The toxicity of the label 'toxic masculinity'

The label ‘toxic masculinity’ is unhelpful for the whole of society, no matter the gender identity.  In this fascinating interview with Dr Wizdom Powell and Dr Ronald Levant (from minute mark 25:13 onwards) Dr Powell makes the important point that “we are complicit in maintaining this idea of masculinities that is mythic and difficult to achieve”, and “these messages start very early in the life course”.

Dr Powell also makes the important point that, in order for boys and men to get the help they need, we “need to think about structural arrangements for particular racial and ethnic minority males like black men and boys that actually make it even more likely that men will push back from seeking the help they need, and these arrangements include structural disadvantages like racism that can interact with men’s beliefs about what it means to be a man to negatively impact their health.

So we need systems change…to make it possible for boys and men to enact masculinities that really convey the dynamic broad range of emotions they are capable of displaying.’

Full interview (from minute mark 25:13 onwards) available from this link - 

https://www.kcur.org/post/seg-1-human-cost-reassessment-seg-2-toxic-humanity#stream/0

Chris Warren-Dickins LLB MA LPC
Psychotherapist, (Licensed Professional Counselor), Ridgewood NJ 07450
www.exploretransform.com               201-779-6917              chris@exploretransform.com
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