Throughout the years, and more recently, with the emergence of the feminine movement, masculinity is a topic that is being debated extensively. Through research as well as in informal settings, many men of today wonder what the true meaning of masculine is? Is it possible to assign a formal definition to such a subjective term; after all, shouldn't one's own perception be the determinant of what constitutes masculinity? This self-construction of one's own being would be the ideal characterisation in our society, but unfortunately, it represents a false belief. Masculinity has certain characteristics assigned to it by our culture. Throughout this paper I will explore the many facets of masculinity and demonstrate how certain beliefs pertaining to it are perpetuated in our society. I will also uncover many of the contradictions between society's assigned definition of masculinity and the expectation that males learn throughout their lives how to act; contrary to the assigned and learned meaning.
Men are primarily and secondarily socialised into believing that certain characteristics are definitive in determining their manliness and masculinity. These characteristics range from not crying when they get hurt to being and playing violently. The socialisation of masculinity in our society begins as early as the first stages of infancy. A child's burgeoning sense of self or self-concept is a result of the multitude of ideas, attitudes, behaviours, and beliefs to which he is exposed (Witt 1997). Later in this paper the question of whether there are genetic factors will be discussed, however, to further the current argument, masculinity will be discussed through social definition. From the outset of a boy's life he is socialised into believing that he should be 'tough'. Often when boys injure themselves physically and come whimpering to their mother or father, the condemned words, "Little boys don't cry", comes forth.