Traditional Masculine Ideology

For so long, terms like "Caveman," "Hunk," and "Macho-man" were used to represent the ascendant and dominant forms of masculinity. These terms have pushed men to behave in ways that can be extremely harmful to fit into the mold that society has created for them. Over the last few years, terms like "toxic masculinity" and "traditional masculinity" have emerged and gained popularity, especially with the rise of Donald Trump and the #MeToo movement. If you want to learn more about toxic masculinity, then keep reading.

What is toxic masculinity?

Toxic masculinity is a term that refers to certain male acts that are associated with harmful characteristics, not only for society as a whole but also for men themselves. The term "toxic masculinity" highlights a specific set of social expectations and emphasizes the negative characteristics of stereotypically male traits, such as dominance, aggressiveness, physical toughness, and emotional insensitivity. This type of masculinity and its attributes are considered toxic due to their promotion of violent behaviors such as domestic abuse, bullying, and sexual assault.

According to Amanda Marcotte: “Toxic masculinity is a specific model of manhood, oriented towards dominance and control. It's a manliness that sees women and LGBT people as inferior, that conceives of sex as an act of domination, not of affection, and that values violence as the only way to impose oneself in the world"Common traits of toxic masculinity

Traits of harmful masculinity can include:

Low empathyChauvinism and sexismGlorification of violenceStoicism, or not displaying emotionDiscrimination against people that aren't heterosexualAnti-feminist behaviorHyper independenceHyper-competitivenessEntitlement

These traits can be extremely dangerous because they distort the definition of manhood and may lead to conflicts between a man and his surroundings. When a man sees the world through the narrow prism provided by these exaggerated masculine traits, he may believe that the only way to be accepted is to uphold these attributes.

Mental health and toxic masculinity

Living under the constant pressure of meeting societal expectations can be mentally draining. It can lead to drastic consequences that affect one's mental health.

Most men have been taught from a young age to suppress their feelings and never show vulnerability. Those unexpressed feelings often become bottled up, which increases feelings of loneliness and isolation.

We’ve all been told to “man up” at some point; maybe we’ve even said it ourselves. At first, it seems like a harmless phrase. But not many people—including myself for a long time—realize the gradual damage this can cause. The words “man up” in context are used to suggest that showing emotions makes you less of a man. But in truth, there is no correlation between gender identity and emotions. We all have emotions, and expressing them isn’t a sign of weakness; it's a sign of strength.

Research has found that toxic masculinity can affect men’s physical and mental health, contributing to poor sleep and depression. Another study found that men who bought into traditional notions of masculinity held a more negative attitude about seeking mental health services compared to those with more flexible gender attitudes.

To sum up, emotionally expressive men have higher levels of life satisfaction and self-esteem and lower rates of mental health problems. People must realize the negative effects of toxic masculinity, not only on themselves but also on their entourage. To have a healthy and balanced sense of masculinity, it is crucial to break out of the entrenched stereotypes. Furthermore, to move beyond toxic masculinity, men must be encouraged to be themselves without fear of being judged or emasculated.