We Need to reimagine masculinity and ask why men are supporting Trump

Regardless of the outcome of the November 5 election, consistent polls predict a massive gender gap in support between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Men are more likely to vote for Trump, women more likely to vote for Harris. All over the world, it is mainly men who are driving the rise of authoritarian strongmen and far-right politicians. This is evident at the ballot box and also shown by their financial support.

It is also apparent in attitudes. Recent surveys on social values show that a chasm between the genders is emerging, particularly among younger voters. Gen-Z women are more socially progressive, while Gen-Z men tend to be more regressive. This contrasts with previous generations, where both sexes shared broadly similar views and values, for example on issues such as abortion rights, migrant rights and LGBTQ rights. The split in Gen- Z male and female voters could be one of the storylines that defines next week’s election.

Which is why, on the eve of the historic vote, it seems important to ask: What’s wrong with men, how did we get here, and can we change this?

The crisis of patriarchy

We live in a world ruled by patriarchy, while interwoven with other oppressions. As a result, men (especially white men) are expected to dominate. Yet this is to the detriment of almost everyone—including men.

From birth, boys are raised to speak most strongly in the language of violence. “Boys will be boys” fighting on video games, in playground brawls and the rest. All of these are preparations for the aggressive roles that are ultimately revered.

In the patriarchal narrative, police or armed forces are considered top jobs for men, sanctioned to dole out violence on behalf of the state, both at home and abroad. But the capitalist world also rewards a ruthlessly selfish way of being, based on the principle of “dog eat dog.”

The fluency with which men communicate through violence might explain why there is an epidemic of violence in our culture: an epidemic of street violence mainly perpetrated by men against men, of domestic violence mainly perpetrated by men against women, and of suicide, mainly perpetrated by men against themselves.

On top of that, we are told from an early age that “men do not cry,” which only accelerates mental health problems and bottles up anger to be released in violence. Men fill the prisons and are the majority of street homeless. We are doing worse in education and failing on many more metrics, not least dying earlier than women.

In a world where everyone else is oppressed for the benefit of the 1%, patriarchy intersects with other oppressions such as class and race, structuring an unequal and unjust society. It seems important to clarify that the point is not that men are the most oppressed group by the patriarchy; rather, we too are oppressed by it and would do far better without it.

Despite all this, the trick of Trump and other far-right movements, according to sociologist Michael Kimmel, is to hone in on the insecurities of male identity to recruit support. The right’s narrative suggests the world is unfair since it is not fulfilling the supposed promises of patriarchy: male domination.

Yet these proponents entirely ignore the multiple toxic impacts of patriarchy; their so-called answer is to demand more of the same. The right wants to roll back all the hard fought rights of women, with a particular obsession on reproductive rights.

But this is only part of the trick. From the Alt-Right to the Incel movement, and from Trump’s average supporters to other far-right movements on the rise elsewhere, there is something else happening. Many commentators have noted that it is predominantly the political right that is talking about how to be a man in the first place.

From the socially progressive perspective, there is a lot written about how not to be a man, but far less on how to be one.

The consequence of this is that there are many confused men, especially young ones. Trump and his ilk attract them by  exploiting their feelings of insecurity in an unjust, individualistic world. The meme that “men are trash,” which is only often true because the patriarchy makes many men act badly, further prompts men to support Trump or other movements that oppose the deconstruction of the patriarchy.

Researchers have found that to captivate the interests of young men, many misogynistic spokesmen – podcasters, influencers, politicians and the like – lure them in with simple ideas like “clean your room” and other non-controversial tips.

From there, the spokespeople quickly pull young men down misogynistic rabbit holes. In contrast, while there are discussions about how to be a male ally against patriarchy, this dialogue is not as broad or as far-reaching.

Reimagining men and man-kind

The election is on a knife’s edge between Harris and Trump. The males of Gen-Z could make the difference. So, if you know one, they need a conversation, and they need it fast. These men especially need the space to discuss why they feel insecure in the world, how it relates to their masculinity, and then a frank enough discussion about how Trump is not the answer to any of those insecurities.

Looking further ahead, far more needs to be discussed to create what a healthy masculinity looks like. This society-wide journey will be relevant whichever way the election goes – even if the results vastly alter the terrain we need to traverse across.

Where could we start? If the man the right and far-right idolized is a brave soldier or cop, should the alternative be someone brave enough to save lives as well? Consider a firefighter, a paramedic or a coast guard. Or even someone brave enough to break social taboos, like a nursery school assistant, a nurse or a care specialist.

 If the traditional man is exalted for providing and protecting his kin and family, could a healthy masculinity reflect someone who wants to protect society and the planet? A toxic masculinity suggests a person needs to be the strongest in the room. Perhaps, instead, a healthy masculinity is one where men are strong enough to embrace a world that’s less familiar than the one they’ve always known.