Men are suffering. What’s the solution?

About this Video

• Video Title: Men are suffering. What’s the solution?
• Channel: Breaking Down Patriarchy
• Speakers: The speaker's name is not explicitly mentioned in the transcript.
• Duration: 00:19:20

Introduction

This video explores the rising calls for increased masculinity and examines the concept of "patriarchal masculinity." It argues that the current societal emphasis on traditional masculine traits is detrimental to men's well-being and proposes gender equality as a solution.

Key Takeaways

• The Crisis of Patriarchal Masculinity: The video defines patriarchal masculinity as the pressure on men to conform strictly to traditionally masculine roles and avoid anything perceived as feminine. This leads to significant psychological distress and difficulties forming close relationships.
• The Negative Impacts on Men: Adherence to patriarchal masculinity is linked to increased rates of psychological distress, difficulty forming relationships, depression, anxiety, suicide, substance abuse, and violence in men.
• Relationships are Key to Well-being: Research shows the strength of relationships (friendship, family, romantic) is the strongest predictor of men's long-term health and happiness. Building these relationships requires "feminine-coded" traits like compassion and vulnerability.
• Gender Equality as the Solution: The video argues against simply promoting more masculinity as a solution. Instead, it advocates for gender equality, which includes valuing both traditionally masculine and feminine traits equally. This approach benefits both men and women.
• Two Potential Pathways to Change: The video proposes two paths towards societal change: (1) rebranding traditionally feminine traits as masculine and (2) viewing all positive traits as simply "human" traits, irrespective of gender.