The Man Box

During the conference I had the pleasure of hearing Tony Porter speak about violence against women. Mr. Porter opened with a provocative question: Why is it that so much violence occurs in the presence of so many good men? He went on to directly address the men by evaluating the culture of being a man in America. He touched on everything from the movies they watch to the differences in the way men parent their sons and daughters.

This male culture was summed up in one term "the man box". The man box contains the collective socialization of men. It is where men hold men to a higher standard than women. It is where the notion that women are the weaker sex is kept. It is where men are taught that they are not allowed to cry or show too much emotion in public. Unfortunately, it is where violence against women is ignored by society. Essentially, when good men do nothing, violence continues to be perpetuated by a small number of bad men.

As a woman, sitting through the presentation, I thought, what have I put into my "woman box"? What life decisions have been altered due to the box that I place myself in? How have my views affected those around me?

The lesson of "the man box" is that I am a bit more conscious of my interconnectedness with the world around me. In other words, we are all our brother (and sister's) keeper. Whether it is domestic violence or merely lending a helping hand we all have some level of responsibility to those around us.