Being a man today: our role in contemporary society

The evolution of man, as a genre, has not been linear, but it has had in common a fundamental aspect that has permeated throughout history and has built societies as we know them: thinking of man as the protagonist and form of power.

Judgments and emerging elements in progressing societies in the past accustomed us to see that man was the one who should be in charge of things, making decisions, and having power in activities. However, this also involved suppressing emotions or other ways of seeing the world and thinking that were not hegemonic.

Fortunately, information is now accessible to everyone: the media, evolution of thought, research, and openness have shown that we are all capable of doing anything we want, men and women.

This change has been a bit difficult to understand for some people who think of the gender roles as a rule, but our job is to continue to open our minds, our views, and to inquire into what is happening outside, that’s how we can be an influence for change in others.

The future has caught up with us

Although in the past, they perceived us as providers, the strong and analytical ones, our role has changed as well. Modern societies recognize it is natural that we express our feelings, that we are part of the upbringing of our children, that we stay at home, or that we practice some activity thought as “feminine.”

We have reached a level of independence from the gender roles that were instilled in us in the past to build more equitable societies.

Violence has also been visualized, showing us that we have a choice to be part of the solution or part of the problem.

Hitting is not the only way to be violent: pacts of silence between men are a form of violence, being in groups where intimate information about other people is shared is a form of violence, witnessing situations of harassment, coercion, or cruelty and doing nothing is violence; now that how we can become complicit have become visible and have been named, we must decide to act or to remain passivity and be part of what is wrong.

Our task as men of today is to respect diversity, accept change, and be responsible for our social, working, intimate, and sentimental environment.

The change is not achieved in the individuality, the change is a way that is crossed next to the and the others so that it is equitable and just for the whole community.