Feminism eliminates toxic masculinity

Impacts of Gendered Expectations on Men's Mental Health

Since before the 19th Century, gendered expectations have pushed men into taking on the breadwinner role. It was not common for women to leave the home to work, which resulted in a complete reliance on men to provide for one's family. Gendered expectations had forced men to leave the domestic structure in order to provide an income and resources for their families. Because of this, the ability to provide acts a symbol of manhood and being a desirable husband. Because of a woman's reliance on a man to provide; a man's financial standing was the most important quality in finding a husband. This pressure to provide has proved to have had detrimental effects on men's mental health. A study done in 2014 showed that suicide rates during economic recessions in America rose for both men and women, but much more significant when it comes to men. This study displays that men often associate their money often equates to their self-worth, and that providing for their families is their sole purpose in life. Showing how gendered expectations has a very negative impact on men's mental health.

Toxic Masculinity on Men's Mental Health

Throughout history, men have been expected to act in certain ways in order to be “masculine.” These traits include being dominant, aggressive, and indifferent, as gendered expectations have deemed these qualities characteristics of an ideal man. In January of this 2019, the American Psychological Association (APA), released guidelines on how to deal with men and boy's who "adhere to notions of ‘traditional masculinity". They defined traditional masculinity as "marked by stoicism, competitiveness, dominance and aggression" and suggested that these qualities are damaging to both others and men themselves. These qualities often manifest into excessive drinking, physical injuries from fighting, steroids, body dysmorphia, drug-taking, inability to express emotions.

Men have enormous personal and emotional abilities that they shouldn't have to repress and fear to live up to the gendered expectations set by society. Those who conformed to extreme masculine norms have a higher possibility of poorer mental health and have unfavorable attitudes toward seeking psychological help It has been reported that many men have found the pressure to be "manly" has caused them to refuse to seek mental health help because of the stigma against men having emotions and personal problems. All these factors plays a significant role in the difference between suicides for men compared to women.

Feminism on Gendered Expectations

Feminism has provided the modern women with many rights we consider basic today; the right to vote, the right to higher education, and the right to employment. Women in Canada's modern society often share the same everyday duties as men; being required to have a basic education, paying taxes, and ensuring that the household is well provided for. This is a result of first wave feminism, which earned women the basic rights that they warrant. The change in the gender roles of women can be clearly seen through employment statistics for the last century. For example, over 80% of women participated in the workforce during 2014, compared to only 23% in 1953 . This is a substantial change over the course of only 61 years, and clearly shows how feminism successfully changes attitudes towards gender roles, by pushing for women to receive equal opportunity alongside men.

In traditional society, genders roles were clearly separate. Women were seen as caretaker, who's responsibilities in the household consisted of childcare and domestic tasks. Men on the other-hand were viewed as breadwinners, who's responsibilities in the household were to go outside the home to make money in order to support the family financially. This was considered normal expectations until the first-wave feminist movement, which challenged the role of women in the households. After this movement, a substantial increase in women participating in the workforce can be seen. Alongside this increase came an increase in self-employed men, fathers who take parental leave, and stay-at-home dads

Elimination of Gendered Expectations on Relationships with Children

In current western society, it is very common for women to have a career. This has resulted in many women replacing or working alongside men as breadwinners of the family. This has resulted in an increase of stay-at-home dads and self-employed men. This change has made traditional gender norms less favourable, allowing men to take on roles in the household that were once labeled as "feminine." Because of this, fathers now come in many forms: stay-at-home dads, caretakers, breadwinners, single fathers, etc. .  Due to the elimination of the traditional roles of women as caregivers and fathers as breadwinners, fathers now typically possess more opportunity to foster a relationship with their children. The stay at home dad in particular is a huge change from what was expected from fathers less than a century ago. This is shown through the number of stay-at-home dads growing by a rapid 50 percent between 2003 and 2006.

As feminism has liberated women to participate in the workplace and achieve high-level careers, many men can now take on a more domestic role in the household. This allows father's to have relationships with their children, without the pressures of gendered expectations. Resulting in the ability to build closer child/father relationships, which may have been considered "womanly" a century ago.