Misogyny

Thank you to Elizabeth Renzetti for her article "misogyny often behind the acts we deem senseless."  I write to reflect on misogyny - to question what it is and how if reveals itself through social crises. Or, at least how I see it play out in our world today.

First of all misogyny is not just about the hatred and fear of women. It is about how society organizes its values and how that influences future generations.

The most important part of misogyny is how men are raised to be "not a woman".  If men believe they must never cry, must possess a woman, be willing to go to war for their country, how can they build relationships with other men, or talk about how they feel? When can they identify the “rules” of masculinity that is deeper than proving they are not women.

The feminine aspect of life is not just sex. Most men experience nurture with those they love yet the domain of masculinity (business, sports and politics) ridicules this. Men are expected to control, win, battle, compete, and though most of us recognize this as a warrior stereotype, there are men who cannot identify their pain because it's too feminine (soft) to reflect on feelings. 

This is what makes our world so dangerous. The few who must prove themselves through hyper-masculinity like Hitler, Stalin, mass murderers and dictators are in the extreme minority, yet they destroy the fabric of hope for a preferred future.