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Toxic Masculinity Summary

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In a society where we fight for equal rights all over the world, one would think that the emotional freedom of men and women would not be one. Today, men are still held hostage emotionally and are unable to express themselves without ridicule freely. In the article “Toxic Masculinity,” Callie Zimmerman suggests that males face many hardships simply because they are forced to exhibit a degrading state of manhood (web). Toxic masculinity holds true by pointing out the history of this misconception and providing insight for one to relate, understand and change these views in one’s life. Men are often held to a higher standard than women with masculinity being the most important part of their existence. They tend to hold themselves to higher expectations …show more content…

As history was previously noted, African American men have past deeply rooted in torture and pain. It is noted that this treatment was often inflicted in the presence of their wives and children while still trying to stand with dignity. The tough demeanor that black men hold today has been passed down from generations. Unable to break the barriers of the past this hardcore mentality causes hardships in their personal lives. Taught from a young age to be the man of the house or as Zimmerman emphasizes, “man up” (web), drives these kids to take on adult responsibilities prematurely. Unable to handle the pressures of life, families are often broken which lead to the high number of single parent homes in the African American community. The majority of this culture would rather have the upper hand or be feared, and the unfortunate result is baneful. Zimmerman notes that suicide is at an all-time high for men of all nationalities, more than women, due to their embarrassment of sharing their problems (web). Less than three months ago a friend and neighbor, self-employed with no financial issues made the heartbreaking decision to take his life leaving behind a wife and five-year-old daughter. This was devastating not only to his family but also the community as a reason could not be found for his decision. It was later noted that an unwelcoming medical

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