What makes a man?

I have been researching gender for another forum on here when I came upon this article, I think this makes an interesting spring board for discussion, do men really fit into this description, do men want too, do women want men to fit into this, does society want men too?
S

 

Masculinity is sometimes used as a synonym for manhood. The antonym of masculinity is femininity; femininity in men is sometimes called effeminacy.
Masculinity is the measure of performance in a gender role associated with male humans. Traits often associated with masculinity have their roots in the genetic predispositions of male humans which are supported, contributed to, celebrated and often exaggerated by cultural and social constructs. Therefore while masculinity can mean different things to different cultures, there are often very common aspects to its definition across cultures. The most obvious example of this is the idea that to act in an effeminate manner reduces a male's masculinity. Sometimes gender scholars will use the phrase "hegemonic masculinity" to distinguish the most dominant form of masculinity from other variants. In the mid-twentieth century United States, for example, John Wayne might embody one form of masculinity, while Albert Einstein might be seen as masculine, but not in such a clearly 'hegemonic' fashion.
In some cultures masculinity can be an indicator of social status much as wealth, race or social class. In western culture, for example, Greater masculinity usually brings greater social status for males among their peers, and many English words such as virtue (from the Latin vir for "man'", also used in words such as virulent and virile) reflect this, implying a clear association with strength. Masculinity is associated more commonly with adult men rather than younger boys as a key characteristic of social persona. The corresponding gender role for females is called femininity. To assert the presence of femininity or masculinity in a member of the opposite gender is to mark them as unusual, often in an undesirable way. In non-human primates, the corresponding trait is called dominance in both sexes, expressed as relative position within a gender group, where human terms such as "masculinity" are almost never used in general ethology.

Since Emile Durkheim, masculinity has been an interest of sociologists. Janet Saltzman Chafetz (1974, 35-36) describes seven areas of traditional masculinity in Western culture:


Concepts of masculinity in the western world during the first half of the twentieth century were most often rigid and inextricably associated with images of industrialization, military power and conventional social gender roles.
Physical--virile, athletic, strong, brave. Unconcerned about appearance and aging;
Functional--breadwinner, provider;
Sexual--sexually aggressive, experienced. Single status acceptable;
Emotional--unemotional, stoic;
Intellectual--logical, intellectual, rational, objective, practical,
Interpersonal--leader, dominating; disciplinarian; independent,
individualistic (applies to western societies);
Other Personal Characteristics--success-oriented, ambitious; proud, egotistical (applies to some societies); , moral, trustworthy; decisive, competitive, uninhibited, adventurous.
(Levine, 1998, p.13)
Social scientists Deborah David and Robert Brannon (1976) give the following four rules for establishing masculinity:
No Sissy Stuff: anything that even remotely hints of femininity is prohibited. A real man must avoid any behavior or characteristic associated with women;
Be a Big Wheel: masculinity is measured by success, power, and the admiration of others. One must possess wealth, fame, and status to be considered manly;
Be a Sturdy Oak: manliness requires rationality, toughness, and self-reliance. A man must remain calm in any situation, show no emotion, and admit no weakness;
Give 'em Hell: men must exude an aura of daring and aggression, and must be willing to take risks, to "go for it" even when reason and fear suggest otherwise.
(Levine, 1998, p.145)
Definitions of masculinity, such as all of the above, are entirely subjective observations of their authors. Observable and traditionally accepted traits of masculinity may differ across time periods and cultures. For example see machismo, which includes negative traits and positive ones including assertiveness or standing up for rights, responsibility/selflessness, general code of ethics, and sincerity and/or respect

Development of masculinity

There is an extensive debate about how children develop gender identities. See Gender identity and Gender role for a full discussion of the subject.
In many cultures non-standard characteristics of the "other" gender may become a social problem. Among sexually mature individuals, non-standard behaviors may be considered a sign of homosexuality, while a young female who exhibits masculine behavior is sometimes called a "tom boy". Within sociology such labeling and conditioning is known as peer pressure, and is a part of socialization to better match a culture's mores. The corresponding social condemnation of excessive masculinity may be expressed in by terms such as "machismo" or as "testosterone poisoning."
The relative importance of the roles of socialization and genetics in the development of masculinity continues to be debated. While social conditioning obviously plays a role, it can also be observed that certain aspects of the masculine identity exist in almost all human cultures, which points to a partly genetic origin.
The historical development of gender role is addressed by such fields as behavioral genetics, evolutionary psychology, human ecology and sociobiology. All human cultures seem to encourage the development of gender roles, through literature, costume and song. Some examples of this might include the epics of Homer, the King Arthur tales in English, the normative commentaries of Confucius or biographical studies of Muhammad. More specialized treatments of masculinity may be found in works such as the Bhagavad Gita or bushido's Hagakure.

