Masculinity: “Everything which is not feminine?”

OThomson · 2011-11-06T16:30:55+00:00

Masculinity is whatever a man makes it, it has no inherent qualities, not ascribed roles or behaviors, no stereotypes, and the same damn well applies to Femininity hell the same very things can be both Masculine and Feminine depending on who is expressing that behavior

trollalt · 2011-11-06T15:13:21+00:00

Masculinity is that which is least feminine; femininity is that which is least masculine.

I like that definition, but it has a weakness. Femininity has a strong biological basis in childbirth and nursing. The masculine role of insemination is necessary but is a minor deed in comparison. That imbalance always leads to masculinity being something that is more open to definition.

The advantage of masculinity being open to definition is you can make it be whatever you want. I see men increasingly rejecting traditional roles of masculinity and doing what they want to do. The disadvantage is the lack of a solid basis to fall back on. Women can always fall back to motherhood if their feminist ambitions fail them. Men who are redefining their masculinity are working without a net by comparison, and this can be stressful.

Title	Masculinity: “Everything which is not feminine?”
Author	mayonesa
Upvotes	7
Comments	4
Date	November 6, 2011 2:23 PM UTC (14 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/m2dqa/masculinity_everything_which_is_not_feminine/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/masculinity-everything-which-is-not-feminine.1032075 https://theredarchive.com/post/1032075

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