Masculism

Categories: Gender | Men's rights

Masculism is a body of social theory and political movement primarily based on the experiences of men. While generally providing a critique of social relations, many proponents of masculism also focus on analyzing gender inequality and the promotion of men's rights, interests, and issues. Masculism is viewed by its proponents as ideologically analogous to feminism.

Contents

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History of masculism

The first kind of secular response to feminism came from Ernest Belfort Bax, a socialist theoretician in the height of socialism at the beginning of the 20th century, and an associate of Karl Marx. Bax wrote The Fraud of Feminism in 1913, which was in essence the first masculist text. However, the term masculism did not gain usage until the end of the 20th century and even today is sometimes confused with both misogyny and masculinism®.

Some masculists believe that profound gender differences are inherent in human nature, contrary to the idea that both genders have the same capacity in virtually every respect. They believe that feminists who have denounced differentiated gender roles as an oppressive artificial construct are conducting a fallacious experiment by attempting to negate these differences via legislation and other means (this view is also held by many non-masculists). Other masculists, such as Warren Farrell, celebrate the notion of a gender-free society and fluid gender roles. Many masculists espouse a belief that feminism has played a role in the high rates of divorce (see marriage strike), alienation of the genders, female chauvinism, love-shyness, disintegrating communities, fatherless children, high school dropout, drug addiction, consumerism, teenage pregnancy, male suicide, violent crime (especially murder), road rage, and overfilled prisons.

Some masculists suggest that gender equality laws (beginning with the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964) have helped to make feminist ideology mainstream - that such laws serve primarily women and have created significant unconstitutional discrimination against men. While some feminists fight against an "all-powerful patriarchy", some masculists consider patriarchy inevitable. Some masculists oppose the idea that women are powerless victims of patriarchal oppression; they suggest that feminists use this idea to curtail men's rights and to justify their negative views of men. They claim this has achieved a covert matriarchy, aided by chivalry towards women that itself undermines the notion of female oppression.

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Masculist Concerns

Masculists cite one-sided legislation, selective enforcement, and neglected civil rights as examples of discrimination against men (and boys). Other examples include:

  • the government and feminist groups believing or teaching that anti-male discrimination is acceptable
  • culture that conditions males to feel bad about being male
  • child custody strongly favoring mothers in most countries; belief that children's growth is fostered moreso with mothers than with fathers
  • men being incarcerated for the inability to pay unrealistic child support payments
  • children aborted or given up for adoption without fathers' consent
  • men risking their lives in conscripted military service (exceptions exist, e.g. Israel, where women are also conscripted; though they are not required to serve in combat)
  • high-risk employment, but receiving no special honor for doing so
  • biases in the justice system against men (i.e. - longer incarceration rates compared with women, for the same crimes)
  • legislation biased against men (such as WIC and VAWA), using the word women in the law title
  • men being charged in domestic violence cases even when they are victims
  • men being charged in rape and sexual harassment cases when there is no evidence beyond the plaintiff's claim
  • research and free speech repressed unless pro-feminist
  • men fired from their jobs for dissenting with feminist ideology in the workplace
  • males banned (or having accounts locked) from Internet message boards for dissenting with feminist ideology in the forums
  • hate crimes against men
  • humourous depiction of violence by women against men in the media
  • relative lack of funding for men's health; far more money funded for female causes than for male causes
  • lack of advocacy for men's rights; more social programs for women than for men
  • lack of educational aid for boys and men, given that their performance/enrolment at most levels lags behind girls'/women's; some states declaring all-male schools illegal and all-female schools legal
  • special government agencies for women's affairs with no corresponding agencies for men's affairs
  • earlier age of autonomy for women than men in some countries (In some U.S. states women may legally move out of their parent's home at 17, but men have to wait to be 18.)
  • male children more likely to be killed by their parents
  • men less likely to receive aid from strangers if in trouble (broken down car, harassed, attacked by an animal, etc.)
  • women treated more respectfully than men in public
  • widespread infant male circumcision

Some masculists consider feminist ideology taught in universities to be misleadingly labeled "Women's studies". Not all universities use this label; neither do they all teach solely feminist ideology. In some Women's Studies courses 'masculinities' are discussed; however, many masculists would suggest that these courses attack men, and do not teach beyond feminist perspectives.

Some universities, in response to these courses, also carry "Men's studies" courses. Some feminists see them as redundant, since they consider academia throughout history to have been predominantly focused upon the issues of men. Others note that most subjects do not deal with or study gender directly; and that few people would consider areas where women make up the majority, such as nursing, to be legitimately considered as areas of Women's studies.

