Muddled Masculinity
The rising empowerment of women and reevaluation of the concept of gender itself are causing widespread confusion and angst about what it means to be a man today.
About This Trend:
In the time since, our perspectives on gender roles have shifted dramatically. Women continue to break through old-fashioned gender roles and make strides in the workforce, business, and culture—even as the #MeToo movement sheds light on how much further we have to go. Male gender roles and masculine ideals are evolving right alongside their female counterparts, but often with less clarity.
The result is that more men (and boys) are feeling confused and anxious about what it means to be a man today–a fact that we believe will affect every workplace, team, and engagement with male customers, colleagues, and community members.
Stories & Examples
- “Is it okay for guys not to like sports?” “Is it okay to wear pink?” “Is it okay to be emotional?” These are just some of the questions highlighted in a widely praised advertising campaign from the men’s grooming brand Axe.
- A recent survey from MDG Advertising found that 85 percent of fathers said they knew more than advertisers give them credit for, and 74 percent of millennial fathers felt advertisers and marketers were “out of touch with modern family dynamics.”
- An analysis of baby names by Quartz showed that American names in general have become far less gendered since the 1920s.