Question

What does it take for a male person to get rid of male privilege?

Super interested to hear people's thoughts on this. I liked Frye's thought that this is not a simple matter; it takes work. It might be useful to think about the parallel to other axes of oppression where we think there is privilege, and the work we think it takes to get rid of it (and how hard it is to get rid of). For example, we might think that in a system that rewards whiteness, it is not possible to get rid of the advantage of being white, but only to put it to good use (e.g. in being an ally to anti-racism struggle). How does this compare to being male? What if you don't look white / male? What if you don't feel white / male?

Answer 1

Well, the question is pretty subjective as various males have various attitude and unique unconscious representation with their masculinity or maleness. From a subjective point of view, for a male to get rid of the male privilages what is mainly needed is to accept the concept of equality in the literal, ethical as well as logical way. Realisation of getting something only because of the gender identity is something which is primary and then opposing that grant based on identity is secondary. Thus, the males must identify and realise those aspects or those privilages which they get only because they are males and they must voluntarily stand against it. To get rid of those male privileges, the male need to understand that it was not they who choosed to get the privilages but it has been given to them due to social unequal practises. These privilages though helps them at times yet are also what makes them face a lot of criticisms regarding patriarchy in modern generation and regarding inequality which may be something they haven't called for. Being said that, there are always many sides of a story and thus, there are various males who gets no privileges but are oppressed due to certain laws and due to the patriarchal assumptions of men being more dominant and privilaged. We must realise that male privilages are something which can't be get rid of only by changing thoughts of males but it is complete society which must work for it. We tend to end privilages of one gender by giving privilages to another gender and this leads to lesser solutions and more problems. Laws must be made equal for all and every social and academic practises, rules and regulations must be made equal for all irrespective of their gender. When this equality will be achieved, males will gradually have no issues with loosing the male privileges which they fortunately or unfortunately received for a long time.