Adonis Specimen: Toxic Masculinity

Notes:

‘harmful behaviour and attitudes commonly associated with some men, such as the need to repress emotions during stressful situations, and to act in an aggressively dominant way.’

‘One of the ways that masculinity sometimes manifests is through toxic behaviour

which ultimately ends in violence, and that violence either is enacted on men

themselves, or on other people’

‘process of micro-aggressions that escalate to a point where violence is enacted on the world’

‘The Good Men project, another initiative that aims to challenge public perception of what it means to be a man in the 21st Century, describes toxic masculinity as a form of manhood that’s “defined by violence, sex, status and aggression.”’

‘view stereotypically feminine traits, such as being emotionally vulnerable, in a negative light’.

‘Toxic masculinity doesn’t solely affect the boys and men who exhibit “toxic” behaviour, but also those around them who may not identify with or relate to conventionally masculine traits’

‘“It affects anybody outside of a very narrow ‘man box’.’

‘The term “toxic masculinity” was reportedly first used by psychologist Shepherd Bliss in the 1980s and 1990s’

Bliss sought to separate the negative traits of men from the positive traits, and used the term “toxic masculinity” as a means of making the distinction.

“avoidance of emotional expression”, the “over-aspiration for physical, sexual and intellectual dominance” and the “systematic devaluation of women’s opinions, body and sense of self.”

‘Toxic masculinity and the notion that men must act in a dominant and aggressive manner in order to command respect is a concept that may stem from the perpetuation of the patriarchy’ 

‘In an attempt to claw back some sense of manliness a lot of them are perpetuating what we’d refer to as toxic masculinity – a sort of overcompensating form of behaviour that has its roots in ideas of traditional masculinity – such as strength and stoicism’

He explains that dominance and aggression are both traits that are frequently imparted on young boys from an early age as “necessary parts of being a man”.

‘By helping young men and boys understand that they don’t have to conform to archaic aggressive stereotypes of masculinity, we can reduce antisocial behaviour, mental health struggles, suicides, gender-based crime and domestic violence’

“In order to dismantle toxic masculinity, people would have to be willing to challenge their own privileges, which is not something a lot of people want to do because it gives them an advantage in the world,”

This article was very interesting as it dismantled the term toxic masculinity in a very simple manner, explaining how the term effects men and the impact on society as a whole. Furthermore the article discusses a number of charities that I will look into further, who are centred around exploring the negative impacts of male stereotypes on young men in society, (The Good Lad initiative and Good Men Project).