Is manliness Obsolete?

Manliness refers to having the qualities that most cultures traditionally regard as especially characteristic of, or ideally appropriate to adult men. Some of these qualities are courage, strength, fortitude and decisiveness. Manliness is also about appearance; the rough hewn, unkempt or bearded facial features so much associated with the stone-age man, but which has over the years crept in or out of fashion.

Tied to these characteristics of manliness are roles, jobs, activities or sports that pertain to or are regarded as suitable only for males. On the extreme opposite are the qualities or characteristics that define the female: feminine attributes like natural beauty, shyness, softness, physical weakness and dependence. Thus, it is acceptable for females to cry or weep in public while it is still considered taboo in many cultures, for men to show these emotions publicly.

Apparently, the status quo-the traditional gender qualities and attributes of men and women-was destabilized by the post-modernist feminist movement in the sixties, and the worldwide civil liberties awareness. Vigorous resistance to this assault on the cultural norms notwithstanding, change had to come or the storm naturally die out on its own. Forty years down the line, and the economic and social dynamics has seen the steady but sure evolution of the male and female attributes.

Thanks to civil liberties, the traditional gender roles hitherto taken for granted were changing fast. Women could now take up jobs and careers traditionally occupied by men, and men now accepting stay-at-home duties. Following quickly on the heels of civil liberties, were the rapid break-up of family units, with the number of single parents rising. As it was no longer acceptable to discriminate anyone on gender, sexual orientation, race, or religious grounds, people were now getting emboldened to express themselves.

The result has been the transformation, and the metamorphosis of the male from the traditionally accepted manly attributes, to the modernist made-up, feminine-looking male who is not ashamed of crying in public. The ear ringed, curly-haired and made-up feminine male is now all too common. Out of the wood-works has emerged odd couples- all males-claiming to be lovers or married. It is really difficult to envisage what the modern male attribute would be in twenty year’s time.

However, there are those who believe that nature is so intelligent that you can never outwit it. When the natural balance is threatened, for instance, the extinction of the male species, it will trigger a counter-reaction to bring back those attributes of manliness.

Thus, it is safe to suggest that manliness is not completely obsolete, but somehow undergoing serious challenges to it.