|
|
Post by Admin on Jan 22, 2019 16:22:34 GMT -4
|
|
Janice Rhymer Martinez
Guest
|
Post by Janice Rhymer Martinez on Jan 23, 2019 1:13:04 GMT -4
You're a man-act like it, men don't cry- suck it up, you're the man of the house are just some of the many things boys hear from time they are born. Which in turn in my opinion has led to the toxic masculinity that has been seen throughout the many years. Masculinity is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with boys/ men, but sometimes women that aren't "soft" or feminine enough.As a social construct, it really has nothing to do with the male sex biologically but more with proving at point and being strong and not weak. Standards of manliness or masculinity vary across different cultures and historical periods but what they all have in common are the masking and suppression of emotions and the superiority.
Because showing emotions, seeking help or showing vulnerability has been constantly looked down upon, in my opinion when men are offended and threatened by simple things such as an ad or commercial,books or articles, it only shows that they themselves have self esteem issues and are not open minded to growth and change. Just like most issues, breaking the cycle starts at home. Being masculine should entail being open to conversations about feelings, crying, seeking help, being a strong dependable and realible leader and yet a follower etc. In today's society, with blogs on YouTube, Instagram and facebook, it seems like there is a new sense of masculinity and speaking out on how you feel / speaking up about all the issues coming to light is encouraged and seeked out by this generation. Detoxifying masculinity is happening all on it's own in the new era.
|
|
Stefanny Santana Rivera
Guest
|
Post by Stefanny Santana Rivera on Jan 23, 2019 11:26:06 GMT -4
"Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with boys and men", this is the definition provided by wikipedia when one googles masculinity. Therefore, according to this definition, there is no specific set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with boys and men, because that part is left for different cultures to fill. And I believe that is one of the problems that Gillete's add is trying to bring to the surface. Just because someone is taught that violence and aggression is needed to become a man, it does not mean that that is what it is to be a man. Throughout history there have been many instances where men have had to make difficult choices and go fight a war, or stay in a lab trying to figure out the last ingredient to make the perfect drug, or stay in a computer room figuring out codes that eventually will lead to the end of a war. I believe that in order to do these hard things, they had to emotionally detach themselves from human feeling, because if they didn't, they would not be able to accomplish such things. That is true today as well, when I sit across the table from my boyfriend and we start studying, he is able to suppress everything and not get up the entire day until his work is completed. However, I need to get up, eat, grab a snack, ect. I believe that is not a crime to be courageous, and take some risks, however, I do agree with the fact that these boys need to be taught that there has to be a balance. They need to understand that COURAGE DOES NOT EQUAL VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION. Furthermore, they need to understand that being a man or being masculine does not equate to having no emotion whatsoever, because what i think they have failed to understand is that because of that action of suppression, eventually it'll catch up with them (PTSD, GAD, MDD, Suicide). Therefore in order to address this, I think that adult males setting an example for the youth is the best way to avoid a culture of toxic masculinity defined by APA as "Traits of so-called ‘traditional masculinity,’ like suppressing emotions & masking distress, often start early in life & have been linked to less willingness by boys & men to seek help, more risk-taking & aggression – possibly harming themselves & those with whom they interact".
|
|
|
|
Post by Davide Fox on Jan 23, 2019 16:47:27 GMT -4
These articles remove the basis of cultural differences and group all men together in this sense of toxic masculinity. There is no doubt that there are some aspects that can be seen as being manly that are rather hurtful to society but these are not seen throughout all cultures and should not be grouped into one bias. It has also been found to be highly detrimental to label “disorders” which creates the belief that those disorders need to be treated and corrected. Through out history it has been shown that the more labels that can be attached to an individual the more likely they will need counseling or medication even if they had a productive life with out any complaints before the labels were added. Therefore it should be looked at closely whether the APA guidelines are really helpful.
|
|
|
|
Post by David Wurbel on Jan 23, 2019 17:03:16 GMT -4
The issue I have with the whole "toxic" masculinity identifier is that I cannot tell you what traits are "toxic" masculinity and what traits are "non-toxic". To me, the same set of traits fit both categories, it is the situation in which the man is in that determines if their behavior is "toxic" or not. There are still some aspects of "what it is to be a man" that are still within the culture that have not changed. A man should be able to take care of himself, provide for himself, provide for his family, protect his family, and to treat women with respect. There is no book out there that says "this is was what you need to do to be a man" and then check each box. Just as there is no book out there that says "this is what you need to do to be a woman" and then check each box. When I was growing up no told me this is how you become a man. I had to figure it out with society telling yes and no. There is a time and place for everything and that is what I feel society right now is missing. There are have been times within the last 10 years, where the media and society is telling me that because I am a white, conservative male, I am wrong. I believe that the APA issuing a statement on "toxic masculinity" is irresponsible on their due the connotations that the label "toxic" gives to it. As I stated before you cannot include certain behaviors (suppressing emotions and masking distress, unwillingness to seek help, propensity to take risks even if this involves the danger to harming ourselves) as "toxic" when those same behaviors are given another name (courage) in a different situation. The example given in the "No, ‘toxic masculinity’ is not an illness" article "...a simple act of courage in a difficult situation where, to do the right thing, one has to suppress emotions, one cannot rely on any help but take the risk and act, even if this means exposing myself to harm". Those actions that are taken by the man [or woman] are applauded and celebrated even though they are the same that is considered "toxic". Another example is you [man or woman] are in the ER with a MVA patient coming in. In order to be able to treat this patient effectively, you must suppress your emotions and mask distress as it is going to be a very stressful situation in which you are about to be in. Lastly you might have to take a risk in order to save your patient. The APA in opinion should not be calling this condition "toxic masculinity". It should be called two things "Mature Masculinity Complex (MMC)" and "Immature Masculinity Complex (IMC)". The difference between the two being that the "MMC" recognizes the situations in which certain behaviors are appropriate and the "IMC" is not able to recognize the situations in which certain behaviors are appropriate.
|
|
|
|
Post by Zan Rizvi on Jan 23, 2019 18:41:53 GMT -4
At the core genetic and biochemical level men and women are not the same. Physically we are not the same. Naturally this has caused there to be specific gender roles to be adopted. I am by no means a sexist but I do believe everyone has their role in society. It’s not masculinity thats toxic but the lack of masculinity and the overcompensation to what certain individuals think it means to be masculine thats toxic. As a father of a one year old I am truly beginning to understand the capability of a woman. My wife, a full time mother and an individual excelling in her career makes it look so easy. As a man I know even if I gave everything I had I couldn’t do half as good of a job as she does. The very least we could do as men is to protect and provide for our families and occasionally keep emotion out of the equation to keep our significant other sane mentally because we need them more than they need us. To be masculine does not mean to be aggressive or abusive, to me that’s immasculine. Sometimes it also means lifting heavy objects! Masculinity is not toxic but the lack of masculinity which is toxic.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sherise Drost on Jan 24, 2019 2:23:11 GMT -4
I appreciate the Gillette “The Best a Man Can Be” ad as it is causing discussion about somethings that do need to be talked about. While I do not agree with the term “toxic Masculinity” and all that is lumped into it. I do believe that there are some valid points to the article. For years, societal norms have dictated that men need to be constantly strong, in control, protective and providers. This can govern the way men seek help, if they even seek help at all. This leads to men internalizing their feelings due to the lack of social support. Not being allowed to express oneself freely can cause one to react inappropriately. This can lead to poorer mental health outcomes. Men need to be encouraged to speak openly without feeling like less of a man for it.
|
|
