This entire week is going to be dedicated to the Male of our species. We are going to cover everything from Penis size to their hopes and dreams. Enjoy.
So where to we start? I think we should start with what makes a male. Technically a male human must have testes and a penis at birth. This does not however take into account the social aspects of what defines a human male. This is what we are going to explore.
You've heard the adage you're born a male, you are made a man. This is absolutely true. From birth we are bombarded with images of what a proper Man should be. The pressures are from our parents, media, and other children. It is impossible to escape the gender molding. This is not necessarily a bad thing as for a lot children being "normal" is a major priority. Without these norms we would not have that social safety.
For heterosexual men, falling into a dominant social role comes easily. This is a factor of gender and romantic interactions that have allowed for a greater growth of self. Those heterosexual men who fall into a more submissive and or feminine gender role may have difficulty in adjusting to the expected roles of his gender.
For homosexual men this development is often retarded by a lack role models and romantic relationships. Therefore it is often a lot harder for them to develop a solid and polar gender role, like their heterosexual counter parts. This often leads into the same issues of heterosexual men with a submissive/feminine identity in terms of social guidelines.
Some of the traits socially expected of men include: physical and mental strength, stoicism, endurance, dominance, financial security, domestic ineptitude, and sexual indescrimination. All of these are in comparison to the female human and do change with age.
It is understandable that with the great mass of people in this country there is bound to be a few men who do not feel they fit into this profile of what a man is. This can cause many different emotional and mental changes that can affect one negatively.
What do men think about these ideals and norms? Find out tomorrow. We will continue this tread with comments from myself and other men on what they think of themselves, other men, romantic partners social norms, and women.