Masculinity in the Workplace

Masculinity in the Workplace

The concept of masculinity first emerged during the early stages of the modern industrial revolution. With the rapid progress of technology, the conditions of living became better and the traditional definition of masculinity changed. Today, in the modern workplace of America, masculinity is a factor that has to be taken into account by managers and also by employees. It plays a crucial and distinctive role in the way people will interact with each other and shapes the way relations of power and hierarchy are formed.

The ancient concept of masculinity was that men didn’t choose to work because they enjoyed it, but rather because they had to do it, in order to be called men . After that, men began thinking that the worst that could happen to a man was to be dependent on a woman , which would mean losing all manhood. At that period, male-dominated work began to rise, because male workers and owners agreed to exclude women from the most important emerging sectors . Concurrently, the concept that man should be the only one providing for the family emerged .

Masculinity is different for everyone and when different people get in contact with each other, their own perception of masculinity can create conflicts. A good place to find these kinds of examples is the workplace because it is there that men will spend most of their time and where they get a chance to affirm their own masculinity.

Research tends to show that “specific masculinities often crucially shape acts of shopfloor resistance.” Which means that power and gender are still affecting the work environment a lot, because men will always try to affirm their masculinity in the work place. This research also determined that employe...

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...ching. Some of these, when asked, said that they didn’t had any problem with that kind of job and that they felt happy and fulfilled . Others also said that it was a good alternative to male dominated careers because they usually received preferential treatment and their advancement is facilitated. This is what author Williams refers to as:” The glass escalator .” She developed this theory by conducting several research studies and she came to the conclusion that men working in these professions get advancement easier and faster than women will, because they are the only authority figure in this environment.

In conclusion, masculinity is playing a major role in the workplace of America. Today, more than ever, it is a fact that should be accounted for in any business. It should become a prominent factor in decision regarding employment and work status.