Henslin: On Becoming Male

Everyone thinks that a male should show no vulnerability, no feminity because being a male means you are a 'man'. Why did I say a man instead of strong, muscular, etc.? The word man has been so socially constructed that if you were to say 'be a man', anyone would understand what you meant. Man is a word often used to describe masculinity.

Often boys are raised to be a man. If a boy was to cry because he was pushed, someone would almost always tell him to 'man up', or that 'a man don't cry'. The toys they play with are limited because their parents and the adults around them would judge them for playing with 'girl's toys'. Even the colors are separated from masculine to feminine. From the very beginning, boys are taught to hide their feelings. 

When those boys grow up to be men, the majority of them don't understand the way they feel. Many of them would struggle with expressing themselves and wouldn't have anyone to confide in. What I learned in my Human Development class is that boys/men have the highest suicide rate in America. Maybe, just maybe, it has something to do with becoming a 'man'.