Are 'Real' Men Actually Toxic (to Themselves)?

We see a lot of men strutting around, puffing out chests, sometimes big muscles, he-men, acting like nothing can get them down.

 I'm not just talking about the White House.  But a new study has found that toxic masculinity is unsafe -- even for men.

 What are we talking about?  According to newswise.com, it can harm the men feeling it just as much as the women they are around.

 “Often, toxic masculinity is a term that we use to describe how masculinity affects other people, especially women,” newswise quotes study co-author Stef Shuster, MSU,assistant professor in Lyman Briggs College and the Department of Sociology at Michigan State University . “But our study shows how toxic masculinity also has detrimental consequences for the men who subscribe to these ideals. The very premise of hegemonic (ruling or  dominant in a political or social context) masculinity in some ways is based on the idea of isolation because it’s about being autonomous and not showing a lot of emotion. It’s hard to develop friendships living this way.”

 According to newswise.com, "The belief that real men” must be strong, tough and independent may be a detriment to their social needs later in life," says the sociologist." The web site reports that men who harbor ideals of masculinity that are hegemonic  — or what's now known as “toxic masculinity” — can become socially isolated as they age, impacting their health, well-being and overall happiness.

 Hmm.....Someone call the White House.
“When we age, there are certain ways that we can ensure we maintain our health and well-being,” newswise quotes . “Having people with whom we can talk about personal matters is a form of social support. If people only have one person that they can share information with, or sometimes even no people, they don’t really have an opportunity to reflect and share.”
Shuster adds that when issues arise, like health or financial problems, it puts individuals in an incredibly disadvantaged position if they don’t have anyone to share this with, which also might have negative consequences for their mental health.
“Social isolation is common among aging adults. Changes such as retirement, widowhood or moving to a new home can disrupt their existing friendships,” notes Celeste Campos-Castillo, one of Shuster’s co-authors and an associate professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
“Older men who endorse the ideals of toxic masculinity can become siloed off as they age,” Shuster explains. “Not all older men are at risk — just those who favor a particular set of ideals.”
The study is one of the first to treat masculinity as a spectrum rather than a simple yes-or-no binary category.
The study also found that embracing toxic masculinity is self-harming. 
"As baby boomers prepare to retire from the workforce, they face challenges in finding and sustaining healthy friendships," the study found. The researchers suggest social isolation may be alleviated by embracing an alternative understanding of masculinity that doesn’t rely on independence and toughness as the only way to be “real men,” or at least easing up on the principles of hegemonic masculinity.
Still, Shuster recognizes that the higher men score on the scale of hegemonic masculinity, the less likely they are to change their views or seek help.
“Can you change someone’s ideological principles? I think that’s a harder sell than trying to get people to believe that social isolation is incredibly detrimental to their health,” Shuster concludes. “It’s about learning how to offer tools for people not to be socially isolated and helping them develop the capacity to recognize that all of the ways they have upheld being so-called ‘real men’ is not going to work for them as they age.”






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Opposites Attract? Yes, But For a Surprising Reason

We've known this for a long time. Opposites attract .  More about my husband later.  But a new study says that, besides from attracting each other, they can make some good decisions together. According to newswise.com, o pposites may attract and drive each other a little crazy, but, together, they can make satisfactory decisions despite their divergent attitudes, says a Boston College researcher who led a study that explored how selfish and altruistic consumers join in decision making. Consumers routinely make joint decisions with others - which restaurant to eat in, what movie to watch, or where to go on vacation. Researchers from Boston College, Georgia Tech, and Washington State University wanted to see if people with opposite attitudes could come to satisfactory decisions together, the web site reports. "The studies found that when paired with a selfish partner, it is better to behave altruistically rather than selfishly," newswise notes. "Similarly, when...
Read more

Want to be a Better Boss? Play with Your Kids

 It may be hard to believe, in these hours when we're yelling at our kids to do their homework, stop fighting with each other and get out from underfoot while they're "hybrid" learning.  But a new study has found that, if you can interact peaceably with your kids, it may make you a better boss . According to newswise.com, new research from the University of Georg ia found that "positive interactions with your child during your off hours can make you a better leader." The study examined two samples of 46 and 113 managers, measuring whether participants had experienced positive interactions with their families—such as working together on a project or laughing together, each day after work. The study also looked at whether participants felt connected to their family and satisfied with their family life in general. "The researchers also analyzed leadership practices , asking participants how often they engaged in behaviors such as making sure employees know...
Read more

Don't Practice Before You Speak: Your Memory Deficit May Make You Miss Your Boss' Signal to Stop

How many times have you rehearsed telling your partner bad news?  Honey, I rammed the car through the beauty shop window.  But no one was hurt! Now a new study says that anticipating  performance before a school or work presentation can cause you not to remember what happened before the event. So who cares?  According to newswise.com,  "Performance anticipation could weaken memory because people tend to focus on the details of their upcoming presentation instead of paying attention to information that occurs before their performance," says lead author Noah Forrin, a postdoctoral fellow in Psychology at Waterloo.   "People who experience performance anxiety may be particularly likely to experience this phenomenon." Building on what previous research called the next-in-line effect , Forrin and his co-authors explored how different ways of preparing for a presentation can have an impact on the " pre-performance memory deficit, " the web site report...
Read more