Masculinity Under Attack

I was having one of those hypothetical scenario discussions with a friend the other day, when the line between a dystopian possibility and reality became uncomfortably blurred. The hypothetical scenario in question being - what might happen if men began to significantly diminish from public life due to societal transformations.  It's concerning how a narrative fueled by animosity towards men is gaining traction in various developed societies, even spreading to more distant ones, such as mine. 

I recently came across news about a groundbreaking medical procedure allowing women to generate sperm cells from their bone marrow, potentially enabling self-impregnation or impregnation of another woman, the only catch being that the offspring in such a case would always be female. While I'm unsure about the feasibility or legality of such a procedure, especially outside Western countries, what staggered me was the volume of comments that supported the idea of a world without men. 

Such drastic methods seem to be supported by people who are keen to make men “obsolete” so to speak. I wouldn’t quite say that men can be obsolete, because that would mean that the entire male consciousness can be reduced to a bunch of tasks or roles that could be substituted by women, technology, or rendered unnecessary altogether. 

I came across a podcast featuring a person known as Teal Swan, who discussed the idea that there is a growing effort to marginalise men by rendering them unnecessary in society. Swan also questioned the impact of a society where women can do everything for themselves, asking what place men would have in such a world, and if women would stop needing them entirely. I don't know much about Teal Swan or her broader beliefs, and I'm not sure how accurate her claims are. While she didn't provide answers, she seems to be asking the right questions.

I also have some questions, some of which might be deemed too politically incorrect or controversial to voice openly in modern society. 

Carl Jung discussed archetypes in his book, Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. If we think of a father, the typical imagery is of a tall, strong figure—a protector, a judge, a disciplinarian, perhaps a hunter or builder. It’s like all the traits of masculinity stack together like a deck of cards. Now consider a mother: the image that often comes to mind is of someone kind, caring, gentle, and soft-spoken, typically holding a baby or child. She's depicted as a feeder, a nurse, a caretaker, the epitome of femininity at its best. What happens when these archetypes become blurred?

The traditional roles that men and women have fulfilled in society are vital for raising well-adjusted children. Men have historically provided for and protected their families, disciplined their children and led communities. Women have fed and nurtured their children, cared for sick family members, and maintained the household. It is true that some of these roles, like hunting wild animals or providing physical security, have become less relevant in a society where safety is largely governed by the rule of law. If these roles are outsourced to babysitters, cooks, maids, and robots, what happens to the bond between parents and children? Can children thrive without the active involvement of their parents?

If the archetypes of father and mother become diluted to the point where they no longer resemble traditional figures in a child's imagination, what impact will that have on society? Boys might struggle to understand what it means to become a man if the traits typically associated with fatherhood—strength, protection, discipline, and leadership—disappear. Similarly, young girls could find it challenging to understand what it means to be a woman if the nurturing and caring aspects of motherhood become obsolete. In a world where gender boundaries blur, purpose becomes elusive, and family ties weaken, and confusion reigns supreme.

Although tasks like providing and protecting can be handled by women or outsourced, and many roles are interchangeable between genders or even replaced by technology, there is more to being a man or a father. The unique male instinct, refined over centuries of survival in the wild, is something that can't be easily replicated or replaced. It is the instinct of the inventor who eased the problem of pain and disease. It's the instinct of the artisan who wielded tools to build infrastructure. It is the instinct of the explorer who drew the maps and established trade routes. It's the instinct of the ruler who established the foundations of societal order. Most importantly, it is the instinct of the father who passed on that legacy to the son.