Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
A man wrap in cloth standing in a field

What is a man? What is Masculinity? Does Masculinity make a man? These are questions that men, women, and humanity as a whole have struggled to both answers and conceptualize what it means for themselves. Recently society began to wrestle with the term - Toxic Masculinity which refers to the concept of how gender norms within the school of psychology and sociology create expectations of what is stereotypically masculine and what defines a man. This concept is harmful to women, men, and non-binary folk as well as society as a whole. It forces everyone to adhere to and conform to social expectations which correlate with increased psychological issues such as depression, social anxiety, and stress. Toxic Masculinity is heavily rooted in misogyny and annon-binary homophobia, which socializes men to see value in these negative attributes. Furthermore, it limits the emotional range in which boys, men, masculine-presenting individuals are allowed to express themselves. This is especially common in individuals from marginalized communities such as but not limited to racially minority identities, and Queer bodies who possibly experience this concept in higher frequency and/or intensity.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Maryland, United States of America
Copyright: © Joshua White