There I was sitting in another restaurant indulging myself with some overpriced frozen food warmed by another college kid in the kitchen of yet another big box franchise I despise. My employment had taken me up to the land of central Michigan. I was imprisoned with co-workers and more time to think than even an introvert knows how to handle. Something happened on this trip that I did not anticipate, though, nor did I know how to respond. My co-workers and I were sitting at a bartop table getting food at this cliche franchise before our night shift was initiated, and then something so subtle yet painfully real happened as I was innocently consuming another generic cheese covered burger.
Defining the American Man: Gender Shaming in the Modern Day
Naturally, there are certain aspects of masculinity that are purely cultural. Various masculine traits shift and change over time, differ from society to society and bring honor or shame depending on the country in which you live. In fact, according to most anthropologists, the only consistent male gender roles by definition are men as a protector of territory, family and community, and men as providers. The rest seems to be flexible, changing with the expectations of the culture and time period.