Michael Kaufman Patriarchy
Michael Kaufman theorizes that there are three different types of male violence: violence toward women, violence toward other men, and violence toward oneself. Masculinity plays a determining role in this “triad”. The patriarchal social structure, which casts men in an active role and women in a passive role, perpetuates a toxic form of masculinity were passive, non-violent men are seen as “unmanly” – thus, powerless and weak. Furthermore, men are discouraged from expressing emotions, particularly toward other men – this reinforces the heterosexual norm, as all attraction to other men must be repressed.
According to Kaufman, women are men’s safe spaces, because they do not pose a social, physical or homosexual threat to their masculinity. …show more content…
In order to deconstruct these harmful notions of what it means to be “a real man”, however, femininity must not be seen as the other end of the pole – a source of weakness. If femininity is a negative trait, then being effeminate, or showing womanly characteristics as a male, will be seen as unmanly.
As long as we raise children to abide by strict, binary gender norms – as long as boys are told “Boys don’t cry” – the triad of men’s violence will thrive. How society educates its children, mainly its boys, will determine which direction the patriarchy will go. The toxicity of certain forms of masculinity has been addressed in recent years, by feminist theorists and masculinity studies, who have studied aggressiveness, emotional repression, mental health issues and western notions of manhood, ingrained in men.
The current crisis of mass shooting in America says enough: the shooters are mainly men, with a history of violence and abuse (often directed to their wives or girlfriends, first and foremost). The October 1st, 2017 Las Vegas shooting; the Pulse nightclub shooting in June 2016; the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting of 2012, to name a few… Yet, the patriarchal government has done nothing to limit this form of violence, as it refuses to amend gun laws, a man’s man weapon – symbol of power and
According to Kaufman, women are men’s safe spaces, because they do not pose a social, physical or homosexual threat to their masculinity. …show more content…
In order to deconstruct these harmful notions of what it means to be “a real man”, however, femininity must not be seen as the other end of the pole – a source of weakness. If femininity is a negative trait, then being effeminate, or showing womanly characteristics as a male, will be seen as unmanly.
As long as we raise children to abide by strict, binary gender norms – as long as boys are told “Boys don’t cry” – the triad of men’s violence will thrive. How society educates its children, mainly its boys, will determine which direction the patriarchy will go. The toxicity of certain forms of masculinity has been addressed in recent years, by feminist theorists and masculinity studies, who have studied aggressiveness, emotional repression, mental health issues and western notions of manhood, ingrained in men.
The current crisis of mass shooting in America says enough: the shooters are mainly men, with a history of violence and abuse (often directed to their wives or girlfriends, first and foremost). The October 1st, 2017 Las Vegas shooting; the Pulse nightclub shooting in June 2016; the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting of 2012, to name a few… Yet, the patriarchal government has done nothing to limit this form of violence, as it refuses to amend gun laws, a man’s man weapon – symbol of power and