Chapter/ Lesson 14: Men and Masculinities

SUMMARY:

A social, cultural, and historical construct, masculinity is influenced by and linked to

other elements like class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, and disability. Studies on men's
studies and masculinity have identified recurring themes that have strengthened and
developed these concepts as they have evolved.

Multiple Masculinity. Numerous masculinity in some cultures, homosexuality and

real masculinity are mutually exclusive. Other nations hold the belief that a person cannot
be a true man without having had homosexual relationships. The definition of masculinity in
working-class and middle-class life, as well as the very rich and very poor, differ from one
another. It is even possible to find more than one type of masculinity within a particular
cultural context and social class.

Hierarchy and Hegemony. The uneven privilege distribution among various

categories of males is reflected in the hierarchy of masculinity. As a result, some
masculinity are regarded as superior to the others and to other types of gender.
Hegemonic masculinity refers to the type of masculinity that is prevalent in a culture.
Hegemony refers to a position of leadership and cultural authority, but not complete
domination because other types of masculinity coexist alongside it. Hegemonic masculinity
was defined as the pattern of behavior that permitted men to continue to dominate women.
As it forced all other males to place themselves in relation to it and conceptually legitimized
the worldwide subjugation of women to men, hegemonic masculinity embodied the
currently most respected style of being a man.

Masculinities and alcohol and drug use. Men's drinking is a common social practice
that fosters camaraderie and inspires bravery. It also serves as a kind of recreation. When
males get drunk, fights and murders are justified, and women are urged to accept men's
intoxication as a normal aspect of being men.

Collective Masculinities. Collective definitions of masculinity are also used in the

workplace and in unofficial organizations like street gangs. By collective, we imply that they
are supported by institutions and groups. (For instance, via professional contexts where
they wield power, such as in the military and government, which offer a reasonably
convincing corporate show of masculinity that hasn't been much impacted by feminist
women or dissident men.

Masculinities and well-being. Male behaviors that are harmful to their health and the
health of their families are sometimes encouraged by culturally dominant types of
masculinity, which frequently push males to exercise tight emotional restraint.

Family formation, fathering, caregiving and domestic roles. As doing domestic duties
might result in a loss of face for men, they are typically associated with women. Women's
labor market involvement has increased significantly in recent decades, but less has been
said about men's home and caring responsibilities. However, research demonstrates that
males generally do not significantly expand their share in family chores and unpaid care.
Men are missing out if they don't participate more in their domestic and family duties, but
they are unaware of this. It has been demonstrated that fathers' involvement in their
children's life is good for their mental and physical health.

Protest Masculinity. Instances of severe sex-typed conduct on the part of some

individuals are referred to as protest masculinity. High degrees of physical aggressiveness
are crucial to understanding the idea of protest masculinity. Also included in the protest
masculinity profile are destructiveness, a low threshold for waiting for pleasure, criminality,
drunkenness, and similar tendencies.

Caring Masculinity. Men's participation in gender equality requires them to resist

hegemonic masculinity and adopt values and traits of care that are in opposition to
hegemonic masculinity. Caring masculinity can be understood as masculine identities that
reject domination and embrace the affective, relational, emotional, and interdependent
qualities of care.

INSIGHTS:

Men's aggression, parenting, sexuality, men's crimes, female masculinity, male

femininity, etc. are only a few of the subjects covered in the expanding corpus of literature
theorizing men and masculinities. These studies exist despite the fact that males clearly
hold the majority of the world's economic and political power. Corporate leaders, elite
professionals, and people who occupy public office are mostly male. In 1996, males held
the majority of senior positions in international organizations and 93% of cabinet-level jobs
worldwide.

Different historical eras and cultural constructs of masculinity exist. Some societies
revere warriors as heroes and see violence as the ultimate measure of manhood. Other
cultures look down on military service and despise violence. This only demonstrates that
masculinities cannot be reduced to a single definition or description because different
nations, cultures, and echelons of society have varied conceptions of this idea. Usually,
certain masculinities are held in higher regard than others. Some people may be
denigrated, such as gay masculinities in contemporary Western culture. Some people are
even socially outcasts, such as the masculinities of disadvantaged ethnic minority. Others
are even admirable, representing cherished qualities like the masculinity of sports stars.

Men are less inclined than women to discuss their issues, and when under stress,
they are more prone to drink and commit other sinister acts. These results confirm the data
from the literature that adhering to strict and stoic ideas of masculinity causes sadness and
suicidal conduct. It was asserted that men might make significant contributions to the
"domestic enterprise" in other ways, such as by supporting their families financially and by
accompanying their kids to activities away from the house or school. Additionally, research
suggest that men were more likely than women to drink, to drink alcohol more often and in
larger amounts, and to have alcohol-related health and social issues.

A type of marginalized masculinity known as "protest masculinity" takes motifs from

hegemonic masculinity in society at large and reworks them for a setting of poverty. To put
it another way, it is hegemonic masculinity in a socially impoverished setting. In addition,
caring masculinities need a deliberate rejection of hegemonic masculinity and its inherent
prerogatives, as well as the various expressions of "complicit masculinity" that it assumes.
This is in addition to a dedication to care work and gender equality.