Question About Effects of Patriarchy on Men

Toxicity is even more broad

I commented to another person who said the same thing, so there's my response to that. Additionally, Toxicity is more easily defined and much less likely to demonize a group.

Toxic masculinity addresses the range of behaviors that men specifically, not women, have been conditioned to adopt.

That's your interpretation. But assuming that's universally true, why not address those behaviors specifically then? What benefit is there to specify that mostly men have these behaviors, while implying that women don't also contribute to these same behaviors? Anecdotally, only women have actively pressured me into fighting someone over something trivial.

Behavior like hyper independence simply isn't taught to women the way it is to men

Hyper independence is taught to men? Since when? I have never seen anyone telling men that they should avoid interaction with other people, nor have I seem any studies suggesting this. Male anti-social behavior is not taught, it's a byproduct of multiple other factors. Regardless, what about this actually has to do with masculinity?

Particular strains of sexual aggression are specific to men

What does this have to do with masculinity? Or are you saying that sexual aggression is a part of men that needs to be repressed? Of course not (I hope lol) but that's my point. Attributing negative behaviors to being male, simply because many people who partake in those behaviors are male, is sexist and incorrect. For example, most people who place false rape accusations are female, does that mean that falsely accusing someone of rape is a part of femininity? A part of being a woman that meeds to be repressed?

Calling this behavior toxic masculinity is saying that the society's insistence on teaching men that they should play the role of relentless pursuer

Again, where is this being taught? Where are men being told that they should pursue even if she says no? And how many men out of 100 are conditioned by society as a whole to pursue after the woman says no?

feminism is extremely critical of women engaging in many types of toxic and harmful gendered behavior

Only when that behavior negatively affects women eventually, from what I've seen. Not ones that'll only affect men. A common one for example is women threatening to falsely accuse of SA of DV if the man does X or doesn't do Y, because she knows she'll be believed. I've never seen a single popular feminist campaign talk about this harmful behavior. Or, paternity fraud, which affects hundreds of thousands of men. Instead, from what I've seen on this sub, you'll get someone saying "but how often does that even happen" instead. I bet you had that very same thought as you were reading.

Women have been conditioned to be passive subjects

Conditioned by who though? It's not men telling women to be weary of men because "they are generally shitty" and "they need to be taught not to rape and abuse or else they'll naturally do it due to toxic masculinity" it's women. Yes it's unfair to men, but to fix that, we need to send a more refined message. How about "watch out for men who do X behavior and go for men who don't" and "it's important to teach consent so that everyone can be aware of it" instead? This is really my main point here.

/r/AskFeminists Thread Parent