Pressures associated with masculine gender role
Most men feel pressured to act masculine. These men feel that they have to prevail in situations that require physical strength and fitness. To appear weak, emotional, or sexually inefficient is a major threat to their self-esteem. To be content, these men must feel that they are decisive and self-assured, and rational. Masculine gender role stress may develop if a man feels that he has acted 'unmanly'. Conversely, acting 'manly' among peers will often result in increased social validation or general competitive advantage.
In 1987, Eisler and Skidmore did studies on masculinity and created the idea of 'masculine stress'. They found five mechanisms of masculinity that accompany masculine gender role often result in emotional stress. They include:
a) the emphasis on prevailing in situations requiring fitness and strength
b) being perceived as emotional and thereby feminine
c) the need to feel conquering in regard to sexual matters and work
d) the need to repress tender emotions such as showing emotions restricted according to traditional masculine customs

Coping strategies
Men and women have different ways that they appraise stressful situations and cope with them. Standards of masculinity cannot only create stress in themselves for some men; they can also limit these men's abilities to relieve stress. Some men appraise situations using the schema of what is an acceptable masculine response rather than what is objectively the best response. As a result men often feel limited to a certain range of 'approved' responses and coping strategies.

Stoicism and emotional repression
Men and women tend towards different forms of expression, although these tendencies are not rigid and overlap. There is disagreement as to the degree to which these dispositions are genetic or social. Men tend to be regarded as the ones who are supposed to give comfort and strength. If they break down, cry, or seek comfort they may be considered 'less masculine'. Women and other men do not give men an option to express feeling sad, tired, weak, depressed, inadequate, needy, or lonely without sacrificing their masculinity.

Risk-taking
Men, significantly more so than women, tend to drink and drive, not to wear seatbelts, to be aggressive, to fight, to drive fast, and to drive dangerously. Men are also more likely to be involved in a homicide, to be involved in a motor vehicle accident and other accidents (It should be noted, however, that any statistics involving males and autos can be misleading, as more men drive than women; more men have jobs requiring them to drive than women; and that even in households where both a man and woman drive, when together the driving is usually performed by the male).
Men are in fact three times more likely to die of accidents than females. Men make up 93% of workplace deaths. While many argue that this is because dangerous job industries are dominated by men, others argue that at least part of the gender disparity is due to masculine risk-taking behavior.
Men generally take more risks with their health than women. All these behaviors are acceptable for men and are to some extent deemed masculine. Men are twice as likely to die from cancer than women are. Men are more likely not wear sunscreen, eat unhealthily, and forgo cardiovascular exercise. Men are historically also more likely to smoke (although now more women start smoking than men).
The reasons for this willingness to take risks are widely debated. There is evidence to show that this is largely due to genetic predispositions of the male sex, though perhaps greatly exaggerated and supported by social constructs and related pressure. Some believe that men, especially young men, are genetically predisposed to be less risk-averse than women because, in terms of a group's reproductive capacity, the loss of a young man is much less risky in terms of evolution than the loss of a young woman, which would seem to present evolutionary pressures towards men being more predisposed to risk and danger (see handicap principle). Some also cite how widespread and culture-independent certain aspects of masculine identity are, implying that if masculinity was purely learned, different societies in different times would have completely different ideas about the masculine gender role, which has historically remained relatively consistent.
In addition to taking more risks, men appear to be more capable of managing risk and performing under stress than women.

Independence and invulnerability
Men are significantly less likely to visit their physicians to receive preventive health care examinations. Men make 134.5 million fewer physician visits than American women each year. In fact, men make only 40.8% of all physician visits. A quarter of the men who are 45 to 60 do not have a personal physician. Men should go to annual heart checkups with physicians but many do not, increasing their risk of death from heart disease. In fact, men between the ages of 25 and 65 are four times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than women. Men are more likely to be diagnosed in a later stage of a terminal illness because of their reluctance to go to the doctor. This may also be due to the fact that men tend to not notice symptoms as quickly as women do. Jerry Kaiser, a health-care consultant believes that, "Men [are] still basically hunters and warriors They tend to not pay attention to things that are invisible and internal. If there is no clear external stimulus, there's no response."
Reasons men give for not having annual physicals and not visiting their physician include fear, denial, embarrassment, and a dislike of situations out of their control. These are feelings that result from their ideas of masculinity, specifically independence, control, and invulnerability.

