“We must be swift as a coursing river, with all the force of a great typhoon, with all the strength of a raging fire; mysterious as the dark side of the moon!” These lyrics from the renowned Disney musical Mulan exemplify some of the traditional standards to which men around the world are expected to conform. These standards are impressed upon boys from their childhood, and it is not uncommon for men to feel like they have to be assertive, powerful, and domineering in order to be accepted. This “be a man” attitude is especially pervasive in Western society, where boys are taught to shut up, stop crying, and toughen up whenever faced with emotional distress. This view of masculinity emphasizes strength, power, aggression, and dominance – traits
…show more content…
According to a meta-analysis conducted at Indiana University Bloomington, men who conform to masculine norms tend to be more susceptible to psychological issues such as depression, poor body image, and substance abuse (Wong 80–93). Additionally, men who follow these standards often lack the ability to accurately express the range of emotions they experience. Men are often taught that it is socially acceptable to display no more than two main emotions: anger and aggression. A study conducted at Kansas State University revealed that although all sampled men were physiologically aroused by emotional stimuli, those who were regarded as more traditionally masculine were less likely to verbally report the associated emotions (Robertson 393–412). Men with stereotypically masculine traits are also less likely than women to ignore medical problems and avoid professional healthcare due to their increased sense of self-reliance, toughness, and bravery (Himmelstein 1283–1292). This contributes to a shorter lifespan – approximately five years shorter than that of women (Murphy …show more content…
Traditional social expectations say that men are dominant over women. This view leads to the development of socially undesirable traits such as misogyny. Boys are taught that they’re superior to girls, and that it’s cool to call women bitches, sluts, and whores (Cranston). In gender-segregated structures such as team sports, men are implicitly taught to view women as subordinates in order to fit in with their peers and appear masculine (Anderson 257–280). Conversation among men that involves degrading women is a common effect of this, and is often referred to as “locker-room talk.” This kind of discourse is actually viewed by some as socially acceptable, as evidenced by the controversial comments made by Donald Trump in 2005 in a conversation with television personality Billy Bush (Fahrenthold). Another result of this perception of masculinity is homophobia. In Western culture, the term “fag” or “faggot” has been redefined to refer to a homosexual person in a negative manner. This term, however, is not only used to degrade homosexuals, rather, it is often used among teenage males to suggest that a peer is “not a man,” implying that femininity and homosexuality are associated (Pascoe
According to a meta-analysis conducted at Indiana University Bloomington, men who conform to masculine norms tend to be more susceptible to psychological issues such as depression, poor body image, and substance abuse (Wong 80–93). Additionally, men who follow these standards often lack the ability to accurately express the range of emotions they experience. Men are often taught that it is socially acceptable to display no more than two main emotions: anger and aggression. A study conducted at Kansas State University revealed that although all sampled men were physiologically aroused by emotional stimuli, those who were regarded as more traditionally masculine were less likely to verbally report the associated emotions (Robertson 393–412). Men with stereotypically masculine traits are also less likely than women to ignore medical problems and avoid professional healthcare due to their increased sense of self-reliance, toughness, and bravery (Himmelstein 1283–1292). This contributes to a shorter lifespan – approximately five years shorter than that of women (Murphy …show more content…
Traditional social expectations say that men are dominant over women. This view leads to the development of socially undesirable traits such as misogyny. Boys are taught that they’re superior to girls, and that it’s cool to call women bitches, sluts, and whores (Cranston). In gender-segregated structures such as team sports, men are implicitly taught to view women as subordinates in order to fit in with their peers and appear masculine (Anderson 257–280). Conversation among men that involves degrading women is a common effect of this, and is often referred to as “locker-room talk.” This kind of discourse is actually viewed by some as socially acceptable, as evidenced by the controversial comments made by Donald Trump in 2005 in a conversation with television personality Billy Bush (Fahrenthold). Another result of this perception of masculinity is homophobia. In Western culture, the term “fag” or “faggot” has been redefined to refer to a homosexual person in a negative manner. This term, however, is not only used to degrade homosexuals, rather, it is often used among teenage males to suggest that a peer is “not a man,” implying that femininity and homosexuality are associated (Pascoe