The Decline of Masculinity in America—And Why It Matters

As many of you have been following me know that I have been sounding the alarm on the covert Leftist attack on the male ego and masculinity in America particularly, and in the Western culture in general, for a very good while.  In recent years, discussions around masculinity have taken center stage in America’s cultural and political landscape. Progressive voices of the Left have argued that traditional masculinity perpetuates harm, labeling it as “toxic masculinity” and encouraging a redefinition of male identity. While these conversations supposedly aim to address issues like gender equality and emotional well-being, the end result of this approach will be more far-reaching than anyone can fathom – and it won’t be good. I fear that the Progressive Left’s critique of masculinity is creating a generation of men who will be less masculine than their father’s father and their father’s fathers, and feel more disillusioned, disconnected, and resentful.  This threatens to throw America, and the West, into a masculinity crisis.

Countries such as Brazil, Hungary, and Communist China have taken measures to rebuff the demasculinization of their culture and society.  As reported by the Christian Science Monitor, “Government officials in China last year banned media depictions of so-called sissy men in pop culture, which many blame in part on Western gender values. They’ve also cracked down on the number of hours children spend playing video games and have committed to a renewed focus on sports education in order to ‘prevent men from becoming too feminine.’”… “Populist leaders such as Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro and Hungary’s ​​Viktor Orbán have also proclaimed a crisis in masculinity caused by the “gender ideologies” of the left. Prime Minister Orbán has taken steps to ban gender studies programs in the country’s universities, saying “people are born either male or female, and we do not consider it acceptable for us to talk about socially-constructed genders, rather than biological sexes.”  The article went on to quote something very prophetic from these leaders that should make every free-thinking individual intellectually pause, “Attacks on traditional ideas of masculinity threaten not only the civic vigor of a society, but also a nation’s ability to compete with others and defend itself from dangers.”

The Decline of Male Identity

In a ’22 Pew Research Study, it revealed some very disturbing news – that the modern American man faces unprecedented challenges. About 1 million fewer young men are in college but only 0.2 million fewer young women. As a result, men make up 44% of young college students today, down from 47% in 2011, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau data.

This shift is driven entirely by the falling share of men who are students at four-year colleges. Today, men represent only 42% of students ages 18 to 24 at four-year schools, down from 47% in just 2011.

Some U.S Congress creatures have their eyes opened to the crisis of the Left’s minimization of masculinity.  In the article, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri stated,  “They want to define the traditional masculine virtues – things like courage and independence and assertiveness – as a danger to society.”… “The problem with the left’s assault on the masculine virtues is that those self-same qualities, the very ones the left now vilify as dangerous and toxic, have long been regarded as vital to self-government,” … “Observers from the ancient Romans to our forefathers identified the manly virtues as indispensable for political liberty.”

Traditionally, men found purpose in providing for their families, excelling in their careers, and embracing leadership roles. Today, those identities are increasingly criticized, leaving young men uncertain about their role in society. The political left’s emphasis on dismantling “patriarchal norms” risks creating a vacuum where men struggle to find self-worth.

The Economic Fallout

Beyond cultural identity, the erosion of traditional masculinity has economic consequences. The labor force participation rate for men has steadily declined, with an increasing number of young males opting out of employment altogether. Without strong role models or encouragement to pursue ambition, many men feel unmotivated or alienated from traditional career paths.  According to myperfectresume.com, “Various studies show the most male-dominated industries include construction and building, vehicle technicians or mechanics, or carpenters, where the share of women is only 1–2%. … Female-dominated jobs include preschool and kindergarten teachers, nursing, or secretarial positions. The share of men in these professions is at most 10%.”  And this is in a time when women can work in any field of career that they want.  So, should we expect women to want to be construction workers, builders, and warfighters, willing to take on professions where they are required to run into danger or hostile situations rather than away from things?  Should want to live in a society where men don’t want to get their hands dirty, don’t know how to build bridges or hammer a nail, fight off aggressors, nor defend themselves nor family?

In contrast, nations that embrace traditional masculine values—such as Japan and Germany—continue to see higher rates of male workforce participation. This suggests that discouraging masculinity may have broader implications for economic productivity and national growth.

