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Content;; Males in Society

Men have similar roles in the many societies out there, and it's fair to say that men are typically treated better than women.

Different Cultures: Same Issue

It's a known fact that men have more rights than women in many Asian and European countries with regard to marriage, divorce, civil rights, legal status, dress code, professional lives and education. And although men are generally more free to do what they want, every society in the world still has certain requirements needed to be respected as a male, and have certain standards you are judged on. For example, every where around the world a high level of masculinity is achieved by appearing powerful, in control, showing as little emotion as possible and beong tough and aggressive. And although the pressure of society encourages men to be agressive, men are naturally the more agressive sex, as proven by a study by Channel 4 on agression in both sexes.

Men in North America are treated equal to or better than women. However, men can still be ostracized and ridiculed if they practice certain proffessions or don't exhibit characteristics, thought and behaviours that are expected of them. And although Western society is venturing beyond traditional expectations based on gender, it is widely believed that men are supposed to "bring home the bacon"and be good with their hands and tools. However, we do see some men who defy traditional roles and expectations.

Can't we be sensitive sometimes?

Although the idea and practice of men having roles other than traditional ones has greatly improved, some aspects of life remain traditional. For example, the media and society still have certain professions and hobbies that are either male or female. The following is a list of what current society and media believe to be "unacceptable" jobs for men and "ideal" jobs for men:
"Unacceptable" Jobs For Men:

  • Baker
  • Chef
  • Florist, Interior Decorator, Fashion Designer
  • Nurse, Janitor/Cleaning Services, Butler, Homemaker
  • Dancer (esp. Ballet), Gymnast, Figure Skater, Synchronized Swimmer

    • "Ideal" Jobs For Men:
  • Police Officer, Fire Fighter
  • CEO/President of a company, Lawyer, Military Profession
  • Athlete (except for gymnast, prefessional ice skater or synchronized swimmer)
  • Construction Profession, Manual Labour Profession, Mechanic/Technician
  • Doctor/Medical Profession (except nurse)

    • You are probaly looking at this list and agreening with most of what you see here. But why has society selected ro ruled out these professions for men? Take a look at the "unacceptable" list again, and think about why men are ridiculed for having these jobs. You will start to notice the following:
  • Baker, chef = cooking, which is a traditionally female activity
  • Florist, interior decorator, fashion designer = style and design, which is also traditionally feminine
  • Nurse, janitor/cleaning services, butler, homemaker (stay-at-home dad) = caring for others, cleaning; again related to women
  • Dancer, gymnast, figure skater, synchronized swimmer = known as "women's sports" because they involve next to no agression; agression is seen to be related to masculinity

    • Now let's have a look at "ideal" jobs for men:
  • Police officer, firefighter = these jobs involve fighting against death and danger, which involves some form of agression
  • CEO/president of a company, lawyer, military profession = jobs of economic and social power and authority
  • Athlete = associated with power and agression
  • Construction, manual labour, mechanic/technician professions: these jobs involve working with your hands and tools, which is thought to be a masculine trait
  • Doctor/medical profession = seen as a masculine job; probably because there is a sense of working with your hands and tools, as well as involving math and science, which, stereotypically, are the two subjects males are best in This situation seems to incinuate that athletics is strictly a man's playground.

    Media & Men

  • The Joker is a very popular character with boys, maybe because joking is part of their own "mask of masculinity." This stereotype can give boys the assumption that males shouldn't be serious or emotional.

  • The Jock is always willing to "sacrifice himself," fights other men if neccessary, is competitive, aggressive and never "soft." By demonstrating his power and strength, the jock wins the respect of other men and the adoration of women.
  • The Strong Silent Type is always in charge and in control, keeps his emotions inside and is a lady's man. This stereotype indicates that men and boys should always be in control, and talking about "feelings" is a sign of weakness.
  • The Big Shot is defined by his professional status. He is the "epitome of success," embodying the characteristics and acquiring the possessions that society deems valuable." This stereotype suggests that a real man must be financially and socially powerful.
  • The Action Hero is strong, often angry, extremely aggressive and is usually violent. These five "ideal" guys appear everywhere from ads, movies, and television shows, even in books! Typically the male hero of any story line displays one of these sets of traits. Looking back on the previous topic of male jobs. Can you see the similarities between some of these characters and the "ideal" jobs for men?

    Religion & Men

    We see a lot of men in religion; all the main Gods of many religions are male. In Christianity, Jesus and God, in Judaism, God, in Buddhism, Budha, in Islam, Allah, and in Hinduism, Krishna. Only in the pagan religion of Wicca do we see female dieties. However, it's not hard to see why many religious figures are male. Many centuries ago, when these relgions were founded, men were seen as superior to women, and embodied power, control, superiority and authority, traits whom all the religious figures listed here share.

    Health

    Once again, the media is to blaim for two other problems: eating disorders and steroid abuse. Although there is a page dedicated to male eating disorders and steriod abuse on this site, we will now ask why men use steriods. The media is responsible for pressuring young people of both genders to look and act a certain way. For males, this means having a V-shaped body and being muscular. Many men around the world, especially athletes, use a specific type of steroid, anabolic steriods to increase muscle mass, although abusing steriods in the long term can cause irreversable health conditions. These include jaundice, kidney, liver and heart complications, balding, and for males, potentially developing breasts, to name only a few. Although many people think men do not have eating disorders, they in fact do. Males also suffer from disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa, although eating disorders in males tend to include more excessive excercise than most eating disorders in women. The lesson? By wanting to be the "perfect man" you can cause severe physical and psychological damage to yourself. For, in a society that demands perfection, young men and women try their hardest to meet society's standards when in fact they forget their own standards and end up selling themselves short. Spending your life trying to look and act like the "perfect" man or woman will get you nowhere. Instead, try to be the best person YOU can be, not simply what everyone else wants you to be.

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    Battle of the Sexes - (c) Julia, Celine, Kamilla, Veronika