Exploring the Future of "Masculinity" with the Gender Issues Chart on International Women's Day

Series: Let's Talk About the Future of DEI
This is the first installment in a series of articles where members of dentsu DEI Innovations explore DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) anew from relatable perspectives and share fresh insights.

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■What is the Gender Issues Chart?

The Gender Issues Chart is a tool created by dentsu DEI Innovations (formerly Dentsu Inc. Diversity Lab) to support idea generation for addressing gender gaps (inequalities and disparities based on gender). Vol.1 (Women's Edition) was released in 2022, and Vol.2 (Men's Edition) in December 2023. It extracts 84 issues from various publicly available data sources and organizes them into 12 themes, such as health and education. Comparing the male and female versions allows the same themes to be viewed from different perspectives.

This time, dentsu DEI Innovations held a roundtable discussion titled "Considering the Future of 'Masculinity' " with male employees of dentsu Japan, using the Gender Issues Chart vol.2 (Male Edition)* as a reference. This article presents part of that discussion.
※ Hereafter referred to as the "Challenge Chart."

[Roundtable Participant Profiles]

A: Currently active in developing clients in regional cities and expanding business domains. Interested in solidarity and relationships among men in society, and the intersection of business and gender issues.

B: Possesses deep knowledge of the relationship between gender and marketing, as well as the recently prominent topic of "lookism."

C: Highly concerned with social issues around gender and LGBTQ+. Based on experience living in regional areas, feels achieving nationwide gender equality in Japan will likely take considerable time.

D. Engaged in activities aiming for gender equality and advocacy efforts like comprehensive sex education long before the term " gender" became widely used.

Interviewers: detnsu DEI Innovations, Kunitomi (6CRP) & Hara (2BX)

■The atmosphere that "men shouldn't show weakness"

Kunitomi: Today, looking at the issue chart, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the items that concern you. It was notable that men had slightly more issues in the " Communication " category compared to women. Are there any items in this area that stand out to you?

A: I'm interested in the point about men having a normative awareness that makes them " hesitant to ask others for help." Personally, I sometimes feel I can't show weakness because I'm conscious of my seniority or role.

Kunitomi: In male-dominated societies with clear hierarchical structures, if those in higher positions don't show vulnerability, those below tend to inherit that culture.

A: While the "vertical society" itself seems flatter nowadays, I think regionally rooted gaps in consciousness persist. In some areas, role models representing the "ideal path" for education, employment, and family life remain deeply ingrained. As times change, when these role models become burdensome, it must be agonizing to wonder who to turn to for support.

C: I feel my own region has precisely this tendency. Stereotypical notions of "masculinity" and gender bias remain deeply entrenched. Even in the Reiwa era, I still hear statements like "Women don't need to go to university." I, too, hesitate to ask for help, including when feeling burdened by expectations of "masculinity." The " Health " section of the issue chart mentioned, " There's a norm that men shouldn't show weakness to others." I'm particularly interested in how the inability to voice vulnerabilities can broadly impact health risks.

B: I deeply relate to the idea that you can't show weakness. I don't really have the habit of complaining about work. When I think about the ideal male image, it seems like "leadership" and "decisiveness" are projected onto that image. I suspect few people prefer a "weak man" as a partner.

■On "Masculinity" and "Emotions"

 

Kunitomi: As one expression of vulnerability, I vent my frustrations. Do you do that, Mr. Hara?

Hara: I do have the habit of sharing various things, including complaints, with friends and partners. As a tendency, whether or not one has the habit of verbalizing and venting might be asymmetrical between men and women.

Kunitomi: Putting things into words helps organize your emotions, right?

B: I've come to realize that complaining is a form of self-disclosure, and that conversations flow better when we share our vulnerabilities with each other.

D: I'm bad at putting my feelings into words and sharing them with others, including my vulnerabilities. My family once genuinely asked me, "Why don't you tell us how you really feel?" My job requires confidentiality, so I developed a habit of not talking about things. Now, when chatting casually at work, I actually feel more comfortable talking to women than to other men.

C: I used to feel like it was common sense for men not to show weakness, that we're creatures who don't express our emotions.

D: It's like weakness isn't something meant to be shared with others, right?

A: I also struggle to put my own situation into words. It's hard, isn't it? I've never practiced. My wife once saw me crying alone at home. She was worried, but at the same time, she encouraged me to talk to her instead of bottling things up. I think I had internalized the norm that "men shouldn't cry in public."

■Emotional Expression: The Key to Communication in the Reiwa Era

Hara: Men face norms like "Don't show tears," "Don't get emotional," and "Must be logical," while conversely, there's the bias that "women are emotional." It's an example of similar challenges being imposed asymmetrically on men and women.

Kunitomi: I have a limited emotional vocabulary. Even for "anger," there are probably about ten layers, but I can't express them in detail... The same might go for "sadness"...

Hara: I personally believe expressing emotions is key to communication for surviving in society going forward. I want people close to me to see it as something they can freely show, something they don't need to suppress, rather than something to be ashamed of.

B: When building relationships with others, being mindful of potential misunderstandings and mutual understanding is essential, right? Perhaps I had a part of me that viewed not having to verbalize emotions as a form of "masculinity."

■The Reproduction and Curse of "Masculinity"

Kunitomi: I was surprised by the item in the issue chart stating, " There's a norm that sometimes violence is necessary."

B: We do see violence, like videos circulating on social media of random men drinking and fighting in the streets.

