Masculinity and Femininity are two terms, which have been interpreted differently throughout history. Both males and females have ‘responsibilities and roles’ but these roles differ based on one’s gender. Gender has played a prodigious role in the economy, politics, and society. While the social construction of femininity has been widely examined, the dominant role of masculinity, has remained largely invisible. Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Iran’s image has been defined by its politics. In the media, Iranian women have been front and center in the frame. Iranian men, on the other hand, are absent from the picture, unless they are politicians or directors of movies. Many people want to shed a light on gender inequality, Iran is a country that has its ups and downs with gender inequality, with women lacking equality of all sorts. Despite the issues Iranian women face, the topic of Iranian men and masculinity has been significantly understudied.

What do most people think when they hear the phrase “be a man?” well they most likely think they should toughen up and be strong. In society, traditional masculinity is characterized by violence, danger, promiscuity, and lack of emotions. Society, unknowingly to some, shapes the male identity through exploitation. Iran was not similar to other countries around the globe when it came to women’s rights. It was, however, a great deal harsher in its lack of equality than many other countries. Women are not equal under Iran’s constitution, adopted in 1979 after the revolution that overthrew Shah Reza Pahlavi. (Mike Celizic, Beyond the veil: Lives of women in Iran) Iranian men being the superior gender, society encourages males to analyze their socially constructed gender profiles and build on their ego. Masculinity refers to cultural values, ideas and assumptions that surround the male identity, from this they learn these values and contribute to them in their everyday life. Iranian men are used to being dominant and in power, especially over women. As Feminism and Feminist Movements Following the 1979 Revolution progressed through the decades, I believe it may have targeted the masculinity of Iranian men. With the rise of changing gender and sexuality representations in the media, masculinity of men was in question due to the social position of dominant men in a gendered world country. 

Masculinity like other kinds of social identity, is an ongoing construction between one’s self image and other perceptions of one. What many people fail to understand is how different types of socio-cultural norms influence how societies view what it means to be a man of which vary, and often include sexual identity, family life, as well as religious and cultural beliefs. In this case, the socio-cultural norms in Iran influences behavior of Iranian men among women in Iran. Women who embody Iranian norms are oppressed and that Iranian men are the oppressor. However Iran glorification of male superiority is toxic because it encourages abuse, continues the idea that men are inherently violent, and sets several gender restrictions. Traditional Masculinity refers to a specific set of traits and behaviors that are considered culturally appropriate for manhood, some of which can become harmful in certain cases. (Amanda Mull, Psychology Has a New Approach to Building Healthier Men) The glorification of male superiority makes it so men are raised to think violence and aggression are normal. This violence is inherent, but it is encouraged by society and families. By placing so much importance on traditional masculinity, we create a strict set of gender roles that forces Iranian men to comply by the risk of being ridiculed as “weak”. Patriarchy has created a country where men are raised to desire control, showing that sexism, homophobia, and even racism is systemic. In addition, the patriarchy hurts not only women, but also men, as it forces them to follow a fraile set of standards at the expense of being labelled as “weak”. Because for an Iranian man, they often feel the need to measure up to the masculine ideal of being strong, tough, dominant etc. One of the ways in which they do this is in supporting their families. For years, men have been the only provider of the household or the “breadwinner” while the women took care of the household and the children. Masculinity is something into which men are acculturated and is composed of social codes of behavior which they learn to reproduce in culturally appropriate ways.

One large gender norm that men often feel the obligation to live up to, as said before, is being the head of the household by supporting their wife and children financially. Though being the sole provider or the one who makes the money in the relationship may not seem like a large deal it gives men a sense of masculine identity. For some men, not being able to support their families financially on their own can have a large impact on their sense of masculinity. Men may have an even harder time dealing with their sense of masculinity when they’re told by their families that he can do better. These things do not seem like they should matter, but it often does have a large impact on how they see themselves. Working class men not only feel the need to support their families but there are other ways in which many choose to live up to their masculine ideal. Drinking can be “defined as a male and masculine behaviour”. Violence is another large aspect associated with being masculine. Men are expected to be tough, strong, unemotional and dominant and one way they chose to express these emotions is through violence.

Male identity crisis is a rapidly developing problem among men in Iran. The enactment of masculinity is a diverse, mobile, unstable construction of who males should be. The hegemonic masculinity is the dominant cultural expectation of men, it exaggerates what the perceived qualities a male should have and ultimately be in the face of perceived threats if they do not conform to them. Gender idealized the male form through incorporations of character traits such as strength, aggression, assertiveness and the value of reason over emotion. In the last decade, media studies have understood masculinity as ‘both a product and process of representation’. By closely examining men and their masculinity, patriarchy, culture and tradition, I hope I was able to shed a new light on gender systems with the rarely acknowledge topic of Iranian men within Iranian studies.