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Insight: May 2

Insight this week discusses shifting gender roles and matters around toxic masculinity.

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Have shifting gender roles left men without a sense of direction? This week Insight on SBS discusses ‘Lost Boys.’

Shifting gender roles have challenged some people’s perspective of what it means to be a man. Men such as Dom say some men acting in a traditionally masculine way are being accused of displaying ‘toxic masculinity’.

Dom Edgeworth, a 23-year-old psychology graduate, believes if men want to be viewed positively by their male and female peers, there is a specific way they should act.

“When I was in school it was always the boys that were more masculine, more popular that had a better time. That was the case when my dad was at school and I think it will still be the case in 50 years.

“If you were to take any action movie you’ve ever seen and look at the male protagonist, you can easily identify masculine traits. You’ve got strength and bravery and resilience. Those are the ways you should act if you want to be perceived as masculine and if you want to be perceived generally positively ”.

While Dom believes that toxic masculinity exists, he says it’s not all toxic.

“You’ll have people who act in a traditionally masculine way now who are being ostracised for it and criticised,” says Dom.

Professor Josh Roose is an Associate Professor at Deakin University who specialises in masculinity and extremism. He told Insight men aren’t as disadvantaged as some might suggest.

“Women remain consistently underpaid, and, over the course of their lifetime, receive less superannuation. Women receive less opportunity to progress into positions of leadership, ” Dr Roose said.

“Let’s talk about the consistent structural inequality that prevents women, educated as they are, from progressing in society into positions of power. How many prime ministers have we had in this country who are women? How many senior female leaders and role models in this country can you name in positions of great power who are women?
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t change the fact that structurally, women face significant inequality in society and continue to do so.”

8:30pm Tuesday on SBS.

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