Modern Maculinities
Traditionally being a man in the UK might mean strength, dominance, a certain emotional aloofness. These are the clichés of masculinity, but clichés become clichés for a reason – there is truth to them. But in a modern context, where society is shifting at an accelerated rate and it feels like we are examining and deconstructing everything we thought we knew about… well, everything… masculinity is under the spotlight. Are there different ways to be a man; masculinities, rather than a single masculinity? Who are men, now?
It didn’t start with Adolescence on Netflix, but the resonance of that show has charged the debate. TV can still cut through, but the best TV works because it is emotive. It makes you feel something. The challenge is what happens after, how quickly a nuanced portrayal becomes, in a reductive or misread form, a lightning rod for fear, or a jumping off point for bad actors. Listening to the usual talking heads in the wake of its success, you’d think every fourteen-year-old boy was a killer-in-waiting. It became practically set viewing for MPs; generated countless thought pieces – not really adding much but more opinion, more fear.
At Ipsos, we like to examine the truth behind opinion
Digging a little deeper, we noticed something: almost every conversation around modern masculinity is framed negatively. Terms like ‘manosphere’, ‘toxic’ and ‘misogyny’ dominate the discourse. There is truth to these terms too (and unfortunately all too many examples), but they also potentially demonstrate the burden men are facing, around narrow and hyper-masculine ideals on the one side, and pejorative labelling on the other. This doesn’t just harm men, directly or indirectly, it harms us all.
So, what about the evidence? Is there some truth behind these negative perceptions of masculinity or are they simply wrong assumptions? Negative patterns, these cliches of masculinity, can leave enduring effects on families, workplaces, and relationships. You could argue much of our geopolitical turmoil springs from this issue. Addressing and transforming the conversation, through evidence-based discourse, is one way we believe more positive outcomes are possible.
At Ipsos, we’re working with JOE.co.uk to get to the root of what it means to be a man, underpinning this with real data and insights from real people. From relationships to loneliness, dating to role models, we’re exploring a range of topics so we can truly understand modern masculinity in its entirety.
We want to shift the conversation from negative to constructive and uncover what modern masculinities means for us, our brands, businesses, society and, crucially, the young people who need our empathy and understanding more than ever.
