The Association of American Psychologists has released a 36-page report describing how traditional standards of masculinity run counter to the trends of modern Western civilization.
The report is dated back to August 2018, but the world press drew attention to it only now.
In particular, the report specifies that "the macho culture makes men limited and contributes to the development of homophobia, sexism, sexual violence and aggression in general."
This is the first document of its kind to set out a set of specific principles for the psychological health of men (and boys).
The experts spoke in the report that the entire modern culture of masculinity (masculinity) restrains men from communication, and also dictates them to feel or behave aggressively towards groups that do not support these principles.
In general, traditional masculinity has been declared very harmful, and primarily for the men themselves.
Under traditional masculinity, the concepts of stoicism, competition, domination and aggression are accepted.
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The traditional principles of masculinity limit the psychological development of men, guiding their behavior and leading to deformation of gender roles. It also negatively affects not only mental health, but also physical health, the report warns.
Ronald F. Levant, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Akron, who contributed to the report, says: "While men benefit from patriarchy, it also hinders them greatly."
Compared to how we define femininity, masculinity is considered a narrower concept. Modern women can easily wear pants and skirts, pink and blue in clothes, carry the bag themselves or not. Men who follow traditional concepts of masculinity are much more limited in their choices of behavior and even in the colors of their clothes.
As it turns out, most of the men surveyed believe they are indeed under intense pressure, according to a study by psychologist Jennifer K. Bosson.
Bosson asked men how many times they did something that was not considered a "male act" and women about what they did that was not considered a "female act."
And I found that it was very difficult for women to give an answer, they could not remember anything like that from their experience. While men had many scenarios - from wearing pink shirts to living "like a kept woman" at the expense of their girlfriend's wallet.
Some men say they change. This is confirmed by a study of Canadian men of the Millennial generation (born after 1981). Millennials have been found to be more selfless, health conscious, and socially more active than earlier generations.
Traditionally masculine traits such as an emphasis on physical strength, independence, and competitiveness have been deemed less important by millennials. Instead, they pay special attention to trying to be open, empathetic, healthy, and generous.
In 2016, the site YouGov provided the results of a survey of American men. It turned out that they paid much less attention to the concept of traditional masculinity, unlike their fathers and grandfathers.
Only 30% of young men aged 18 to 29 surveyed described themselves as completely courageous, while among men aged 45 to 64, this figure was 45%, and among men over 65 the percentage was even higher - 65%.