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The Relationship Between Toxic Masculinity And Toxic Femininity And Their
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Neurology & Neuroscience Review Article

The Relationship Between Toxic Masculinity

And Toxic Femininity And Their Impact on Social
Relationships And Married Life

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Seyyed Mohammad Reza Miremadi and Shahin Asadi*

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Medical Genetics-Harvard University. Director of the Division of Medical Genetics and Molecular

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Optogenetic Research. Division of Medical Genetics and Molecular Pathology Research, Harvard University,
Boston Children's Hospital, USA

*Correspondence

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Shahin Asadi

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Medical Genetics-Harvard University.
Abstract

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Director of the Division of Medical Genetics
and Molecular Optogenetic Research.
Division of Medical Genetics and Molecular
Toxic masculinity involves cultural pressures on men to behave in a certain way; In fact, toxic masculinity

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Pathology Research, Harvard University, refers to the general belief that "masculinity" is nothing but dominance, violence and aggression; the
Boston Children's Hospital belief that men should behave harshly and seriously and not express their feelings can be harmful to
their mental health and have serious consequences for society. For this reason, such a belief is known as

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E-mail: shahin.asadi1985@gmail.com
ORCID id: 0000-0001-7992-7658 "toxic masculinity". There are many definitions of "toxic masculinity," but in general, toxic masculinity
has three main components:
Toughness: Men should be physically strong, emotionally tough, and aggressive in behavior.
Anti-feminine equality: This idea says that men should reject anything considered feminine, such as
showing emotions or accepting help.
Power: Men should strive for power and social and financial status in order to gain the respect of others.
Toxic masculinity is not just about acting like a man. Rather, it involves the intense pressure some men
• Received Date: XXXXX may feel to act in a way that is actually harmful. There are many definitions of "toxic masculinity" that
• Accepted Date: XXXX appear in research as well as popular culture. Some researchers have agreed that toxic masculinity has
• Publication Date: XXXX three main components:
Toughness: This is the idea that men should be physically strong, emotionally tough, and behaviorally
aggressive.
Antifemininity: This includes the idea that men should reject anything considered feminine, such as

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showing emotion or accepting help.
Power: This includes that men must strive for power and position (social and financial) in order to gain

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the respect of others.

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Keywords: Toxic Masculinity, Toxic
Femininity, Psychological Disorder, Human

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Behavior.

Introduction Furthermore, they were more likely to view

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Toxic masculinity glorifies unhealthy habits. such risky choices as "normal" [1].
This is the belief that "self-care is for women" and Toxic masculinity also discourages men

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that men should treat their bodies like machines from seeking mental health treatment.

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by not sleeping enough, exercising even when Depression, anxiety, substance abuse

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injured, and pushing themselves to their issues, and mental health problems may be

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physical limits. Toxic masculinity, in addition considered weaknesses. A 2015 study found
to putting a lot of pressure on themselves, also that men who embraced traditional notions of

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discourages men from visiting doctors. A 2011 masculinity had more negative attitudes about
Copyright
study found that men with the strongest beliefs seeking mental health services compared to

© 2023 Science Excel. This is an open-
access article distributed under the terms
of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International license.
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about masculinity were only half as likely to
seek preventive health care as men with more
moderate beliefs about masculinity. In addition
to avoiding preventative treatment, toxic
masculinity encourages unhealthy behaviors. A
2007 study found that the more men conformed
to masculine norms, the more likely they were
to engage in risky behaviors such as heavy
drinking, tobacco use, and avoiding vegetables.
those who held more flexible gender attitudes.
Toxic masculinity may also emphasize that it
is inappropriate for men to talk about men's
feelings. Avoiding talking about problems
or feelings may increase feelings of isolation
and loneliness. This may increase feelings of
loneliness. It may also reduce men's willingness
to reach out for help when experiencing a
mental health problem [1].

Citation: Reza SM, Asadi MS. The Relationship Between Toxic Masculinity And Toxic Femininity And
Their Impact on Social Relationships And Married Life. Neurol Neurosci. 2023;4(1):1-4.

