Article

Identity

What is Gender?

It is how we express our biological sex in the social world.

What is Masculinity?

“Masculinities are those behaviours, languages and practices, existing in specific cultural and organisational locations, which are commonly associated with male and thus culturally defined as not feminine.”

S. Whitehead and F. Barrett (2009) - ‘The Masculinities Reader’, Polity, p. 15)

TOXIC MASCULINITY and TOXIC FEMININITY

YOUR IDENTITY IS ONLY TOXIC WHEN IT IS HARMING OTHERS – NO ONE IS BORN WITH A TOXIC IDENTITY

WHAT IS TOXIC MASCULINITY?

‘Toxic Masculinity arises when a man assumes he is superior to females/women and can therefore treat them as inferior beings. It is a way of being a man which is aggressive, violent and/or emotionally dysfunctional. This limited masculine identity is harmful both to the man who expresses it and to those who come within his personal orbit, especially female partners and children.


Men with toxic masculinity are often misogynistic and homophobic. They are suffering from a mental health condition that is recognized as such by the American Psychological Association (2018). ‘

Stephen Whitehead (2021) Toxic Masculinity: Curing the Virus; making men smarter, healthier, safer (Andrews, UK)

WHAT IS TOXIC FEMININITY?

‘Toxic femininity is the internalization and expression of negative, painful feelings and emotions produced by shame, guilt, rejection, frustration, neglect, confusion, disenchantment, abuse, violence, and hopelessness. Toxic femininity is a mindset of helplessness, a belief that one is no longer worthy of love.’

Van Thanh Binh and Stephen Whitehead (2023) ‘Toxic Femininity: Overcoming Suffering Through Self-Love’

Want to know more? Or would like IP to deliver identity awareness training in your school or organization?

IP specialises in helping schools and organisations become Totally Inclusive and address toxic identity behavior through the application of self-love and self-awareness.

Books by Dr Stephen Whitehead

To find out more about the 18 books written by Stephen and all concerned with identity.

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