The three enemigos: Destructive myths about males

Abstract

The myth of gender non-difference, the myth of men's power, and the myth of the affectively impoverished male pervade much of the West. These myths excuse how males are treated. That there are no differences between male and female is a fantasy that males have resisted. Men's power over their own lives is as limited as women's but more for social reasons. The story of powerful men is not the story of most men. The myth of the presumably affectively impoverished male is related to the myth of male power. Here the issue is what society encourages and allows males to express. Absent inhibiting and encouraging forces, males are as capable of identifying and speaking what they feel.

Keywords: boys, males, men, misandry, myths