S5 E10 | The Boys are Back: The Unique Social Contributions of Men and Masculinity

The Dissidents

In this week's episode we honor the importance of men and masculine traits for a functioning society and human survival, for productive and enjoyable interactions, and for the sake of diversity. That's right, Nafees Alam joins Elizabeth to talk about men--men in the gym, men in the classroom, men and ideology, men's portrayal in the media, masculinity, and relationships. We use as a jumping off point an article about the importance of both belonging and uniqueness. The author argues that young men may feel excluded and unvalued in the current socio-political environment. When society's focus shifts to include and pay tribute to the distinctiveness of some (e.g. women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+), the special and important contributions of other individuals and groups may naturally be set aside. Elizabeth and Nafees admit to seeing the basic human needs of belonging and uniqueness reflected in their own behavioral choices and preferences and wonder if this an unavoidable cycle inherent to human societal development. If so, can we all (particularly men in today's society) find ways to define and nurture our own sense of belonging and uniqueness so that cycles will be less personally and socially costly? Nafees helps us close on a positive note because above all, he believes in a resilient society.

Podcast notes

Versteegen, P. L. (2025). Trump Voters’ social position in U.S. Society: Uniqueness and radical‐right support. Political Psychology, 46(1), 145–165.

https://dcjournal.com/how-toxic-masculinity-becomes-necessary-masculinity

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pop-culture-mental-health/202502/celebrating-strong-independent-men

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