Modern manhood is in crisis

The term ‘man’ is usually reserved for an adult male of the human species; while the term ‘manhood’ is used to describe the period after he has transitioned from boyhood, having attained male secondary sexual characteristics that symbolise his coming of age.

Masculinity may vary in different cultures, but it has universal principles across cultures. Sometimes, gender scholars use the phrase ‘hegemonic masculinity’ to establish this universal concept.

Masculinity embodies assertiveness, responsibility, selflessness, ethics, sincerity and respect. Masculinity itself has social status that has strong associations with physical and moral strength. The biological inputs through hormones induce the masculinisation process that redirects the biological processes from the default female route.

In many cultures, displaying characteristics not typical to one’s gender may become a social problem for the individual. However, labelling and conditioning are based on gender assumptions as part of socialisation to match the local cultural template.

In the primitive hunter-gatherer societies, men were often — if not exclusively — responsible for all large game killed, the capturing, raising and domesticating of animals, the building of permanent shelters, the defense of villages and other tasks where the male physique, strength and spatial cognition are most useful.

Evidence abounds to show that the Neolithic revolution by men that led to the status of prehistoric ranches was a product of the intimate knowledge of animal life. Each time the universally agreeable traits of manhood are challenged, anxiety and anger may be provoked, leading to maladaptive behavioural patterns.

With the globalisation of values, there is an increased objectification of both sexes. Although the actual stereotypes may have remained relatively constant, the value attached to masculine stereotypes may have changed over the past few decades since it is argued that masculinity is an unstable phenomenon and never ultimately achieved.

However, the old ideals of manhood are getting obsolete, just as the new is still invisible to us as we grope in darkness concerning what forms the basis of manhood and masculinity crisis, with grave mental health consequences in societies in cultural transition, such as ours.

The typical modern African man has cognitive dissonance with respect to his roles as a traditional dominant male in the family, as he also attempts to espouse the western ideas that compel him to recognise his wife as a partner in the business of raising the family.

The traditional stereotypes of the father as the breadwinner and the mother as homemaker are almost historical in the light of today’s economical realities.

The masculinity crisis ensues as men are in search of a role in modern societies, since the traditional male attitudes are no longer in much demand anywhere. Deindustrialisation, which involves the replacement of old smoke stick industries with new technologies, has allowed more women to enter the labour force and reduced the demand for great physical strength.

The gender warfare through feminism questions male dominance over women; and the rights that had been erstwhile granted on the basis of their sex.

Masculinity crisis arise from the fundamental incompatibility between the core principle of modernity that all human beings are essentially equal (regardless of their sex) and the parochial   tenet of patriarchy that men are naturally superior to women and thus destined to rule over them. The Nigerian situation is serious because the current mental health consequences of this crisis are enormous. A good number of the boys drop out of school, indulge in cybercrime, just as they come down with substance abuse disorder. There is a growing population of young men that lack the emotional maturity and capacity to give leadership in a home.

True manhood, which finds its expression in creative leadership, courage, protection and nurturing of the female gender, is never developed as a result of the maladaptive coping strategies.

It is equally disturbing that in most convocation ceremonies, the females may have 11 and only one for the males, illustrating the manhood crisis emerging in Nigeria. The female employees appear more focused and competent than their male counterparts. A good number of today’s men were brought up by single mothers who were the first set to have experienced this masculinity crisis that saw these boys grow up without a man in the house. The single mothers effectively train the girls, while the boys play the role of surrogate husbands as he does not take responsibility in the house, with reckless access to mummy’s money and car, while his female siblings plan the budget and do house chores.

The boy now grows to become irresponsible and turn round to invoke the traditional attributions of dominance without responsibility, resulting in high rates of divorce, growing population of marriageable ladies without mature young men to marry them.

The increasing rate of mental health disturbances in this cohort is alarming; and the situation requires urgent attention by all stakeholders.

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