What constitutes masculinity? I have four sisters (one brother) 3 daughters, one wife...I have remarked elsewhere (here) about how my family of origin worked to bump off men over the age of 60....so I grew up surrounded by women. I don't feel that this has affected my designation of self particularly. I feel male, masculine, a man.
Indeed the women who surrounded me would, I think, have had it no other way. But why is it that so many popular conceptions of masculinity have to do with
a) muscles
b) sex
c)violence
d)power
e)'success'
Only one of these particularly interests me!
The men I admire are not the physically powerful, or socially successful they are the ones who are free to transcend stereotype and intelligent enough to change, to admit mistakes and to know when to keep quiet.
These are also characteristics I admire in women! Though the manifestations may be some what different. So as I have thought about issues to do with masculinity this week, I recognise there is a lot of confusion about what it is...though a certainty that it does exist... but it seems far removed from the stereotyping that goes on.
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