In a lengthy opinion piece published Monday, author Christine Emba explored the state of masculinity and offered an answer to the identity crisis men currently face.
Her solution might prompt conservatives to roll their eyes: After a plethora of statistics, interviews, and psychoanalysis, she concluded that the formula for good masculinity is “risk-taking, strength, self-mastery, protecting, providing, and procreating” directed towards the public good. Her redundant findings are perfectly reflective of the values found in traditional masculinity. However, her perspective could still have merit in progressive circles. In framing traditionalism through a forward-thinking lens, Emba opens progressives to a more positive understanding of masculinity and exposes them to important realities about the state of men in our society.
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In her piece, Emba attributed the masculinity crisis to a loss of identity. In her words, this crisis was a result of “major social, economic, and cultural changes” which she said either “began with conservatives,” such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, or were “long-overdue movements towards justice” such as the Equal Pay Act. She shut down the idea that the dysfunction of men can be ascribed to “women, progressives, and ‘elites,’” although she seemed to contradict herself in other parts of the article. She somewhat dismissed the faults of the Left: She blamed the “misogynistic” responses to the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements for men’s loss of identity, instead of admitting that the former movement itself roused up hateful, misandrist sentiment and the latter attempted to destroy a male-dominated workforce.
Here is where Emba took a conservative turn. She presented the left-wing audience with a shocking implication: The transhumanist movement to overcome biology contributes to the destruction of the sexes, and impedes men from giving back to society. She writes, “But despite a push by some advocates to make everything from bathrooms to birthing gender-neutral, most people don’t actually want a completely androgynous society. And if a new model for masculinity is going to find popular appeal, it will depend on putting the distinctiveness of men to good use in whatever form it comes.” Who would have thought that the unique biology of men would be valuable?
Emba also admitted the importance of fathers. She referred to an anthropologist who researched masculinity in past societies and found that “boys generally had to be ushered into manhood and masculinity by other men. And that seems to be a key link missing today.” She then presented several statistics about the downsides of single parenting and the importance of male role models for young men. Again, this is not a surprise for conservatives. But because progressivism is dismissive of the past by nature, it is valuable to have a figure on the inside like Emba pointing forward-thinkers to historical (or, traditional) masculinity.
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Emba did not totally lay off the Right: She criticized what she called “right-wing” figures such as psychologist Jordan Peterson and social media influencer Andrew Tate. She complained that the Right is the only side giving young men “structure,” but it is too basic and aggressive. But she admitted that the habit of progressives to tear down masculine qualities such as physical strength and competitiveness is harmful to masculinity and society. Even if she is somewhat wrong about Peterson’s advice on masculinity, and in calling Tate “right-wing,” she conceded that “many progressives have ignored the opportunity to sell men on a better vision of what they can be.”
In her left-wing manner, Emba concluded that women want masculine men, men need good father figures, and the distinctive roles of men are valuable in society. This discovery comes as old news to conservatives. But if it helps reach progressive ears, who cares if it sounds a little redundant? Her work might be the only way to expose the far Left to sanity.
Briana Oser is a summer 2023 Washington Examiner fellow.