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The Problem Isn’t “Traditional Masculinity”
Addressing the challenges men face as “traditional,” just leaves us wide open to a cynical binary.
By now, anyone with internet access knows the American Psychological Association has released its Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men. This is because the way the guidelines are framed has ignited a firestorm of (mostly) male anger across social media.
In writing the introduction, the APA did themselves no favors in choosing to locate men’s issues in “traditional masculinity ideology.”
The introduction states:
“Although there are differences in masculinity ideologies, there is a particular constellation of standards that have held sway over large segments of the population, including: anti-femininity, achievement, eschewal of the appearance of weakness, and adventure risk, and violence. These have been collectively referred to as traditional masculinity ideology (Levant & Richmond, 2007).”
Those who intentionally seek to undermine a more holistic approach to men and manhood, are gleefully pushing the narrative that the APA’s guidelines seek to erase “traditional masculinity.” For some, this is what the guidelines appear to be saying. This binary inducing vulnerability could have been avoided.
