Cry Like a Boy: What is toxic masculinity?
In many societies around the world, men are expected to be tough and in control, successful and dominating, aggressive, and brave. What is the problem with this? Why can these behaviours turn toxic? #CryLikeABoy
ADVERTISEMENTIn many societies around the world, men are expected to be tough and in control, successful and dominating, aggressive, and brave.
These behaviours are seen as typically "masculine". Even positive.
But when toughness, disregard for danger, and desire to control, happen at the expense of tolerance, compassion, and equitable behaviour, things turn negative quite quickly.
“The ideas, the norms, the attitudes that we raise boys around to think that we're dominant, that violence is the way to resolve problems, that we're superior to women, that only being heterosexual is the only way one can be. We call that group of ideas that cluster of ideas toxic masculinity”, explains Gary Barker, CEO and founder of Promundo.
Watch the video above to find out what sociologists mean by toxic masculinity and how it impacts on our societies and listen to every episode of Cry Like a Boy.
Do you want to get in touch? Email us at CryLikeBoy@euronews.com
This programme was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the European Development Journalism Grants programme. This fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
