In Shame-O-Phobia, David Wexler speaks of how often guys fear of appearing feminine. Whether it is carrying their wife’s purse across a plaza or speaking of their feelings, guys fear to go against the gender norms of what it means to be a man. These gender norms are embedded in them from when they were a child. They are told by men that are leader figures to them that boys don't do this and boys don't do that. That they must ignore pain, physical and emotional, so they don't seem weak. Therefore, they learn not to express themselves. This causes men to have a higher risk of depression and emotional problems. It also puts them at a higher risk to act and make decisions that could end in injury. This is because of how society has constructed gender. It has been divided into two sectors where one cannot cross over, even if it is completely natural. Society must become more lenient when it comes to gender and it's expectations. If not, then people will continue to feel trapped in society's constructed ideas of gender and feel the effects of it as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment