Strength — both physical and mental, with the latter often meaning an ability to stoically cope with difficult circumstances. Virility, a competitive side, and a solid feeling of self-confidence that may be marked by a natural presumption of dominance.
For centuries and across numerous different cultures, these traits have been associated with masculinity — with what it means, at the core, to be a man. On the face of it, these attributes aren't harmful. Rather, they may even be, for many people, ideals to aspire to. Take them to the next level, and you end up with what's often been called machismo. Because this term is strongly associated with the Spanish and Portuguese languages however, and because "macho men" certainly aren't confined only to Latin and Hispanic cultures, the term "toxic masculinity" might be more descriptive.
What is toxic masculinity?
So-called traditionally masculine traits (and notions thereof) have developed over the course of human existence, and they make some evolutionary sense. Strong, fit, virile, and dominant men would, historically, have been:
- Better hunters
- Better warriors, able to play a protective role in their societies
- Seen as natural leaders within their communities
- More easily able to pass on their genes
- Able to survive for longer, perhaps
On the flip side of these perhaps useful attributes, you also, however, have challenges. To be seen as strong and unmovable, traditional ideas of masculinity hold that men shouldn't be "too emotional" — with the exception, of course, of anger. Signs of weakness are frowned upon, and openly displaying more difficult or "weak" feelings like grief, sadness, empathy, compassion, or regret would be seen as emasculating. Behaviors related to feelings of entitlement to dominance, meanwhile, have been particularly problematic when it comes to sexuality.
Toxic masculinity, a term that has risen in popularity in academia as well as popular and social media, is essentially an uber-masculinity — ideals of traditional maleness on steroids, if you like. One study defined the traits associated with toxic masculinity as:
- Dominance
- Wanton violence
- A devaluation of women
- Homophobia (though this doesn't appear to be true in all societies historically — take, for instance, Ancient Greece)
How does toxic harm different groups of people — including men?
We'd assume that all women are familiar with the ways in which toxic masculinity, or machismo, can harm females. At the milder end of the spectrum, there would be possessive jealousy toward partners, or the aggressive romantic pursuit of a woman who has made it clear, more than once, that she isn't interested. In societies where forms of hyper-masculinity are widely embraced, "traditional gender roles" would prevent women from thriving in the workplace. At the most severe end, sexual and domestic violence can occur.
None of these ideas are new — but more recent times have been marked by discussions and research that also explore how toxic masculinity can harm men. Among the nastier side effects that attempts to live up to exaggerated ideas of masculinity can have are:
- In young boys, falling victim to bullying and not feeling able to express their emotions or ask for help, as this would be seen as weak. Alternatively, failing to stand up for victims of bullying because such displays of compassion make them targets as well.
- Poor stress coping mechanisms, again as some of the healthier ways to deal with stress may be seen as emasculating, talk therapy and simply discussing feelings and burdens with friends being two examples.
- Not seeking help for mental health issues, as mental disorders are seen as unmanly. Although men suffer from mental disorders such as depression and anxiety at similar rates as women, they are far less likely to reach out for diagnosis and treatment. This can have a number of secondary consequences, which we'll look at next.
- Men are more likely than women commit suicide.
- Men who are trying and failing to cope with stress, difficult life circumstances, or mental illness within traditionally masculine frameworks are, as such, more likely to turn to a fairly socially acceptable form of "self medication": substance abuse, or other addictive behaviors, such as gambling.
- Gay men fall victim to homophobia, but at the same time, research has shown gay culture to also be infused with hyper-masculine ideas — meaning that those who do not embody these traits may face challenges within the gay community as well.
Over time, society can learn to accept that masculinity exists in many different forms, and that being an imperfect, fallible, vulnerable, and caring man doesn't in any way make someone less masculine.