4. Why Masculinity must Change
• Developing equitable democracies/partnerships and
promoting human rights is severely restricted while a majority
of men follow the old male norms.
• “Humans are at an evolutionary crossroad; we’re
too powerful to continue in the current manner, the old dominator
ways must change if we are to survive.” (Marx-Hubbard)
• “The mix of the domination model and high technology
-- the nuclear, biological, and chemical technologies is not
sustainable.” (Eisler)
• The current crises of global warming, global conflicts,
increasing financial inequities, overpopulation, breakdown
of the biosphere, AIDS, homicide, rape, domestic and economic
-violence against women can only be solved by collaboration
of men and women.
• Since dominator behaviour is enabled by the hegemonic
forms of male socialization, establishing male norms compatible
with the partnership model is one of the most powerful actions
we can take to ensure our survival.
• “We must confront the fact that most
violence is perpetrated by boys and men and figure out
how, given this unavoidable fact, we might change our definitions
of manhood to begin dealing seriously with the heart of the
problem.” (Katz)
• “Not only do women, children and the environment
suffer under the old male ways, men suffer too. Men’s
health and wellbeing are limited by contemporary constructions
of manhood, particularly their emotional and physical health.”
(Kaufmann 2003)
• “Thus, while men ought to change, it is also
in men’s interest to change.” (Flood 2004)
• “Therefore just as feminism challenged women
with new possibilities, men too have much to gain as they
grapple with diverse masculinities and change.” (Flood
2004)
Close Discussion
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