What does it take to be a 'real man'?

PositionYOUR LIFE

The phrase "real man" usually brings to mind images of muscular athletes or military heroes, men who are physically strong, aggressive, and powerful. Those depictions of masculinity may seem outdated in a society where the notion of gender is ever-evolving but, in fact many men still want to project an image of physical strength and preferences that clearly set them apart from women, indicates Benoit Monin, professor of psychology and organizational behavior at Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif.

When their masculinity is threatened, many men scramble to recover it, using strategies such as avoiding stereotypically feminine products and activities--think moisturizing lotions, day spas, or figure skating--and exaggerating their own stereotypical masculine characteristics like their height or the number of women they have dated.

Although on the surface this may look like a lot of assertive chest-thumping, Monin says it really is about identity and people's sense of belonging to important groups. "In the same way that we find that, when Asian-Americans' identity as Americans is questioned, they reassert it by displaying local cultural knowledge and choosing typical American food, men whose masculinity is questioned react by exaggerating characteristics they associate with masculinity and downplaying feminine ones."

Monin maintains these findings have implications for companies. If men who feel their masculinity is threatened are willing to...

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