The greatest area of disagreement among masculists has to do with religious proscriptions for gender roles. This is largely a matter of degree: some masculists support a general leadership role for men, while others argue for relative equality between the genders. The term masculism has been used interchangeably with the men's rights movement, but this ignores the many gender-neutral and humanist groups in the men's rights movement. Liberals in the men's rights movement often reserve the term masculism for the conservative branch of the movement. However, the liberal and former feminist author Warren Farrell describes himself as a masculist.

One of the divisions between the liberal and conservative branches is secularism versus religion. The liberals are more prone to take a gender-neutral stance, as pioneered by Farrell; whereas conservatives tend to prefer a religious approach, such as represented in The Inevitability of Patriarchy by Steven Goldberg. Some supporters of masculism think of themselves as countering ideology with ideology; and in doing so creating a "New Patriarchy." Some claim that, despite these differences, there is seemingly no conflict in goals within the majority of their movement, only in liberal-conservative dynamics.

Masculists, in general, envision a greater role for men in both the family and society. Most masculists note that child custody is assigned to fathers less often than to mothers (in most countries). They argue that this should be made equal or even reversed, citing a lower incidence for all child development risk factors in single-parent households with only a father as compared to those with only a mother. They also argue that women initiate the majority of family breakups, and that this is exacerbated by women's expectation of full custody; and therefore the expectation of custody by the father would reduce the divorce rate.

Some feminists claim that changes to allow more equal custody would coerce women into staying in marriages against their wishes in order to maintain contact with their children. Others, including many masculists, suggest that men are already in this invidious position.

The Sex Discrimination Commission of Australia has stated that equality in child custody should begin with "equal parenting time while the marriage is intact." The Commissioner has suggested that only when men work part-time should fathers be given the same opportunity as mothers to parent their children after a separation. Therefore, the Sex Discrimination Commissioner appears to believe that caring for children is compatible with mothers, but not fathers, who work full-time. It is inconsistent treatment of men and women such as this that many masculists, humanists and fathers' rights groups wish to change. Members of these groups also note that many separated families financially require at least one 'breadwinner' who typically works long hours.

Some masculists state that one of their goals is to overturn the "covert matriarchy" and elect masculist politicians, whom they would consider more altruistically motivated. Most masculists support opportunity for women, though some envision structural changes in taxation or other areas to compensate for what they see as natural differences and expectations between genders. David Constantine is one masculist theorist who has explored this area.

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Ambiguity and contention over defining masculism

As with most social movements, there is no consensus as to what exactly constitutes "masculism." Some feel the word describes a belief that the male and female genders should be considered complementary and interdependent by necessity. However, several noted feminists believe sexual complementarity is a necessity in society, and masculist author Warren Farrell writes from an ideology of equivalence between the sexes, rather than a belief in unchangeable gender differences. Masculism is also the name of a political and social movement. In this way it is considered by some feminists to be synonymous with the men's rights or fathers' rights movements. However, many of the fathers' rights movement make a clear distinction between masculism and their own often quite varied approaches to gender relations. While some expressions of masculism are built around the general belief that differentiated gender roles are natural and should be exempt from government interference, this is by no means universal amongst masculists. A more encompassing definition might be "a movement to empower males in society, and to redress discrimination against men."

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An alternate view of masculism

There exists an alternate view of masculism as a complementary movement to feminism, the so-called "New Masculinity." In this viewpoint, both feminism and masculism are attempts to correct disadvantages induced by gender roles. While feminism addresses areas where women are seen to be disadvantaged such as equal pay and promotion, masculism addresses areas where men are seen to be disadvantaged -- for example, criminal prosecution and sentencing. These masculists may object to specific aspects of feminism or to the expressed views of specific feminist groups, but do not reject feminism as a concept, or believe that the feminist movement as a whole is hostile to masculism. For example, Warren Farrell states in The Myth of Male Power (ISBN 0425181448) that both genders are hampered by the gender roles of the past, which he said was "bi-sexism," sexism which oppresses both genders. He further expands on the compatibility of both movements, stating: "I use two podiums: Dr. Farrell, Masculist; and Dr. Farrell, Feminist." [1] Another example is found in Fred Hayward's speech to the National Congress for Men in 1981: "We must not reverse the women's movement; we must accelerate it... [Men's liberation] is not a backlash, for there is nothing about traditional sex roles that I want to go back to".

This suggests that masculism in some form can assist and aid the women's movement; feminists have met this with both encouragement and trepidation. Some feminists believe that space for women to have a voice would be threatened by the presence of men, or that a growing presence of men in the women's movement would displace the voices of the women. Others greet masculist interests in the women's movement as important for the ending of sexism in society.

