Family stories of masculinity
Within the wider biological and cultural inheritance of masculinity we have our personal family stories and experience. This is often the aspect that has the deepest effect in determining the development of our own particular masculinity.
We grow up with experiences and stories of fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers ..... How they were as men? .... with the women?, ... with other men?, with us and our siblings, boys and girls? , ... with themselves in their own skin? As we explore our family stories then this is useful information to give context to our personal experience.
It is also important to investigate how the women viewed and treated the men. Were the boys treated different to the girls? ... emotionally? ... expectations at school? .... carrying out domestic tasks?
Traits run through families, often passing down through generations as ‘normal’. In this way some of the roles, beliefs, fears, conflicts and limitations we might encounter with our masculinity can be part of this intergenerational family inheritance. Remembering this inheritance helps us to let go of blame as we deepen in our personal exploration.
We grow up with experiences and stories of fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers ..... How they were as men? .... with the women?, ... with other men?, with us and our siblings, boys and girls? , ... with themselves in their own skin? As we explore our family stories then this is useful information to give context to our personal experience.
It is also important to investigate how the women viewed and treated the men. Were the boys treated different to the girls? ... emotionally? ... expectations at school? .... carrying out domestic tasks?
Traits run through families, often passing down through generations as ‘normal’. In this way some of the roles, beliefs, fears, conflicts and limitations we might encounter with our masculinity can be part of this intergenerational family inheritance. Remembering this inheritance helps us to let go of blame as we deepen in our personal exploration.