The roots of this testosterone-fueled regression go back to the 1960s as white men grappled to deal with changing gender and racial dynamics in modern society, but cultural and economic changes in recent decades have led many (particularly white) men to feel increasingly displaced and disconnected from their familial and community roles. These aggrieved men and their ire helped fuel the Trump candidacy.
Some of this aggrievement is overblown victimhood, but some of it is legitimate—and justified. In just the last 24 hours, for example, I have seen a Wall Street Journal report on how “The number of men enrolled at two- and four-year colleges has fallen behind women by record levels in a widening education gap across the U.S.”, as well as a tweet from actress Ellen Barkin, asking, “What is the expiration date for cis white males?” (This might elevate Barkin too much, but it’s a timely example of how Hollywood elites are increasingly telling cis white males to GTFO—a development that is stoking resentment.)
Successful and secure adults do not tend to let tweets get under their skin. But men who are increasingly insecure about their place in the world are more prone to give in to their most basic social instincts, which is increasingly reflected in the right-wing political culture.
No comments:
Post a Comment