the article Men Changing Men by Robert Allen and Paul Kivel demonstrates …show more content…
Despite the fact that the Western world may deem these characteristics feminine, it is evident that Jewish men thrive from the ability to diverge from the norm. For example, close family relationships promote mutual respect and caring amongst members, therefore decreasing a male’s desire to exert dominance. In addition to this, it is considered a Jewish value for men to show emotion and cry when they are upset. While many cultures believe crying to be an exclusively feminine form of expression, it allows men to deal with negative experiences without taking their anger out through violence. In addition to this, men typically feel embarrassed when they are wrong, and attempt to assert their dominance to prove their worth. On the other hand, Jewish men remain confident when mistaken, as they are encouraged to debate and are not condemned when in the wrong. Conclusively, another redeemable factor in the raising of Jewish children, is the way that girls are told that they can do anything men can, and are never asked to bee seen and not heard. As parents provide the same respect to …show more content…
Furthermore, it should not be said that sons should be raised more like daughters, but rather it can be argued that sons should be raised with redeemable qualities regardless what gender these qualities reflect. That being said, The Jewish upbringing as described by Bergman is advantageous, as it does not attempt to raise boys like girls, or boys like boys, but rather focuses on teaching humanitarian characteristics without mentioning gender. As society progresses, it is evident that the lines of gender are blurring, and that there are no longer two definite categories one must fit in. Therefore, in order for both men and women to thrive, we must remove the notion that certain characteristics are for “sons” and other are for “daughters”, by teaching all children to the display the qualities that are deemed