Toxic Masculinity — Part 1: origin, concept and relation to gun violence in the USA
Since antiquity, masculinity (or so called manhood) has been shaped by historical and ideological processes. There is no one concept of masculinity as it is not based on biology or history — this process is rather dynamic.[1] Masculinity has been in a state of constant flux as a result of its contact with different ideologies and cultures. However, despite such dynamism, masculinity has maintained a central tenet — the portrayal of man as a strong figure, be it a brave warrior in the ancient world or a powerful and influential businessman in the twenty-first century.[2]
This blog will discuss the concept of toxic masculinity. It will be divided into two parts. Part one will discuss the origin of the concept of toxic masculinity as well as its current presence in modern society. This part will also touch upon the impact of this issue on men and the relationship to gun violence. Part two, which will be published later in the month of October and will aim to critically discuss and explain how toxic masculinity affects gun violence in domestic violence situations.
Currently, masculinity can be seen in almost every aspect of our lives. Perhaps the best example of this phenomena for younger generations can be located in modern popular culture. For example, in popular action movies gun violence, the presence of blood and guts on the screen, as well as the portrayal of male characters as ‘larger than life,’ is widespread[3]. According to the critic Michael Medved, these types or movies are created for “hormone — addled, drooling, semi-literate adolescent males”.[4] Many people reach for action movies; it is one of the most popular genres for a younger audience — particularly young males. To quote Barna William Donovan:
“A large part of the history of the violent action film is really the history of modern masculinity. It is a history of how art reflects society’s definitions of manhood, society’s ideal of the perfect man, and how this genre reflects men’s self — image”. [5]
How does gun violence relate to the concept of masculinity? There exists a clear link between violent acts such as school shootings — as well as acts of domestic terrorism “fuelled by a toxic brew of media spectacle”[6] — and the relative ease with which one has access to firearms.
Gun and military culture depict weapons as an aspect of male power. To some, guns are treated as objects of almost religious importance. The use of guns is often viewed as an expression of masculinity and manhood.[7] There are different ‘reasons’ that men, who can clearly see the dangers of owning a gun, still decide to promote the right to bear arms. Adam Winkler, in his book Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America, argues in favor of the right to possess firearms.[8] He expresses how his wife (“the love of his life”)[9] and daughter, “who made [him] want to make the world a better place,” are important to him. Consequently, he argues that, as a husband and father, he feels obliged to protect his family and that such is “the reason a law-abiding person might want to own a gun.”[10]
However, the absence of guns at home is ought to be the method favored vis-à-vis the prevention of harm in the family home, particularly as it relates to children.[11] The author attempts to rationalize owning a gun and keeping it at home, where his wife and daughter live. In this regard, it is possible to observe the concepts of honor and manhood merging so as to limit the author’s ability to understand that he may actually be putting his family at risk in order to fulfill the protective husband/father role common in many cultures. The idea of a man as a protector, almost as a “watchdog”[12] of his family is widely shared and accepted in America and beyond.[13] The danger of keeping firearms right in the same building as your own children is clear. Yet in order to maintain the aforementioned “masculine honor,” some men (and women) are easily able to rationalize away this danger, even if it means inadvertently hurting someone close to them.[14]
If the idea of masculinity makes men rationalize potential harm to their loved ones, we have to discuss the impact of manhood and gun violence in domestic situations. Unfortunately, if a gun is present in a household, the possibility of actually using the gun, even towards other family members is greater than it would be if a weapon was absent. The next part will aim to evaluate this issue and critically discuss the influence of the concept of masculinity and its relation to gun violence regarding domestic violence.
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Footnotes:
[1] Mary Hurd, Masculinity as a cultural concept, (Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health, 2013)
[2] Ibid.
[3] Barna William Donovan, Blood, guns, and testosterone: action films, audiences, and a thirst for violence, (Plymouth: Scarecrow Press, 2010), xi
[4] Michael Medved, Hollywood’s Three Big Lies about Media and Society, (www.independent.org/events/transcript.asp?eventID=69)
[5] Barna William Donovan, Blood, guns, and testosterone: action films, audiences, and a thirst for violence, (Plymouth: Scarecrow Press, 2010), xi
[6] Amy Shuffelton, Consider Your Man Card Reissued: Masculine Honor and Gun Violence, (Aug2015, Vol. 65 Issue 4, p387–403. 17p.), p. 398
[7] Douglas Kellner, Guys and Guns Amok, in Michael S. Kimmel, Gender and Society, (25(2):278–279, Sage Publications, 2011), 7–8
[8] Adam Winkler, Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America, (New York: Norton, 2011), 302.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ibid.
[11] American Association of Pediatrics, Policy Statement: Firearm-Related Injuries Affecting the Pediatric Population, (Pediatrics 130, no. 5 (2012)), e1416.
[12] Amy Shuffelton, Consider Your Man Card Reissued: Masculine Honor and Gun Violence, (Aug2015, Vol. 65 Issue 4, p387–403. 17p.), 400
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid.
