Thursday, November 17, 2016

Midlife and Masculinity


A recent article published in Science Daily discusses how men cope with masculinity at an older age. As we've learned through or text, boys learn very quickly what it means to be a man. The qualities that embody masculinity are being tough, being able to defend yourself, not showing emotion, being respected, and by no means can they show weakness. As men get older, these qualities come into question. At some point, the body is not as strong as it once was, and taking risks becomes too risky. This article discusses how men deal with grief, of losing loved ones. Grief, an emotion masculine men are not supposed to feel. Also, the role of being a caregiver comes into play if a spouse or family member gets sick. The role of the caregiver is also something associated as a feminine quality. And we all know, that as we get older, trips to the doctors become more frequent. Men have a hard time going to doctors, unless there is something really wrong. So how do me cope with aging? The answer is , they don't do a great job of it, which is why the "midlife crisis" is something so well known, it almost becomes normative behavior for men over 50. The doctors who conducted a study on this very topic, mention they the goal is to work with men to help them adapt to the stressors of aging, so that they can help reduce high suicide rates, depression, and ultimately prepare them for dealing with what life throws at them.

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