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Why is Masculinity So Insecure?
Being a man requires constant proof and validation.
How does a man know he’s a man? According to cultural theorist Camille Paglia, it’s only when other men tell them they are men. Women, on the other hand, instinctively know they are women; they menstruate, they get pregnant, they give birth, they lactate; it’s unmistakable. It takes a massive advertising campaign to try to convince them to doubt their femininity. Advertising in the twentieth century succeeded in increasing female insecurity about looks and weight, but women continue to know that they are women.
Men, not so much.
Social causes and clashes
Masculinity, according to this theory, is much more socially constructed than femininity. Men have much less to anchor their sense of manhood. They look to other men for cues and clues to fulfilling their society’s vision of what a man should be. For example, in upper-middle class American culture, a man is someone with power in the corporate or political world. He makes money. He is highly educated. He can attract a mate who also makes money and is highly educated.
A working class man in America gets a different message. He should be strong and his strength should be expressed in physical terms. He should work in a manly profession such…