Neurol Neurosci. (2023) Vol 4, Issue 1 Page 1 of 4

 Seyyed Mohammad Reza Miremadi and Shahin Asadi . Neurology & Neuroscience. 2023;4(1):1-4

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l l e
G a Figure 1. Schematic of risk factors affecting toxic masculinity [1].

A man's race and ethnicity may play a role in how he views
masculinity and how others perceive him. A 2013 study found
that among white college students, Asian-American men were
less likely to have masculine traits than white or black American
men. The male imperative to remain stoic and be a good provider
can lead to "John Henryism" in African-American men. This
term is used to describe men who use extra effort as a way to
cope with problems and continue to do so in the face of chronic
cooperation, passiveness, sexual submissiveness, and meekness,
and derives its value from outward beauty yet pleasing to men.
Toxic femininity believes that women lack agency and exist to be
defined and judged of their worth by a man in their life, such as
a father or husband [3].
If toxic masculinity encourages violence and dominance in
order to maintain unequal power dynamics, toxic femininity

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instead supports the tacit acceptance of violence and dominance
stress and discrimination. A 2016 study linked "John Henryism" for survival. While toxic masculinity states that men should

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to an increased risk of high blood pressure and depression. It be tough, show no emotion, and reject anything considered
should be noted that boys of any race and ethnic background feminine, toxic femininity pressures women to be quiet,

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who do not act "manly enough" may be bullied at school. A nurturing, submissive, and be attractive "Femininity" in this

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2015 National Survey of American Schools found that 85 case is defined in a very shallow way that objectifies and harms
percent of LGBTQ+ students reported being verbally harassed women [3].

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at school because of their gender expression or sexuality. Gender
nonconforming students reported worse behavior than children
who conformed to traditional gender norms and yet identified

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as LGBTQ+ [2].

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Men who see themselves as more masculine are less likely

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to engage in what researchers call "helpful therapy." This means

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they are less likely to intervene when they witness bullying or
when they see someone being assaulted. A 2019 study found that

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toxic masculinity can prevent victims from comforting, asking
for help, and standing up to the perpetrator. Men who endorse

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the belief that men should be strong and aggressive are more
likely to perceive the negative social consequences associated
with intervening as an active bystander. For example, in cases of
rape, men who engaged in the most masculine behaviors were
less likely to stop the rape. The study found that men would
intervene in any conflict if they thought their reputation as
traditional masculinity might be threatened [2].
Toxic femininity is a broad term that refers to a rigid and
repressive definition of femininity, including the pressures
women face to confine themselves to stereotypically feminine Figure 2. Schematic of the sitting position of women with toxic
femininity (right and left) versus the sitting position of women without
constructs and characteristics. Toxic femininity refers to
toxic femininity (middle photo) [2].
conforming to gender binaries in order to receive conditional
value in patriarchal societies. It is a concept that limits women to

