What man-bashing trend? Masculine culture in America IS the problem - according to the American Psychological Association, and nearly all organizations that study gender. Mainstream masculine norms demonstrably drive violence and sexual predation, as well as the continued marginalization and second-class citizen status of women - as well as causing a whole lot of pain and problems for men. Talking about that is naming the problem - something that needs to keep happening if we are ever going to have a better culture. We need guys like you to help shift those norms to ones that are healthier and more pro-social. I very much thought that was a large part of your work.
When women talk about "men" they are talking about that pervasive dynamic and still very mainstream set of norms, in the same way we say that the Germans invaded Poland (and don't say that the members of the Nazi party, and those they had either brainwashed or conscripted against their will invaded Poland). A lot of men who study this stuff agree - in fact, I'm taking my cues from them.
In spite of significant social change in recent decades, men continue to grow up with and are socialized into a deeply misogynistic, male-dominated culture, where violence against women—from the subtle to the homicidal—is disturbingly common. It’s normal. And precisely because the mistreatment of women is such a pervasive characteristic of our patriarchal culture, most men, to a greater or lesser extent, have played a role in its perpetuation. This gives us a strong incentive to avert our eyes.
Katz, Jackson. The Macho Paradox (p. 8). Sourcebooks. Kindle Edition.
Men shouldn’t feel guilty simply for being born male. That’s silly. If there is a reason to feel guilty, it should be about what they do or fail to do, not about their chance placement in one gender category. Nonetheless, when it comes to discussions about men and sexism, the concepts of guilt and responsibility are often confused. They are not the same thing. For conscientious men, especially those who are just beginning to grapple with the enormity of the problem of men’s violence against women, feelings of guilt can be paralyzing, whereas feelings of responsibility at least have the potential to be energizing.
Katz, Jackson. The Macho Paradox (p. 30). Sourcebooks. Kindle Edition.
