A few months ago I started reading about the concept of women's roles in society and how they are reinforced by teachings within sacred texts. I remember this bead of burning anger sitting at the pit of my stomach as I read further about the submissive behaviour that was and is expected of women. This ball of anger started to shrivel as I encountered the idea of atman - the essence of being - in Hinduism.
Some Hindus focus on atman within their teachings to remind people that gender is disconnected from our inner self and, therefore, inconvenient to how we view the people around us. Regardless of this philosophy, there are multiple sacred texts within Hinduism that present contrasting ideologies of how both women and men should be viewed.
For example, Devi Mahatmyam states:
Devi Chandika easily cut into pieces the men and all their weapons. With no sign of strain on her face and with gods praising her, she threw her own weapons over their bodies.
The Laws of Manu teaches:
Day and night women must be kept in dependence by the males of their families, and, if they attach themselves to sensual enjoyments, they must be kept under one's control.
Reprehensible is the father who gives not [his daughter in marriage at the proper time]; reprehensible is the husband who approaches not [his wife in due season]...
Where many of us would consider these teachings as outdated, it is only through thinking through our actions and words, and those around us that we can see that these ideas are in fact deeply rooted in our practices and we are not as contemporary as we think we are.
These practices mould our expectations for the opposite sex and lead to developments such as The Man Box within society.
The Man Box represents a set of beliefs that encourage men to be self-reliant, particularly concerning their physical and emotional health. This idea feeds into other characteristics, such as aggression, acting tough, and the need to be the breadwinner, within this box. When I first encountered this concept of a box representing the expectations for a 'real man', I was not surprised. My reaction to this box spoke a lot about the people within my environment and how I have seen this act of not wanting to be vulnerable, alongside the praise for repressing emotions. It became clear, to me, that although religion can influence these beliefs, the communication of such ideas within families, friends, and the media allows this box to persist.
It is important to recognise that this pressure created by expectations is not only encouraging men to believe that manliness is governed by physical attractiveness, control, and sexual virility but preventing them from reaching out for help. These behaviours immediately jump out the word 'harmful' to my mind, as I can see how this contributes to both poor mental health and violence towards people around them.
Today artists such as Grayson Perry represent gender and identity repetitively within their artwork. This reoccurring theme in his pottery and tapestry speaks for his concerns in society's beliefs on masculinity. Death of a Working Hero (2016) is a tapestry inspired by an annual ceremony, whereby trade-union banners are paraded through the streets of Durham. Despite the triumphant atmosphere, Perry describes this celebration of banners in cathedrals with mournful music as a 'funeral for a certain sort of man,'.
His response to this ceremony is replicated in the illustration of a man in a coffin. As if it is time to put these expectations for a man away. The strong pronounced red within the tapestry allows me to see it as a warning and, therefore, the urgency of implementing change. The phrases 'Time to talk', 'Time to change' and 'We work for the future and grieve for the past,' embedded in the artwork remind us of the relationship between collective work and change.
Perry emphasises how gender roles are performed and conditioned as opposed to innate not only through his artwork but through his transvestism and so alter ego Claire. This controversial aspect of Perry reflects his exploration of his definition of masculinity.
To bring the concept of celebrating the behaviours that come naturally to us into a drawing, I decided to merge nature and portraiture. Nature is a great example of both strength and vulnerability. Its strength is distinct when we consider the pressure we put onto it due to our daily activities. Its vulnerability shines when it is no longer able to support our actions and, so, the landslides, the ice cap melts, the heat within the air thickens. Similar to nature, we are every so often placed in situations that compel us to feel vulnerable, and too often many of us feel we have to tough it out.
The stream of water represents tears rolling down the cheek. Whilst it appears to be an exaggeration of the emotional state, crying, it reflects this idea of men accepting the qualities that they are told are feminine within themselves.
It's also important to recognise that these rigid masculinity characteristics are encouraged through careless, yet damaging phrases such as 'man up' and 'boys will be boys'. These expressions tell us that we have a choice to either advocate or teach males about their responsibility and owning up to their mistakes.
It suddenly to occurred to me that the feeling of unsurprised when reading on the characteristics of The Man Box is equally a confrontation of the space I create for the people around me. Perhaps a more forgiving one is needed to allow them and myself to learn about our mistakes with holding expectations - simply due to our gender.
Today, I remind you that we all have a role to play in pulling apart and redefining manhood. Young men, women, parents, romantic partners ... all members of society are important in creating a safe space for all.
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