Masculinity is not fixed; different masculinities shape how men think, feel, and behave.

The pressure to prove manhood can leave men vulnerable to shame and insecurity.

Modern men need models of masculinities that embrace cooperation, purpose, and growth.

There is growing recognition that masculinities can be built on care, connection, and creating value.

It’s a fine winter's morning, crisp and bright. It's the type of day that requires both gloves and sunglasses. I’ve just walked out of Belfast’s Grand Central train station. Through the mist of my evaporating breath, I can see seven labourers in high-vis jackets and hard hats completing the walkway outside the new station. Some are pushing wheelbarrows of stones; others use mallets to position paving slabs. Nearby, four taxi drivers stand beside their cars. One takes a drag on a cigarette while another discusses yesterday’s football results. There’s banter and cajoling.

I continue up the street. A couple walk arm-in-arm towards me, wearing the same brand of jacket in different colours—black and pink. I smile and say hello. Passing a clothes alteration shop, I glance through the window. Six sewing machines are laid out, though only two are in use. Between their rhythmic clicks, I hear a Tina Turner song playing in the background.

It’s just another Tuesday morning in Belfast.

Quick question: How many men and women did I remember from that morning?

Take a moment to count them.

That’s right—I never mentioned anyone’s gender. But your mind probably inferred it. We all carry expectations about how men, women, and other genders behave, the jobs they do, the things they talk about, and, yes, even the colours of the jackets they wear. From a young age, we are socialised into ideas about masculinity and femininity that shape these expectations.

There’s been a lot of talk about masculinity. Too much, perhaps. The problem is that we keep talking about masculinity when we should be talking about masculinities.

The World Health Organization (2018) defines masculinities as culturally specific sets of attributes, values, and behaviours associated with being a man that influence health, help-seeking, and well-being. Considering the worrying state of boys’ and men’s well-being, masculinities matter. Masculinities also affect the experiences of girls and women. Understanding masculinities helps explain why men behave as they........

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