Manhood
Manhood – a socially and culturally recognized status of being a man, associated with ideas of adult masculinity, male maturity, dignity, responsibility, and the norms by which a person is recognized as a “real” or “proper” man in a given society.
Manhood is not identical to biological maleness. It refers to the cultural meaning of being a man and to the expectations attached to male identity, behavior, authority, sexuality, emotional expression, family roles, and social responsibility.
In gender studies, manhood is analyzed as a historically and culturally variable construct. Different societies define manhood in different ways, often linking it to strength, autonomy, provision, control, courage, fatherhood, heterosexuality, or public authority. Feminist and critical studies of men and masculinities examine how such norms may shape men’s identities, privileges, vulnerabilities, and relations with women and other men.
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