Masculinity is a key force that underwrites and sustains extremism

YetAnotherCommenter · 2014-10-09T07:04:36+00:00

After reading the whole article I don't find it particularly misandric. Indeed, it basically backs up my own theory about how traditional masculinity operates - 'real manhood' is seen as a socially-conferred status granted through complying with society's demands.

It isn't misandric to point out that men who aren't "real men" get socially emasculated. Indeed, the unjust nature of this social emasculation is precisely why MGTOW can be beneficial.

I do, however, think its hyperbolic to argue that masculinity is what is behind religious terrorism; all men throughout the ages have been subject to the whole "prove yourself a real man" thing, yet not all males have become psychotic killers. Obviously religious fundamentalism is the biggest factor here.

I will argue that there's a large mistake in the article; the article says that today there are no 'elders' around to provide 'alternatives' to violent masculinity, but historically speaking the 'elders' have always been the primary force behind violent masculinity. Tribal societies, which still have the whole 'initiation into manhood by proving yourself to the male elders' thing, are far more violent (on a per-person basis) than today's western societies. The more tribalistic, hierarchical, collectivistic parts of our societies are uniformly the ones with more bullying and more violence (the military and criminal gangs being two good examples).

Traditional masculinity can certainly encourage violence, but it isn't "elder mentors" who create alternatives to violent masculinity; it is the advance of Enlightenment civilization and its values of reason and technology and material development (which render physical violence more and more obsolete over time).

TL-DR: I disagree with some of the article's arguments, and I don't agree that masculinity per se is responsible for religious terrorism. Traditional masculinity obviously has big problems, but its not the thing driving Jihadis. The article seems far too romanticist about the "past where elder mentors taught boys to become real men" - in the past, they taught stuff that was hideously violent.

But this article is not misandric and it is not blaming men or male nature for violence.

EDIT: I'd also like to add that the article's writer doesn't seem to be an SJW/Third Waver type... for instance, in his work Policing Manhood he argues that homophobic slurs are not about misogyny, but rather about more traditionally masculine males putting down those who aren't "real men" by cultural definition.

Nomenimion · 2014-10-09T12:47:37+00:00

Masculinity is the key force that underwrites and sustains civilization.

Wargame4life · 2014-10-09T10:23:06+00:00

If you don't think men are the extremists and lean towards extremism more than woman you are not living in reality.

Evolutionary it makes sense that men are the extremists playing higher risks than women.

Its true men are generally the engine of extremism and upping the stakes in major conflicts and causes.

Title	Masculinity is a key force that underwrites and sustains extremism
Author	CrustythePrawn
Upvotes	7
Comments	8
Date	October 9, 2014 1:00 AM UTC (11 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/mensrights/comments/2iptfg/masculinity-is-a-key-force-that-underwrites-and-/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/masculinity-is-a-key-force-that-underwrites-and.1621807 https://theredarchive.com/post/1621807

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