Bronwyn Freitag
9/9/10
Masculinity: A Culturally Developed Disaster
“The persistence of the expression ‘to make a man of [someone]’ is the best possible
evidence of the deliberateness of the streamlining of the male person into the masculine man.”
Germaine Greer irrefutably proves that masculinity is not woven into DNA but rather culturally
determined from as early as infancy. When one has researched this topic, it becomes obvious
that parental treatment, societal expectations [from other men in particular], and ancient tradition
all play a crucial role in the instilment of masculinity into males.
Germaine Greer’s essay, “Masculinity,” begins by highlighting points, made by David
Skuse of the Institute of the Child Health and at the Wessex Regional Genetics Laboratory,
designated to prove masculinity was genetic. Skuse examines individuals with Turner’s
syndrome. “Researchers found that the single-X ‘girls’ displayed masculine characteristics in
that they were insensitive, demanding and obtuse” (Greer 63). To refute this, it seems likely that
the girls found to be “insensitive, demanding and obtuse” may have developed these “masculine”
personality traits growing up, rather than being born with this unsavory personality. Greer states,
“They usually grow up to be short in stature and infertile” (63). Personally, I’ve witnessed many
girls, also short in stature, grow up to be insensitive entirely because society has been defecating
on them throughout the entirety of their lives. Alike to masculinity, these traits found in the
girls’ personalities were the result of cultural influences rather than being DNA based; the
experiences an individual undergoes throughout their life define them.
Equally important, Greer also mentions that the process of instilling masculinity into
males begins when “…the carer who thinks a child a boy readily offers it food when it cries; the
same carer, thinking a child a girl will allow it to cry longer and will soothe rather than feed
it…mothers perceive boy babies as hungrier and as better feeders than girls” (64). Through this
neglect girls must learn to learn to be patient and find subtle ways to get they want in life. As
girls grow up, in high school for instance, loud girls are found “annoying” or to be “drama
queens.” Boys, however, learn from their experiences as infants that making a fuss is, more
often than not, the best way to get what they want. Boys see to be loud are intimidating and this
earns them social prestige. A girl trying to intimidate is either “obnoxious” or someone whose
sexual preferences are questioned.
Greer then continues on to address the issue of “father-love versus mother-love” (65).
Her beliefs conclude that a father’s love is conditional when it comes to their daughter whereas a
Bronwyn Freitag
9/9/10
mother’s love for her children, regardless of gender, is unconditional and praise is awarded
without much cause. “…a girl’s first love affair (with her father) is inevitably a failure compared
to a boy’s effortless conquest of his mother…the saddest, smelliest, most shambling male
individual still imagines that women will find him attractive and is prepared to act on the
assumption…he considers himself entitled to criticize any and all aspects of a woman’s
appearance as harshly as any other male” (Greer 65). A lot of self-confidence can be gained
from the opinions received from those of the opposite sex. The shyest most unsure girl could
blossom overtime with a significant other telling her every day that she can do no wrong; so if
girls are forced to start out from childhood, when personality identities are just beginning to
form, having to work harder than their brothers to obtain praise, it becomes easy enough to
picture why men may feel more self-righteous typically, in life, than the average woman.
Furthermore, ancient traditions help to create masculinity in men. Greer writes, “The
myth that feeds masculinity is that every boy should become a strong and resolute warrior
capable of defending his women and children from attack by other males” (67). Centuries ago,
men needed to hunt for their women. It was survival of the fittest and women are generally
smaller and weaker. This tradition, although arguably irrelevant in today’s society, still lives on
in males; a boy’s father teaches his son, who teaches his son that “chivalry” and “providing for
your woman” is necessary. To me, chivalry is a given; it’s another word for common courtesy
and expected manners. The average woman is courteous to men. The average woman helps
bring in her share of the income in a marriage. The average woman is afforded extra protection
provided by modern day technology. So why do men in today’s society still think they need to
be “strong and resolute warriors?” This form of masculinity has been taught to men to be
expected in society.
Greer also mentions that men are almost solely responsible for carrying on the teaching
of masculinity. “…women make boys out of babies. It is the men who make men out of
boys…” (66). Greer proves this in explaining that young men are constantly competing with one
another to be “more of a man.” For a man, I’ve seen that men often pick on the smaller men or
more sensitive ones. So growing up in today’s society, where the average person desires to be in
the “in crowd,” avoiding the teasing is essential. To do this, men must act like “better” or
usually “older” men who’ve already had masculinity developed in their personalities. Men are
Bronwyn Freitag
9/9/10
taught throughout their lives that to avoid being taunted they mustn’t act womanly; in other
words, they must act the way men have always acted: masculine.
Imagine a world where overnight everyone forgot every past experience of their entire
life. Imagine you still knew how to talk but didn’t retain one other memory. How would you
act? Masculinity would be eradicated because a man would have no memory of being raised to
be “masculine.” Every gesture a person makes or the words someone speaks are a product of
their own history and how everyone around them has taught them to behave.
Masculinity, undeniably culturally developed, will continue to last through the next
generation as it always has. From the moment men are born, their parents instill masculinity
into their personalities. Masculinity defines who they are as people. This masculinity, while it
was taught through modern culture, may not be something that can be untaught. Ancient
traditions cannot just be erased. Regardless of an individual’s DNA structure, without culture to
define who you are, nothing could be certain in your mind. Physically, an individual wouldn’t
change, but traits such as “masculinity” would not be possible without being culturally
developed.
(Word Count: 1,094)
Bronwyn Freitag
9/9/10