The Way Gender Rolls in a “Man’s World”
The fragility of modern-world masculinity & femininity
Gender roles: a social construct that has existed since… social constructs have existed. Today, gender roles are more diverse than ever and equality is the expectation, as it should be. But this raises the question: Is this positive trend due to an acceptance of femininity or assimilation into masculine traits?
The novel concept of Masculinity
To describe what masculinity represents is to tread a very dangerous sea. Masculinity is defined as “qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men” by the Oxford Dictionary. However, in our modern world, the word has a much weightier meaning. Those “qualities or attributes” can be lost, and with it one’s masculinity.
Masculinity [noun]
qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men
Synonyms: virility, manliness, maleness, vigour, strength, muscularity, ruggedness, toughness, robustness
Looking at the synonyms above, it is not shocking why the culture of Toxic Masculinity is stronger than ever. Masculinity no longer describes just a gender. Instead, it’s a persona that few men relate to, but even fewer are willing to outwardly stand against.
Modern-world masculinity & gender equality
Considering how masculinity rides on power and strength, it’s quite ironic how fragile it truly is. Why do men feel as if their masculinity can be so easily lost, while women seem to rarely feel the same?
Could it be that even in our attempts to create equal environments, gender roles still prevail? Is gender equality successfully preaching that men and women are equal, or is it instead just the celebration of women demonstrating masculine-prominent qualities?
Boys don’t want to be girls
We may be closer to gender equality than ever before, but when it comes to accepting stereotypically “feminine” qualities, sometimes it feels like we are miles away.
We live in a world where “like a girl” is still an insult. Where kindness, gentleness, and delicacy (synonyms of femininity according to thesaurus.com) are signs of weakness.
It’s a society where I can wear a hockey jersey without losing my “female status” among my peers, but even wearing pink is a bold move in a toxic-masculinity-world oftentimes fraught with homophobia and misogyny.
Femininity [noun]
qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of women
Synonyms: gentleness, delicacy, docility, muliebrity, kindness
This sends a message loud and clear: In our society, masculinity is desirable. So like anything else highly coveted, some imitate it and others are scared they will lose.
So we “man up” instead. We watch sports and drink a beer “with the boys.” We find success by showing the traits that are stereotypically admired in society (those traits oftentimes being synonymous with masculinity).
We, as women, are finally being given a chance to sit at the men’s table. But that doesn’t change the fact that men still don’t want to sit at ours.
Gender roles close doors for women AND men
Despite many steps in the right direction, male-dominated fields, such as management and corporate law, are still associated with strength and power. In contrast, nursing and teaching, female-dominated fields, are innately associated with compassion and weakness.
This mindset not only keeps the doors closed to women interested in stereotypically male-dominated fields but also closes doors to men interested in female-dominated fields.
While women are praised for breaking boundaries and taking on management roles and tech jobs, men are oftentimes looked down upon when they pursue caregiver positions. This closes doors in both directions and it doesn’t help anyone.
Gender Roles shouldn’t define success
Fifty years ago, a woman couldn’t get a job in a male-dominated, high-paying, prestigious job even if they wanted to. Today, there are women in power, more women empowerment, than ever before. It’s a huge step forward. But there are many more to be made.
Let’s stop trying to carve places for women in what is still structured as a “man’s world”.
Let’s create a world where Masculinity and Femininity are nothing more than gender. Let’s create a world where success does not fit within a gender role.
