Toxic masculinity and its effects on society
Toxic masculinity in our society: lets talk about it.
by: Gigi Nuzzo
Once a week, my 5th grade science teacher would need help bringing the recycling bins to the first floor. “I need two strong boys,” she would voice to the class every Wednesday. Whether she knew it or not, she was promoting the concept of misogyny in a crowd of easily moldable minds.
This harmful take on masculinity puts a notable significance on the idea of “manliness” based on the emphasis of traits such as lack of emotion, aggressive virility, glorification of violence, strength, and entitlement. The idea of vulnerability is scarce. The saying “man up” leaves the mouths of families and friends the second a reaction, apart from anger, is shown.
Expressions like this advocate for damaging, negligent and belligerent behavior in young boys and men. Exaggerated reactions like these are promoted more when men feel as if they aren't aligning themselves with these views. These unresolved behaviors lead to issues like domestic violence, aggressive actions against others and sexual assault. The content that boys receive at such an early age about what it really means to be a man is nothing less than limiting.
The thing with toxic masculinity tying in with misogyny is the idea that femininity in whole is shameful. There is not a specific way to be a man. Women and men are more alike than we credit. Things that are seen to be feminine are seen as taboo when used to describe men.
However, men are graceful, they are beautiful and vulnerable just as women are, and more times than not, I have seen this tenderness shamed out of the boys and men surrounding me.
Women are disproportionately affected by misogyny. It's been 50 years since Ruth Bader Ginsberg worked to secure constitutional equality for women, and still misogyny is thriving universally. Eliminating toxic masculinity and misogyny is not something that will happen over night; but that does not mean it can never happen. The more people start to define masculinity in their own way, the quicker gender roles and intergenerational trauma will change. Boys need help and the men in our society need fixing. Toxic masculinity is wholly damaging to society, it is a burden to men and a war for women everyday.
sources: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/types-of-sexism#hostile, https://www.verywellmind.com/the-dangerous-mental-health-effects-of-toxic-masculinity-5073957, https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/all-things-work/pages/how-toxic-masculinity-is-ruining-your-workplace-culture.aspx