The Tough Standard: The Hard Truths About Masculinity and Violence

by Ronald F. Levant

Men are commonly expected to act "masculine" (e.g., self-sufficient, stoic, strong, dependable, brave, tough, and hard-working) while avoiding stereotypically "feminine" traits (e.g., emotional expressivity, empathy, and nurturance). Few, however, realize that these qualities--when taken to the extreme--can cause emotional constriction, substance abuse, depression, aggression, and violence in many men. Further, even though most men are not violent, decades of research has shown that masculinity is distinctly related to sexual and gun violence and men's poorer health. Considering how girls and women have benefitted from decades of conversations on navigation of their gender in a changing world, similar processes are urgently needed for boys and men. The Tough Standard connects the dots between masculinity and the present moment in American culture (defined by high-profile movements such as Me Too, March for Our Lives, and Black Lives Matter), synthesizes over four decades of research in the psychology of men and masculinities, and proposes solutions to corresponding social problems.

Genres: Psychology, Gender, Nonfiction

1 pages, Audio CD

First published July 1, 2020

Reviews

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn’t what I expected. It’s rather dry, academic and doesn’t really, in my opinion, generate anything new or surprising. If you’re looking for a current academic look at masculinity then this is for you. If a book summarizing meta analysis studies filled with acronyms and statistics isn’t for you then I’d pass this one by. In no way am I saying this book isn’t valuable, it’s just not likely the page turner the average reader is looking for.

[Taliah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted to finish but just absolutely tired of reading about men. Very enlightening about how and why society lets men behave the way they do, but the author is v male sympathizer and “men can learn and change” and I’m a misandrist so…sorry (im really not sorry) :)

[Rebecca Nagy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's great to read evidence-based explanations of men's behaviors, social norms, and such; as a female. Everything in the book made sense. Lastly, it was very instructive.