Evolving Concepts of Masculinity

The presidential election reflects competing understandings of what it means to "be a man" in our society. 

Is a real man someone who attempts to dominate others? Who incessantly insults his rivals? Who in public wants to be seen with beautiful women and who in private does what he wants to women without their consent? 

Or is a real man someone who defends and protects others? Who not only treats others with respect and dignity but who helps others; who heals and teaches and coaches others. 

The concept of masculinity is evolving because the needs of society are evolving. We no longer need people who can physically defend the clan or the community in a lawless setting. We need people who obey the law and who enforce the law; people who respect the rule of law.

A real man doesn't carry a gun. A real man wields a scalpel in surgery, or codes on a computer, or designs estate plans for families.

Physical strength is no longer necessary to survive. We hunt for pleasure, not out of necessity. We farm with tractors; no longer do we plow by hand. Our factories are mechanized, our cars and trucks and trains and ships bear our goods for us.

Going into the future the economic well-being of individuals and society depends not on physical strength but on knowledge and skill. Education is the engine of our economy. We need doctors and lawyers and programmers and engineers. 

The era of war is nearly over. Thank goodness world peace is now on the horizon. Europe's expansion and colonization of others is in the past. The United States has no more territorial ambitions. Russia will gain nothing from its invasion of Ukraine. China knows that it will lose what it has if it invades Taiwan and seeks to annex it.

Competition among different nations has shifted from war to trade. A country's wealth depends upon its ability to produce goods and services that people want. We no longer steal from other peoples and societies, but trade for what we want. Free trade in goods makes us all wealthier, and free trade in ideas makes us all happier and more capable.

Men and women are now equal. A real man not only acknowledges this equality but celebrates it.

Changes in Gender Equality in My Lifetime

No-one older than 60 needs to read this post. You already know how different our society is from when we were young.

"Immorality" and Social Change

Social conservatives sincerely believe that they are defending "morality" when they condemn practices such as  birth control, women working outside the home, and same-sex marriage. Their view is that these practices are "immoral" because they threaten the fabric of society. They consider people who condone these social transformations to be fostering "immorality."

They are mistaken. They view change itself as threatening. They forget that society often changes for the better - that human progress is possible - and that if given the opportunity to pursue their hopes and dreams people can often make this a better world.

The Gender Gap in National Politics

Recent events including the introduction and defeat of the Blunt Amendment in the United States Senate and political commentator Rush Limbaugh's vicious attack on Sandra Fluke in the context of the debate over birth control have highlighted the extent to which the major American political parties have become polarized on gender issues, with women favoring the Democratic Party.  But this was not always the case.  Historically women identified more with the Republican Party.