Media encouragement

Portrayals of idealized masculine males in the media, like their female counterparts, are controversial for what some see as promoting an unrealistic or unachievable perfection. Many of the fashion industry's protrayls of men are seen as of ambiguous sexual orientation, rather than hyper masculine. Here, the Carlson Twins model clothing.
According to Arran Stibbe (2004), men's health problems and behaviors can be linked to the socialized gender role of men in our culture. In exploring magazines, he found that they promote traditional masculinity and claims that, among other things, men's magazines tend to celebrate 'male' activities and behavior such as admiring guns, fast cars, sexually libertine women, and reading or viewing pornography regularly. In men's magazines, several 'ideal' images of men are promoted, and that these images may even entail certain health risks.

Alcohol consumption behavior
Research on beer commercials by Strate (Postman, Nystrom, Strate, And Weingartner 1987; Strate 1989, 1990) and by Wenner (1991) show some results relevant to studies of masculinity. In beer commercials, the ideas of masculinity (especially risk-taking) are presented and encouraged. The commercials often focus on situations where a man is overcoming an obstacle in a group. The men will either be working hard or playing hard. For instance the commercial will show men who do physical labor such as construction workers, or farm work, or men who are cowboys. Beer is shown as a reward for a job well done. Beer is also associated with the end of the day as a transition from work to leisure. Beer commercials that involve playing hard have a central theme of mastery (over nature or over each other), risk, and adventure. For instance, the men will be outdoors fishing, camping, playing sports, or hanging out in bars. There is usually an element of danger as well as a focus on movement and speed. This appeals to and emphasizes the idea that real men overcome danger and enjoy speed (i.e. fast cars/driving fast). The bar serves as a setting for test of masculinity (skills like pool, strength and drinking ability) and serves as a center for male socializing. Beer is also associated with nature. The idea that beer is natural and pure, not harmful, perhaps even healthy is strongly suggested.
Another example of the depiction of alcohol consumption and bars as central to male socialization can be found in the cartoon The Simpsons. Homer Simpson, the patriarch of the family, is often referred to as an alcoholic and spends a great deal of time at Moe's Tavern. In many episodes, Homer Simpson is portrayed as choosing to spend time at the bar drinking "Duff beer" over spending time with his wife and children.
Men drink three times as much alcohol as women, often engaging in risky behavior such as binge drinking. According to a study done by Rorabaugh, college men are among the heaviest drinkers in American society. It is conceptualized that college men are seeking adventure. According to Green, drinking games are an important factor in the socialization of new students into heavy use". Drinking is seen as an adventure in itself as well as for the fact that it frees men to experience sex, violence, and other adventurous behaviors. In exchange for taking the risk presented, college men receive acceptance from their peers. Not only is alcohol in itself a risk in these men's lives, but some college rituals and traditions expect men to mix danger while they have consumed alcohol. In American colleges, young men view their manhood as developing in a moment that is socially dominated by alcohol.

Masculine roles

The following characters and roles are commonly considered in academic papers as popular hyperboles and stereotypes of masculinity.
Hoplite
Military: US Marine, Soldier, Seaman, Coastguard, Airman, Commando
Bodybuilder
Pirate
Superhero or Supervillain
Police Officer
Fireman
Firefighter
Pilot
Lumberjack
Cowboy
Ninja
Viking
Samurai
Mobster
Assasin
Athlete, Football, Soccer, Baseball
Park Ranger
Truck Driver

 

Femininity in men is seen very negatively, much more so than masculinity among women, though this will vary by location and culture. Certain traits and behaviors, such as interest in fashion and grooming, may be seen by some as feminine, though this has not always been the case. The common stereotype of homosexual men is that they are effeminate, with perhaps even exaggerated feminine traits. While this is true of many homosexual men, there are many others who do not fit this description; gay men range from very feminine to very masculine. The effeminate gay man has gained wider acceptance in society, but there is still some stigma, especially in certain populations or locations. Even in the gay community there are many who do not tolerate effeminate gay men, and believe that they are affected and give the gay community a bad reputation. However, while some do exaggerate their femininity, most are only expressing their true personalities and therefore deserve acceptance.
In circumstances such as prison where men are segregated from women, a fraction of the population will nevertheless divide according to persistent female principles, either voluntarily or through coercion. An effeminate man exhibits what Carl Jung called the anima, the subconscious feminine psychological factors within all males. However, feminine traits that society finds admirable or at least views as neutral in women (such as "womanish tears") have traditionally been viewed more negatively when expressed by men.

 

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USA please refrain from going off topic the way you have.

I instead look forward to seeing your opinion on the topic.

Thank you
.


Heat

 

reading that was truly depressing for me. Is that how society really thinks? If so, I'll be most happy to climb back under my rock thank you very much.
let's see...

I honestly hope not. And yes, I see most (certainly not all) of those traits as being societal rather than innate, except maybe in the case of sociopaths, who perhaps cannot control their "machissimo"

 

What are you talking about?


Anyways, yea I think a lot of that could be considered the "ideal" man in the medias mind. However, just like not all females are beautiful little princesses not all men are assasins. These might fall into general ideals but they have a way of breaking down in the real world, especially as it is becoming much more socially acceptable to be different. I don't think very many men live up to all of the ideals and the ones that do are faking it.

 

USA please refrain from going off topic the way you have.

I instead look forward to seeing your opinion on the topic.

Thank you
Heat

 

well, hell. my husband is the stereotypical man in his behaviors. however, he's also more sensitive, attentive and romantic than i am. he's also more fashion oriented and comfortable with crying. he was raised in a predominantly female household where the men were encouraged to do more of the heavy lifting, simply because they were bigger. but at the same times, the women dominated the house for the most part. emotional outbursts are incredibly common and unendurably tedious, in my opinion. they're all a pack of drama queens.

i, on the other hand, was raised in what could be called a very stereotypically masculine household. everyone was sports oriented, heavily physical and inclined to physical violence to sort out disagreements. all the jobs taken by members of my family would be considered typically masculine. as such, i've been raised as somewhat of a tomboy, though of the nerdy, weak variety. crying was not allowed, being tough was a requirement.

somewhere, somehow, dave and i met in the middle with a sigh of relief.

 

Where's that quote from. To it's writer: shut the fuck up, you stupid, ignorant piece of shit. Germany never declared war on the United States, they got into it of their own accord.

 

let's try not to mock or attack other people's mental defects, it's beneath us. still, a mindset created during a time of war and constant struggle for survival and dominance IS inherently different than that created during a time of more normal human interaction.

 

I think the boundaries between the sexes is closing down. I think we're slowing evolving into one human entity so to speak (I'm thinking kinda like "Celestine Propercies", but don't take me entirely literal here)... Yes generally speaking we are different and their are indeed traits more common in males and some may or may not be desirable to certain groups or individuals. I personally like my man to protect me and stand up for me if there was immediate danger or even in social cicrumstances if someone was being rude to me. I want him to embrace me and feel his strength and compassion. But I also want him to share his emotional side with me which I do not think is impossible for males, though maybe tougher for some. We have metrosexuals, homosexuals, tough guys, jerks, hopeless romantics, philosphers, fighters... the range is so great right now and thank god for that. We don't need one type of man or one type of woman.

 

There is only one thing that truly makes a boy a man and that is having a kid.

 

I think lobsters make a man a man, and maybe carpet too.

 

i dont really fit the stereotypical male, i ahve grown up with my mom (my dad was a dick and beat her) although latrly ive been pushing her farther away, i am usualy unconfterable with sharing feelings and such with most people(except anger), the only person ive really opened up to is a girl that i like, ive probably cried around her, idk, but i pretty much tell her everything on my mind. i guess im just cool like that=()

 

I read the whole thing from wikipedia and forgot what I was thinking...

 

lol there ya go!

 

Posts: 69



There is only one thing that truly makes a boy a man and that is having a kid.


if you say so; most guys that have kids leave their gf's anyways so how does that make them a man

 

if i had a kid id be happy as hell, i wouldnt mind a bit.

 

Guys to abandon their girlfriends after they get them pregnant just because they are pregnant are scum.