Have you ever heard this expression before? Maybe you have heard it said to a friend, a son, a boyfriend...heck, maybe you have even said it yourself. Being told to be “a man” materializes the societal stereotypes of manhood including, but not limited to, being tough, strong, successful, smart, stoic, and the breadwinner. However, do we ever stop and ask ourselves what happens to men when this phrase is uttered?
For centuries, men have been put in this so-called “man box”. Inside of this box is everything a man “should” be, at least according to the historical archetypes. In books, movies, and advertisements, men are portrayed as dominant, unrelenting, unemotional, athletic figures. When a man’s life is constantly inundated with these images from the popular media, it is difficult to deter these expectations of who he should be and live up to be.
Furthermore, the phrase “be a man” further suggests the firm dichotomy between male and female, implying that there is no grey area. The firmness of the perceived boundary between feminine and masculine determines the polarization of the two. Men are more drawn to traditionally masculine qualities as means to solidify their identity as a man. It is my opinion that men should learn at a young age that being a man doesn’t hold them to only masculine characteristics, instead when men learn to embrace their femininity they are even more “manly”. Imagine a world where men are not driven strictly to be what the man box tells them they should be but rather who they are authentically and holistically.
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