Male Identity and Machismo

Machismo is that exaggerated sense of masculinity in men that focuses on virility, male aggression, and the domination of women (Answers.com). Although in some senses it represents a traditional view of the male, particularly in Hispanic societies, machismo is largely regarded as offensive for its demeaning of women. More importantly, though, is the mythic component in machismo its assertion that the only masculine way for men to deal with women is to dominate them. In an enlightened America, male dominance is increasingly being viewed as an erroneous and outdated concept; yet, there are still vast numbers of men who have not learned alternative ways of handling conflicts with women.

In his essay "What is Macho?" Rudolfo Anaya points out that "To be macho is to be male," but that the "particulars of the role are defined according to the particular culture" (Anaya). Being macho, then, can be considered a function of the Hispanic culture. Anaya states that being macho is a learned behavior and a conditioned response, which is "taught" to men via the cultural forces around him: literature, religion, movies, MTV, and car styles, to name a few. It is important to differentiate the conditioned behavior from the real essence of maleness underlying it, since the conditioned behavior is not only different but often negative. Manifestations of negative male behavior such as drunkenness, abusing women, and being rowdy have come to be associated with machismo, and yet they do not

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Category: Psychology - M