Becoming a Man has good advice – but as a manosphere expert, I wish it wasn’t so gendered
The letters in Julia Baird’s book, co-edited with her son, contains some beautiful pieces. But it’s a pity the book isn’t called ‘Becoming a Human’.
Becoming a Man, edited by Julia Baird and her son Sam, is a collection of letters offering advice on what it means to be a "good man" in today's world. While the book contains many beautiful pieces with genuinely good advice and explores topics beyond the usual tips, the authors still have concerns about its premise.
The book assumes that the traits needed to become a "good man" are inherently different from those needed to become a "good woman," which may reinforce the dominant idea within the manosphere that the "two genders" are fundamentally different and should have different roles in society. The authors wonder if the book would be better titled "Becoming A Human" and ask where are the women contributors, given women's often overlooked role in addressing issues like domestic violence and fighting against male violence.
While the book's contributors are mostly cis men, some gay and straight, the lack of women contributors plays into the notion that boys can only learn from men (and vice versa). However, some male contributors do address this and argue that boys can learn from women and look up to them. Nonetheless, the book's focus on gendered advice may inadvertently reinforce the idea that boys and girls have different needs, rather than addressing these issues together as human beings.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
