What the “Patriarchy” Actually Means for Boys and Men
Article By Guest Writer: Josh M.
Life as a male in the United States is often perceived to be uncomplicated and stress-free, with societal institutions, largely created by men, supposedly designed to benefit men through wealth creation and distinct advantages over female cohorts. The effort to close the gaps created by this perceived advantage is ever-present in today’s society: tens of billions of tax dollars are spent annually on supporting women-owned businesses through federal contracts, state and local programs, and private sector initiatives.
Various measures of health and well-being tell a different story. Over 90% of prisoners are male, and over two-thirds of the homeless population are male. Drug overdoses or deaths related to alcoholism is roughly three times greater for males compared to females. Approximately six out of every ten high school dropouts are male, paired with an ever-decreasing proportion of male college graduates. More than nine out of ten workplace deaths are males. Roughly 80% of all suicides are committed by males, who also account for the vast majority of violent deaths. Males account for three out of every four heart attack cases, while fewer than 1 in 4 become custodial parents after a divorce. The nearly half-million souls resting in Arlington National Cemetery are nearly all males.
Males work more, sleep less, die younger, and overwhelmingly shoulder the burdens of our crumbling society. A popular example of oppression used today is the media’s obsession with the proportion of “police violence” against Black Americans (25-30% of reported incidents). Somehow, they fail to acknowledge that the overwhelming majority (about 95%) of victims are male, similar to every other oppressive metric that males dominate. Statistically speaking, the death of George Floyd is better explained by his Y chromosome than any other predictive factor.
Even more concerning, the pharmaceutical-funded media not only protects but often celebrates the notion that confused adolescent males should consider hormone treatments, removal of reproductive organs, and breast implants as pathways to happiness—despite the fact that these same adolescents are legally prohibited from getting a tattoo, marrying, going to war, smoking, voting, drinking, gambling, or any other actions that have potential to shape the outcome of their entire life. Perhaps they survive these hurdles, only to join the 25% (and growing) of teenage males that are obese, enjoying-on average- 9 hours and 16 minutes of screen time per day.
Despite these challenges, young men still regularly display empathy for women. For example, our young boys showcase support for breast cancer awareness in youth football games with pink socks, ribbons, and bracelets, unwittingly standing alongside male teammates, of whom one in eight will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. When was the last time you purchased a blue ribbon or donated $5 at the grocery store for prostate cancer awareness?
The purpose of highlighting these facts is not to diminish the roles of our mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters. Rather, it is to acknowledge that males face tremendous challenges in their natural roles as protectors, providers, and leaders within their families, which are essential to the strength of our society. As fathers, husbands, sons, and brothers, it is our responsibility—having overcome these challenges ourselves—to ensure that our sons are aware of them and are equipped with the knowledge and tools to overcome them as well, regardless of any other factors related to failure that are a distant second to simply being male. Men should also embrace these challenges and, despite strong odds of failure, look to showcase the physical and mental strength required to succeed.
About the Author:
Josh M is an active Husband and Father in our tribe. He is a self-employed entrepreneur and very accomplished hunter. Josh has donated time and resources to coordinate and host our annual “Father-Son Deer Hunt” teaching young men and their fathers how to prep, hunt, clean, preserve and cook deer responsibly resulting in all participants providing coolers of meat for their families.
