How do you think and talk about masculinity?

This site is an attempt to start a more productive conversation — hopefully it offers the chance to gain insight about the ways men are perceived in the US and the how they (often unconsciously) participate in validating these stereotypes.

Don’t be weak. Don’t be small. Don’t be poor. Don’t be emotional. Don’t be feminine. Don’t be aggressive. Don’t be unapproachable. Don’t be sexist. Don’t be patronizing. Don’t be entitled. Don’t be unemotional. Don’t be big. Don’t be loud.
— from WNYC Studios’ Death, Sex, & Money podcast

Let's begin by considering how masculinity gets framed in discussion and critique:

Masculinity is often critiqued for being too narrow and
repressive

This piece, from Nate Silver's statistics site, fivethirtyeight, includes a survey of over 1600 men to answer this question: What Do Men Think It Means To Be A Man? The article explores men's behvaioral reactions to the on-going #MeToo movement.

. Masculinity is complex; often narrowly defined by
violence

Men are the major perpetrators of violent crime. Data from the United States for the period 1980 to 2008, for example, shows that men were responsible for 90% of the murders committed during that period.

This video show a TED Talk from Jackson Katz, Phd, an anti-sexist activist and expert on violence, media and masculinities.

https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/htus8008.pdf
, sexual prowess, entitlement, social status,
aggression 99%

of rapes worldwide are committed by men.

and denial over the value of
consent

A study conducted by Planned Parenthood found that only

19% of men

strongly agree that consent must be given at each step in a sexual encounter. Men are also less likely than women to strongly disagree that consent for sex one time is consent for future sex.

https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/overwhelming-support-for-consent-education-in-schools
. Our social
expectations of manhood

Strict gender role are rewarded and policed by our society. They serve as a major limitation to men's growth. Planned Parenthood outlines a very clear definition of gender on their website.

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/sexual-orientation-gender/gender-gender-identity/what-are-gender-roles-and-stereotypes
prioritize strength and trivialize emotions and vulnerability in men. From the moment boys are capable of meeting their parents expectations they are constantly reminded of the need to “
be a man

Colorado State's Women and Gender Advocacy Center produced this graphic to visuialize the social dynamics and personal limitations that enforce men's restrictive gender roles.

https://wgac.colostate.edu/education/gender-and-identity/men-and-masculinities/

.”


Resources

What Do Men Think It Means To Be A Man?

We asked more than 1,600 men whether #MeToo changed their thinking on masculinity.

Violence Against Women Is a Men’s Issue

Michael Flood wants us to stand up and do something about violence against women (and men).

What We Mean When We Say, “Toxic Masculinity”

As a consumer of news and classroom teacher, how can I help my students make sense of the current news cycle?

The Terrible Numbers that Grow with Each Mass Shooting

In the United States, people who want to kill a lot of other people most often do it with guns.

Why Calling It “Toxic Masculinity” Isn’t Helping

Masculinity is not toxic; our culture’s narrow, conformist, violent, bullying, man-box version of it is.

How Masculinity Contests Undermine Organizations, and What to Do About It

Why do companies get caught up in illegal behavior, harassment, and toxic leadership?

This project greatly benefits from the input of users. Please leave some feedback about what you saw, any ideas you might have, or questions you still need answered. Thank you!

Produced by Zach Narva for Metrics + Data Visualization at DSI, School of the Visual Arts