Neurol Neurosci. (2023) Vol 4 Issue `1 Page 2 of 4

 Seyyed Mohammad Reza Miremadi and Shahin Asadi . Neurology & Neuroscience. 2023;4(1):1-4
Toxic femininity includes any thoughts, actions, or behaviors
of women that benefit or defer to others, usually men, at the
expense of a woman's independence, agency, full range of
emotions, and emotional and psychological well-being. Toxic
masculinity and toxic femininity seem to be two sides of the
same coin, but power is an undercurrent that pressures men to
play an aggressive, violent, intimidating, and sexually dominant
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role in order to stay in power, and women Seek to please them in
power in order to avoid punishment and pain [4].
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Both toxic masculinity and toxic femininity are practiced
by men and women to maintain their value in society. Toxic
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masculinity and toxic femininity tell men and women that their
worth and validity as men and women is conditioned by their
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adherence to these roles. These social structures reinforce the
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submissive behavior of women and empower men by pretending
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to accept violence. Like toxic masculinity, toxic femininity is
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made up of a myriad of culture-specific rules. However, through
research and references in pop culture, the following main
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components have emerged:
Submissive: This is the notion that women must be ready
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to accept control or training. They must be "flexible" in their
thinking and live only for service [4].
Excessive femininity: This involves strictly following
stereotypically feminine behavior. This behavior is reinforced
through punishment, such as being blamed for experiencing
gender-based violence, being called the epithet "prince" or being
seen as "compromising." For example, confident women are
often told that their behavior is unattractive or unattractive. It
is feminine [4].
Monitoring femininity in others: This involves pressuring
others to imitate behaviors that appear feminine, for example,
making negative comments about a person's choice to have a
child [4].
Sabotaging others by abusing traditionally feminine
characteristics: This refers to the idea that all other women
are competing for a man's attention and recognition. In this
example, a person may act as a means of proving themselves,
offending or harming other women. This can be done to get the
attention of a man, perhaps a love interest, teacher, boss, client,
or male peer. Behaviors used can include: gossiping, spreading
rumors to discredit someone, and threatening social ostracism
[4].
Like toxic masculinity, toxic femininity is a product of a
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patriarchal society. These toxic notions of femininity further
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deny women agency or identity. However, discussion of the term
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outside of academic spaces can be on the misogynistic side. They
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are used as a reactionary argument against feminist arguments
about toxic masculinity. Some uses of the term toxic femininity
propagate harmful stereotypes of female behavior while making
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men the primary victims of this behavior. For example, the claim
that women are naturally very emotional, talkative or gossipy.
This interpretation of the term is used to negate the discourse on
how power is gendered and instead seeks to place feminism as
the cause of gender inequality. Most of the behaviors presented as
examples of toxic femininity are actually examples of misogyny
or internalized misogyny [5].
Toxic femininity is made up of a person's own rules and
regulations that are constantly changing. For example, some may
believe that wearing high heels at work is necessary. Others avoid
drinking beer because it is "masculine." Women who adhere to
toxic femininity may be rewarded in society and those who do
Neurol Neurosci. (2023) Vol 4 Issue `1
not may be punished, and this is a dynamic used by those in
power to maintain their power. There is no right, or exact, way
to be feminine, because the expression of femininity is personal,
and a feminine inner feeling, and should not be controlled [5].
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For example, a 2016 study of 14,600 people in the workplace
found that less attractive but well-groomed women earned more
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on average than women who were more attractive but less well-
groomed. This means that women's grooming habits account for
almost all of the wage differences in this research set. While for
the men studied, their grooming habits accounted for almost
half of them. The researchers therefore concluded that while
good grooming is beneficial for men, it is essential for women to
seek labor market rewards [6].
In contrast, a 2018 study on women's makeup use in the
workplace found that makeup worn for a social night had a
negative impact on perceptions of women's leadership ability.
The researchers theorized that this may be due to the reinforcing
characteristics of makeup that are important for relationships
and having a family, which is inconsistent with the concept of
social dominance in leadership. Although researchers reach
mixed conclusions, these studies highlight the paradox of
female beauty, whereby women are shamed for seeking idealistic
beauty standards while being judged for not prescribing them.
In essence, the rules are not as important as the insecurity
they provoke. It is their difficulty and contradiction that makes
women so desperate that it becomes easier to control and exploit
women in this despair [6].
Therefore, toxic femininity is dangerous because it views
women's subjugation as natural and necessary for social approval.
For example, the pressure to be quiet, nurturing, and submissive
can lead to women being victimized or left in unsafe situations
because they feel obligated to stay. Moreover, these issues also