D: Violence has this terrifying tendency to escalate, doesn't it?

Kunitomi: More people are deepening their thinking about gender, and harmful stereotypical "masculinity" is being reevaluated. Yet violence—whether online attacks or domestic violence—seems to be on the rise in society.

A: With diverse information and violent content flooding everywhere, it's hard to restrict what children see. As a parent, I worry about their self-identity developing in areas beyond parental control.

Kunitomi: It seems that even middle and high school students are now exposed to content like "Work out to boost your testosterone levels!" While working out isn't inherently bad, is the reproduction of "masculinity" starting at an increasingly younger age?

■Men, Work, and Life Moving Forward

Hara: Regarding the theme of " men working longer hours," I'd like to consider how men's values toward unpaid labor and care work are changing.

C: Until now, only women balanced paid work hours with private life—including care work like nursing, childcare, and housework. But recently, men have started doing this too, haven't they?

D: When I was a new employee, it was socially accepted that men prioritized work, and openly prioritizing personal life wasn't possible. We only started hearing the term "paternity leave" in the last decade, right? If the times had allowed it, I would have taken paternity leave myself.

Kunitomi: While some men believe "work should come before life," women also unconsciously demand this of men, creating societal pressure. Conversely, women are often subjected to the opposite value: "life should come before work."

B: A theme I've personally experienced through corporate work is that for one value to change, other values must shift in tandem. Even if you change companies, unless other stakeholders—like your spouse, your spouse's workplace, and society as a whole—change together, true transformation doesn't happen. This connects to why few men work in caregiving fields and why services/products for men involved in childcare are scarce.

Hara: The child penalty—where income drops after having children—may now affect men as well as women due to the spread of paternity leave. It makes me think about the burden of choosing paternity leave while being exposed to the value that one must work hard.

■Men's Drinking Communication

Kunitomi: There's the issue that " alcohol dependence rates are higher among men." Within a culture of "masculinity" that makes it hard to verbalize economic anxiety or vulnerability, men often find themselves trapped in a negative spiral : lacking reliable support , they become prone to alcohol dependence.

D: I have friends my age who drink heavily, and I worry they might be developing a dependency, but it feels difficult to intervene.

Hara: It's hard to bring it up, even when you're worried, right?

A: Because I played rugby, I look like I drink a lot, but I'm actually more of a cafe person than a pub person. I don't have an evening drink, but I do have a habit of making drip coffee at home.

B: People assume men should be able to drink, but I'm also more of a coffee person.

Hara: When we created the issue chart, we couldn't find survey data, but there might actually be many men who don't enjoy drinking occasions.

Kunitomi: Was there ever a time when being able to hold your liquor was seen as "manly"?

B: Exactly. That pressure has eased recently, but now guys who like sweets get labeled "sweets boys," and those into skincare get called "beauty boys." There also seems to be this idea that " men who care too much about their appearance aren't manly."

Hara: Is there a stereotype that liking sweets equals being "feminine"?

C: This is a bit off-topic, but Hokkaido has this "shime parfait" culture. After drinking, you enjoy coffee and sweets together.

 Kunitomi: Shime parfait sounds great. There used to be the term "herbivore men," but that also had an underlying stereotype that men should aggressively pursue women, making it a somewhat ironic expression, just like "sweets guy." Working men aren't specifically called "work guys," are they? It makes you realize how unconscious labeling happens.

■Thinking About the Future Image of Men

Hara: Finally, could you share what kind of "masculinity" you envision for the future, or aspects of masculinity you'd like to leave behind?

A: I think it would be great if men who can articulate their vulnerabilities started getting valued.

B: I think it would be great if it became normal for men to do housework and childcare.

Hara: In C's story, you mentioned that it's not just about changing yourself, but also about the people you interact with and the places they belong needing to change simultaneously. First, it's crucial for both men and women to accept changes like "It's normal for me to do childcare" or "It's not bad to express vulnerability."

B: It really comes down to each individual's shift in awareness accumulating to change society.

D: Reflecting on myself, I feel I want to improve my ability to clearly articulate my thoughts and engage in genuine dialogue with the person right in front of me. While many younger people seem to do this naturally, there's also the trend of "debunking" arguments, which makes societal divisions visible and makes dialogue difficult. Debunking ends the conversation, but dialogue has continuity. Men going forward might need something like "peace-building power."

Kunitomi: That's a skill needed by everyone, regardless of gender.

C: Looking at the entire chart of challenges again, I realized how important it is to grasp the gender gap in every situation through numbers. Numbers remind us of biases and, I feel, can even break them down.

B: We need to be mindful of the danger that if we unconsciously shape communication based on fixed ideas of masculinity or femininity, it becomes a negative legacy for society.

Kunitomi: Thank you all for gathering today and sharing your insights. This opportunity to discuss "masculinity" in the Reiwa era has been very educational.

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■Download Gender Issues Chart vol.2 here
https://www.dentsu.co.jp/sustainability/sdgs_action/pdf/gender_issue_chart_2023.pdf
    
■About dentsu DEI Innovations
dentsu DEI Innovations is a project team providing consulting and solutions to address DEI challenges across dentsu Japan. Building on the legacy of the former Dentsu Diversity Lab, our diverse team supports companies and organizations in building inclusive environments, aiming to realize a better society.
https://www.dentsu.co.jp/sustainability/sdgs_action/thumb05.html

Contact: diversity@dentsu.co.jp