Some masculists, however, decry this idea entirely, and do not believe that masculism and feminism can possibly co-exist culturally - that they are political incompatibility.

Gender egalitarians call for both masuculists and feminists who are truly interested in equality to unite under the banner of gender egalitarianism. This philosophy is sympathetic to legitimate grievances from both males and females, but does not tolerate prejudice or bigotry from either gender.

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The current state of masculism

Masculism and father's rights have edged further into mainstream thinking. Various Western governments have reviewed laws on child custody after divorce, the legality of circumcision on male infants, child support guidelines, etc. The Internet has helped groups network together. Frequent campaigns and demonstrations, especially on father's rights, attract media attention.

Recent opposition to masculism includes statements in a government-funded report requested by Status of Women Canada, a department of the Canadian federal government. "School Success by Gender: A Catalyst for the Masculinist (sic) Discourse" [2] examines a wide variety of masculist web sites and states: "these groups are largely composed of white, heterosexual, middle-class men who have not been successful in coping with the challenge to masculinity posed by feminism." This report also advocated that the people listed in the report be monitored and possibly prosecuted for "hate speech" due to their disagreement with feminist ideology.

Masculists and dissident feminists such as Wendy McElroy have expressed outrage at what they see as attempts to censor or chill free expression, and taxpayer financing of ideologically-biased reports. [3] They have also noted that the characterizations made of masculists by this Canadian report could equally be applied to many Western feminists (white, middle class, unsuccessful coping with modern life, etc.).

Some feminists have pointed out that such generalizations do not apply to women and feminists outside of many Western countries; masculists note that men in poorer countries generally do not receive any outside funding to promote masculism, like many women do to promote feminism. Many men in such countries also face other hardships that may or may not be related to gender. Some postcolonial feminists acknowledge this and aim to correct these inequalities for men as well as for women.

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See also

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Bibliography

  • Sex Differences, Modern Biology and the Unisex Fallacy, Yves Christen
  • The Church Impotent: The Feminization of Christianity; Leon J. Podles, Spence Publishing Co., Dallas, TX, 1999. (The title is a play on the Catholic theological terms church militant and church triumphant.)
  • Ernest Belfort Bax, The Fraud of Feminism (1914)
  • E. B. Bax, The Legal Subjugation of Men (1908)
  • Who Stole Feminism?: How Women Have Betrayed Women; Christina Hoff Sommers ISBN 0684801566
  • The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism Is Harming Our Young Men; Christina Hoff Sommers ISBN 0684849569
  • The New Men's Studies: A Selected and Annotated Interdisciplinary Bibliography (2nd Edition); Eugene R. August, Libraries Unlimited, Inc., Englewood, CO, 1994: ISBN 1-56308-084-2
  • Moral Panic: Biopolitics Rising; John Fekete, Robert Davies Publishing, Montreal-Toronto, 1994: ISBN 1-895854-09-1
  • The Myth of Male Power: Why Men Are the Disposable Sex; Warren Farrell, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1993: ISBN 0-671-79349-7
  • A Man's World: How Real Is Male Privilege - And How High Is Its Price?; Ellis Cose, Harper Collins, New York, 1995: ISBN 0-06-017206-1
  • Not Guilty: The Case in Defense of Men; David Thomas, William Morrow and Co., Inc., New York, 1993; ISBN 0-688-11024-X
  • The Myth of the Monstrous Male and Other Feminist Fallacies; John Gordon, Playboy Press, New York, 1982; ISBN 0-87223-758-3
  • Good Will Toward Men; Jack Kammer, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1994; ISBN 0-312-10471-5
  • If Men Have All the Power How Come Women Make the Rules?; Jack Kammer [4]
  • Spreading Misandry: The Teaching of Contempt for Men in Popular Culture; Paul Nathanson and Katherine K. Young, McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal, 2001; ISBN 0-7735-2272-7
  • Domestic Violence: The 12 Things You Aren't Supposed to Know by Thomas B. James ISBN 1593301227
  • Why Men Don't Iron: The Real Science of Gender Studies; Anne & Bill Moir, Harper Collins, Hammersmith, London, 1998; ISBN 0-00-257035-1 (Trade Paperback); ISBN 0-00-257048-3 (Hardcover)
  • Ceasefire! : Why Women And Men Must Join Forces To Achieve True Equality; Cathy Young ISBN 0684834421
  • The Masculine Mystique; Andrew Kimbrell ISBN 0345386582
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External links

fr:Masculinisme nl:Mannenbeweging fi:Maskulismi tr:Maskülizm