extend beyond the home. For example, toxic femininity in the
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workplace can create a hostile work environment that negatively
affects the mental health of female employees. In addition, toxic
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femininity facilitates the lack of diversity in leadership positions
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by preventing them from climbing the career ladder. In essence,
toxic femininity is harmful to the fight for women's equality
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because it seeks to maintain rigid and toxic gendered power
structures and systems [7].
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Instead of encouraging, supporting, and celebrating women
for fully expressing who they are, toxic femininity forces
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women to feel apologetic, confused, and ashamed for their
gender stereotypes that validate thoughts, ideas, and beliefs.
Furthermore, the fear of de-gendering through neutral human
practices locks women into a rigid redefinition of femininity
that benefits no one. However, while toxic femininity may be
everywhere, there are also many examples of embodied and
authentic femininity. These broad and varied presentations of
femininity eschew rigid rules and focus on independence and
individuality. Here are some things you can do on a daily basis
to help combat the effects of toxic femininity:
Take time to reflect on what you've learned and begin to
forget: check with yourself and consider what misogynistic
ideology you've been taught or internalized. Do you work for
yourself or for a man's gaze? Do you make decisions based on
what you really want or are you looking for a man's approval? Be
gentle and honest with yourself and consider what other ways of
thinking, being, and interacting might be more true to who you
really are and want to be [7].
Speak up: Notice and call out the toxic femininity within
you and the circles you're in. Have curious and courageous
Page 3 of 4
 Seyyed Mohammad Reza Miremadi and Shahin Asadi . Neurology & Neuroscience. 2023;4(1):1-4
conversations with others and examine whether what is being
said or done is in everyone's best interests or is helping to
maintain patriarchal power dynamics [7].
Be careful how you use the term "toxic femininity": Use
the term "toxic femininity" carefully considering the context.
Remember, some uses of this phrase have been used to promote
a misogynistic ideology to avoid conversations about toxic
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masculinity. Perhaps the situation requires you to think instead
about what might be toxic about some approaches to femininity.
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For example, using gossip alone is a product of toxic femininity.
Rumor-mongering is not an act done exclusively by women, and
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it may be considered misogynistic to express it. In fact, the real
toxic trait is controlling femininity, and gossip is one of the ways
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people try to do this. After all, it is these rigid gender structures
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that must be combated, and this may help us to accept a deeper
picture of the pressing presence of women in society [7].
Study of method
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In this study, we examined 160 men with toxic masculinity
and 160 women with toxic femininity. Among the men with
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toxic masculinity behavior, 26 of them had the worst toxic
masculinity coefficient, with very violent behaviors, including
the way they speak and choose words to make sentences, as well
as the way they choose clothes and the color of clothes. Among
the 160 men who had the behavioral and moral character of
toxic masculinity, 14 of them had the lowest coefficient of toxic
masculinity, which includes talking less at parties, laughing less
at work or in society, wearing clean, ironed and formal clothes.
Like a suit, but they are monochromatic and usually in dark
colors and use men's perfumes with a warm, bitter or spicy
character. Among the 160 men participating in this study who
had toxic masculinity, 120 of them had mild toxic masculinity
and preferred to keep their toxic masculinity hidden from
women at work and in the community.
Also, in this study, out of 160 women with toxic femininity
behavior, 32 of them have very feminine behaviors such as
flirting with men in the community and workplace, including
wearing sexy clothes with shiny red or shiny pink colors and
using From shiny and sexy red lipstick, as well as the use of
very sexy women's perfumes with very high performance in
the workplace and society. Among the 160 women with toxic
femininity who participated in this research, 128 of them
had mild toxic femininity who preferred to keep their toxic
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femininity hidden from men at work and in society.
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Neurol Neurosci. (2023) Vol 4 Issue `1
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Discussion
According to this study, for toxic men and women, it can
be concluded that the presence of toxic characters in men and
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women can be very harmful for the society and the family
environment, which undermines the spiritual and biological
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rights of men and women in the society decreases. Based on the
studies conducted for toxic masculinity and femininity, it can
be concluded that although the behavioral characters of toxic
femininity are considered good and attractive for men in the
society and workplace, they are very harmful in marital and
family life. But for toxic masculinity at the minimum possible,
no reward is given to these men from the work environment,
but for toxic femininity in most workplaces, a double reward
is considered compared to the behavior of toxic femininity.
However, both toxic masculinity and toxic femininity in human
society should be present in order to understand the merits of
non-toxic masculinity and femininity and pay more attention to
their values [8].
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