ART 3170 Civic Engagement: Social Issues "Action" Project: Toxic Masculinity Dylan Olivas

Toxic Masculinity

What is toxic masculinity?

Toxic masculinity is the attitude that males learn from society to act in a harmful and aggressive manner. This attitude often influences young boys to take a liking into a certain image. This image is to be the tough, no-need-for-help, stoic, and dominant. Now some people may see this as not a big issue, but many problems arises because of this attitude.

Problems with toxic masculinity

Two problems about toxic masculinity in young boys is that it blocks potential and causes bullying.

1)Blocks potential

Some people are afraid of stepping out of the “norm”. This stops potential in young boys. They can turn out to do great things if they pursue what they have a passion for. There can be more and better ice skaters, singers, volleyball players, and hair stylists if men felt they can freely pursue their passion. This also causes boys to go out of their way to do "manly things" such as not displaying their emotions. Being open about your emotions is seen to be feminine so many boys tend to close off their feelings. Journalist, Jules Suzdaltsev, on August 2, 2016 on the Seeker mentions that New York University has found out that "adolescent boys form friendships as deep and meaningful as adolescent girls, but by age 16 they begin to distance themselves emotionally from other men." Age 16 is also the age when male suicide rates begin to rise, and psychologists believe the correlation with emotional repression is significant.

2)Social outcast

If boys do end up deciding to “act out” they often get bullied and punished for it. Kids are brutal, even for the smallest actions they will be picked on. Author Claire Broling on July 31 2017, published by the Odyssey, writes a true story about an 11 year old boy named Michael Morones. Michael is a fan of the show My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. In school he was being named called and his show was being labeled as gay. He had enough of it so he took his belt and tried to hang himself in his room. He survived but the point is he was bullied into that state. He was bullied because of his taste in shows. This is one example of many young boys becoming outcasts for taking an interest in something that is not seen as masculine. This does not only go for TV shows but with any other interests such as food, toys, colors, and music.

Causes of toxic masculinity

The causes are fairly simple, men were always seen this way throughout history and today we still enforce it.

1)Men was always taught to lead the family

Since the beginning of humanity men were always seen as powerful in the family. Men were always expected to hunt and to provide for the family since the stone ages. Men were the majority of military throughout time. In ancient Greek, military performance was an important way in which society assessed the value of a man. Actually, the ancient Greek had a word called Andreia which means manliness and courage. Most historical leaders were male and this includes America's previous presidents.

2)Taught to conform

Boys feel obligated to conform. Boys always have the idea to conform because they see most of their peers doing it like a hive mind. Boys see characters in media enforcing it. Author Caroline Knorr on June 19 2017 published by commonsense.org mentions "a lifetime of viewing stereotypical media becomes so ingrained it can ultimately affect kids career choices, self-worth, relationships, and ability to achieve their full potential." This also explains the high expectations kids have on themselves. Parents also expect their children to grow up manly. Boys are often taught to do manly things like killing bugs, not asking for help, and showing no pain. Axe released a video called “Is it okay if guys…”. It highlights the insecurities of guys. Society makes some boys feel self-conscious to the point where they have to google if doing certain activities is okay to do, as seen in the video.

Solutions

1)Do not teach kids about expectations of men.

Giving kids a template of what a man is gives them a goal to reach which itself is not bad but when they feel forced to grow up a certain way that will really hurt them in the future. Alli Gulman on April 5 2017 published by study breaks mentions that masculinity is thought to translate to power and the only way to break this cycle is to bring awareness to the youth. Also, when teaching kids how to be a man they will also expect it from other kids which in turn reinforces the idea of growing up to be a man.

2)Let the kids express themselves

Let the boys express themselves so they can get be more in tune with their emotions. Doctor Ruth White on December 22 2017 published by Psychologytoday mentions that allowing boys to express themselves freely without worrying about masculinity will decrease cognitive dissonance and emotional stress. Next time your son gets hurt let them know it is okay to get hurt. Next time your son is confused let them know it’s okay to not know everything. Next time your son has an unconventional “girl” passion or hobby support them. Be careful when you do this though because there is a difference between informing and enforcing.

Interviews

"Growing up, everyone always asked why I hang around girls and not guys... mostly at school people are saying that I needed to be playing sports. They wanted to rough house and I am like I am good. It creates a whole lot emotions that are bottled up, and eventually something bad can happen like punch a wall or something." (Bernardo Carrillo, Koreatown)

"I have seen people who has been affected by toxic masculinity. I have a friend, he is very competitive. When he sees any one of us do something that might be considered excellent, he will go out of his way to try and surpass what we have done. Thats totally not cool." (Alex Gonzales, East Los Angeles)

Personel

Personally, I have been affected by toxic masculinity throughout my childhood. I was raised to be the manliest man I can be. I remember asking my dad if I could bring an umbrella outside but was reject the request on the basis that I am a man. I had a bad habit of always being self conscious if what I was doing was considered appropriate for being a male. I worked on this issue by becoming very comfortable around my friends and from there I was more free to be expressive with my emotions in public. I have personally seen many people, including friends, taking actions to demonstrate their "manlyhood" in ways that are not very appropriate. This issue has affected my life by so much that it has shaped my personality.