“‘Masculinity’ is a relatively new way of thinking about men,” said Catherine Aponte, Psy.D., who previously was a clinical psychologist and an adjunct professor at Spalding University.
“Since the feminist movement of the ’70s, there has been an ever-growing number of different ‘masculinities,’ such as inclusive masculinity, caring masculinity, toxic masculinity, flexible masculinity, and hegemonic masculinity. Not surprisingly, the idea of a ‘crisis in masculinity is now in vogue.”
To help men define their own view on the topic, Aponte suggested to:
- Make a list of several “masculine traits” that describe you.
- Think about specific situations in which you displayed a given “trait.”
- Think about a situation in which these traits would not characterize how you would act.
- Think about how displaying specific masculine traits might impact other people.
- Think about a situation in which a woman might display these “masculine” traits.
- Think about how each of these traits could be considered human qualities rather than “masculine traits.”
After thinking about these points, “you may now ... ask yourself what social value the idea of ‘masculinity’ holds for you,” Aponte added. “And, how important is being masculine to your self-concept?”
