The changing Value of Male Masculinity.....?

Question

Often people say that feminism has change...even destroy masculinity.

Yet what is masculinity? Is it not a social influence?

From a historical point of view it has changed many times over, sometimes the men where what we would consider more masculine then todays men, yet in others examples they were very feminine.

Many cultures accepted embraced men on men love....samurai, geeks and romans.

Many cultures the men would wear make up.........starting with the Egyptians, the French the English.

"real men dont cry" started in the mid 1600's when it became uncool for noble men to show emotion. Prior to this there was no issue with men crying...men are human it was just accepted.

Many cultures men dress in tights and bright colors, and were often more fashionable then women.

Please tell me, what is Masculinity?

Answer 1

Independence, pride, resiliency, self control, nurturing, can assume leadership, act according to a set of beliefs, express emotions, and physical strength.

He will let his emotions out and moves on to what he needs to do. He prefers to be on his own, but will take the lead when necessary. He will help those that need help and determine who those people are by using his beliefs system. He is strong. He has pride in his beliefs and himself.

Answer 2

With all of the many changes, all of the fazes yet the one thing that it has never done, this masculinity it has defiantly not included women in its ranks

Now why is that?

What are the men up to?

The Romans and the Scottish fighters wore kilts, and we know that is very Womanish, or 'feminine'

Now if only we could discover some group of women that wore it first, it would prove something, but what?  

I wonder?

Answer 3

Feminist reject the concept of masculine or feminine, whereas the rest of the world prefers to know whether somebody is a HE or a SHE by how they look and act.

Answer 4

Masculinity has nothing to with the type of clothes or you beautifying yourself. All that refers to the appearance of masculinity. To me masculinity mean, having the intestinal fortitude to keep your emotions in check whenever and where ever. Being able to use your emotions as a strength instead of a weakness. Making your emotions secondary in compared with logical thinking. Not saying eliminate your emotions, but don't let them dictate you ever. We all human, but men (masculine) men are not guided by their emotions. What hurts, what feels good, why i feel like this, i don't like this feeling, etc. Out of all the examples you listed, they may have done those things, but i bet it was alternative motives involved, and it outweigh the feeling it gave.

Answer 5

"Many cultures accepted embraced men on men love....samurai, geeks and romans."

You'll also notice that all three of those examples no longer exist. They have all fallen.

WARNING: The following explains my Christian opinion. Read at your own risk and judge me how you like. I expect thumbs down.

It is true of most empires where homosexuality was accepted no longer exist. Sodom and Gomorrah were whiped off the face of the earth because the immorality. God will not let it happen. You can see what effects it has on g**s like the fact that they are only living to 55 years old. Our world today is living with the mentality that we should be accepting to homosexuality, but where does it stop? Why not allow Beastiality or forication? In todays society, men ARE immasculinated. They are told it's ok to cry, they are encouraged to do it...not that it is bad for a man to cry, but the men who choose not to are thought of as hard-hearted logs, who think their too manly to express their feelings. In reality, most men just don't want to cry, it isn't how they were created. If men had women's expression of emotions, we'd all be at home sobbing the rest of our lives. Nothing would ever get done. Women can't understand this. Why is it so bad to be the macho-man? What reasons have we come up with that make masculinity the equivalent of pride? I like my man manly and that's my opinion.

EDIT: As a Christian, I need to accept homosexuals. Not their homosexuality, but them as a human being. I will never agree with their way of life, but it is no worst sin than me judging them. God is the judge, I will let it be.

Answer 6

In my opinion, masculinity is an illusion made up of an ever-shifting cultural hodgepodge of biological tendencies, environmental influence, and social trends.  It exists only to isolate men from women as a group, same as femininity in the reverse.  As you said, masculine fashion and emotional displaces are fluid depending on the culture.  And also, take all the moral things people tout as "manly" - self-reliance, emotional control, confidence, mercy, responsibility, leadership, assertiveness, dedication, resilience, whatever, and you'll find these are qualities that excellent to find in women as well.  So what does that leave for the concept of masculinity? Nothing at all.

Answer 7

I think the issue is women dictating what masculinity should be. Who gave them that right? It works both ways, as feminists have fought against men telling them what it is to be feminine... so why should they do the same to men? I want to do what I want to do and I don't want any feminist telling me how I must behave(as long as it is not infringing against another's right)

If you hold that it's a social construction, it is still constructed somehow whether it's constructed by some feminist enlightenment or by what we consider to be recent conventions on gender.

Basically, I'm saying that those issues you describe of men wearing makeup and crying is just as much of a construction as telling them that they shouldn't do it.

Answer 8

You're looking at the differences when you should be looking at what the commonality between cultures is in regards to masculinity. A few of those common traits would be legacy, nobility, heredity, etc.... What you're talking about is style.

Answer 9

Masculinity has not changed, the ways in which it is expressed has changed. For example a farmer 100 years ago is as much of a provider as an Accountant is today. The only thing that changed is how they provide. Competition among men for resources, money, women, etc.. has not changed. You touched on a good point about cultural influences. White men are aren't nearly as physical as Black and Mexican men. I'm Mexican, and all the men in my family hug and kiss each other when they meet. This is a component of masculinity; respect and love for older men. It is also a component of Christianity. The shortest answer of Masculinity is "self reliance and self sacrifice".

Answer 10

To me masculinity is when a man is/does the following:

- provides for/protects his family

- respects women

- is brave and willing to sacrifice himself for his loved ones

- is strong [physically and mentally to the best of his ability]

Answer 11

The length men go to to get women and compete against other men for women. It really is that simple.

Same thing goes for femininity.

Answer 12

Great question. I don't think there's any such thing as the True Deep Eternal Masculine (TM), but many people are in love with the idea.

Answer 13

I don't think people who blame feminism realize that the definition of masculinity has changed, waxing and waning, over the years, and is different in different cultures. They don't have a good grasp of history or sociology (or feminism, for that matter).

Louis the XIV of France was the most powerful man on earth once upon a time, yet he minced around his palaces in high heels, wearing makeup and powdered wigs, and kept little dogs as pets.

Lord Byron was a soldier and a womanizer and died from wounds received in battle, yet he wrote some of the drippiest, most sentimental love poetry you'll ever read.

Answer 14

I remember performing an exercise in a diversity training workshop at work-you were suppose to put on post-it notes the first few things you think of when you hear: male; female; black; asian; hispanic; native american; white; g*y; straight; atheist; Christian; able-bodied; disabled etc. When it came to male and female-more of the qualities people view as positive were male; more of the qualities people view as negative were female.

In other words-the traditional stereotypical ideas about men are more positive and the traditional stereotypical ideas about women are not that great. I don't think the "old" ideas of masculinity or femininity work any longer since they don't reflect who a lot of men and women are. As we accept women and men's roles are changing-of course the idea of what a man and a woman are are going to evolve as well. I think it's wonderful that men can do what fits them-work outside or inside the home; be artistic or not; be emotional or not and the same for women. I don't see that we're losing anything-we're gaining choices. But if men and women want to act like the stereotypical ideas of femininity and masculinity-that's their choice-as long as they don't expect everyone else to act like them. I wish them well.