Masculinity Ethical Dilemmas

The unethical implications of a culture that supports hyper masculinity
“It’s just as hard to be Ken as it is to be Barbie.” Many would argue that this statement is blatantly false. They would contend that living in a male dominated world guarantee’s a women’s rattled with challenges regarding discrimination, sexism and equal rights. To invalidate women’s struggle in today’s society would be foolish and inaccurate. However, the statement above does not claim that women are not discriminated against; instead it attempts to validate the idea that men, in today’s culture, also face challenge. Challenges that may have a direct correlation to the struggles of their female counter parts. If one considers masculinity in today’s society, we currently exist in a culture that promotes the systemic internalization and blocking of all emotion in young men (Guittard 2015). We ostracize men who articulate their feelings, who use clothing as an outlet for self-expression, who cry when they’re hurt and who decide to nurture their children while their partner goes to work. We tell
According to Amanda Marcotte, a politics writer for Salon “Masculinity, usually associated with competition, logic, rational thinking, boldness, action and strength — is only a problem when it’s operating in excess.” When discussing masculinity it’s imperative to mention the difference between “toxic masculinity” and “masculinity”. There are indeed forms of masculinity that are not toxic. Marcotte explains, “toxic masculinity is a specific model of manhood, geared towards dominance and control. It’s a manhood that views women and LGBT people as inferior, sees sex as an act not of affection but domination, and which valorizes violence as the way to prove one’s self to the world.” (Marcotte 2016). This ideology is unethical because it continues a pattern of segregation as well as a culture of violence and aggressive that invalidates male