Who’s Going To Stand at the Door To Protect The Home

One of the most significant traits of the male is his strength, his aggressiveness, and his willingness to put himself in harm’s way to protect his home, his family, and his beliefs. Unfortunately, the left has defined these traits as outdated, threatening, and unneeded in today’s society.  As masculinity faces scrutiny, a political shift is emerging. Young men are increasingly rejecting progressive ideologies and turning toward figures who champion traditional male values. Senator Josh Hawley, for example, has called for a revival of masculine virtues like ambition, strength, and responsibility. Likewise, conservative influencers are tapping into male frustration, encouraging men to reclaim their sense of purpose.

A Pew Research Study revealed that “among those who say people in the country have mostly negative views of masculine men, about three-quarters (73%) say this is a bad thing.”  And that 45% of Republican men say the country has a negative view of masculinity.

A Home Divided

As the modern woman is increasingly lured onto the liberal path promoting the notion and ideology of “I don’t need a man” and gender “equality”, the home is becoming more politically divided.  According to a ’24 Gallop poll, “Conservatism has mostly declined among 20-something women since about 2012. However, after reaching an all-time low of 16% in 2020 and 2021, the share of this group identifying as conservative has risen back to 21%. That still represents a decline in conservatism among young women over the long term, while their liberal identity has expanded.”… “Switching to men aged 18 to 29, this group has been historically most likely to identify as politically moderate. In contrast, about three in 10, on average, have identified as conservative and about a quarter as liberal. In 2023, the figures were 44% for moderates, 29% for conservatives and 25% for liberals.”   This marks a distinct division of not just political ideology, but one of worldview between the genders in the home.  A view of a world that is more of compromise, passivity, and collective thought versus one of assertiveness, personal sovereignty and independence, and strength.  

Has Anyone Looked At the Destruction of This Experiment in the Black Community?

Not only does the Black-American male have to battle with the government’s removing him from the home of his wife and child, if the woman is receiving any government financial assistance, according to BlackDemographic.Com, just 27% of Black-American women are married, while 49% are unmarried, compared to 34%/51% of Black-American men, respectively. Does this look like a recipe for a successful and thriving culture and society?  When the woman no longer sees any value in being joined with the male of their own ethnic group, and visa versa, spells the inevitable extinction of that culture, of the community, and of that society, even the Black-American one.

Black masculinity has long been shaped by cultural expectations and systemic barriers. Historically, Black men have been expected to embody strength and resilience in the face of adversity, the men who have forged the human existence on this planet, i.e. traditional Black masculine role. However, as traditional masculinity comes under scrutiny, some Black men find themselves caught between competing narratives—one that encourages emotional openness and vulnerability, more of the feminine ego, and another that demands toughness and self-reliance, the masculine ego.

The decline of traditional masculine roles has had economic implications for Black-American men. Many young children growing up in urban communities without their biological fathers or quality male role models living in the home have looked for their masculine identity/ father figure from other young children in the streets, many of whom are seeking the same masculine identity/role model.

Minimize The Role of Masculinity At Our Own Peril.

The left may say that their intent is the liberation of men from outdated stereotypes, but by doing so, it could be alienating a vital political demographic. Many American men have decided to tap out emotionally from dealing with the American woman and choose cross-cultural relationships with women from cultures, such as the Philippines, Brazil, Ukraine, Colombia, and Thailand, where cultural values around marriage and family, and still hold masculinity in high regard. According to the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, there were approximately 23,000 K-1 visas (for fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens) issued in the fiscal year 2019, indicating a significant number of Americans seeking to marry foreign women (according to thoughtnova.com).  Some men have even chosen to no longer seek an intimate relationship with the woman altogether. None of these alternatives led to the growth of the pure American culture and society of the ethnic group that the male was born into. What the left still intuitively struggles to realize is it cannot alter the natural order of the Creature. If masculinity continues to be framed as problematic, more men may feel compelled to push back, shifting the political landscape in unexpected ways. The debate over masculinity is far from settled, but one thing is clear—denigrating men and their traditional identities carries significant risks. While cultural progress is essential, dismissing masculinity outright will lead to just what the Progressive Left is wishing for, an American, and Western society unable, and or unwilling, to stand up for their own culture, their country, their cities, their towns, their homes, their rights, their lives.  Not to mention a cascading decline in birthrates.