A new study, considered controversial, claims that some behaviors and activities traditionally associated with masculinity have a greater negative impact on the environment and climate.
The study, titled “Men, Masculinities, and the Planet at the End of (M)Anthropocene,” was conducted by 22 researchers from 13 countries and published in the International Journal for Masculinity Studies. The authors analyzed the relationship between men, models of masculinity, and their impact on the environment.
According to researchers, men tend to have a larger carbon footprint than women, largely due to travel, transportation, tourism and higher meat consumption. They are also said to be on average less concerned about climate change and less willing to change their daily habits to help reduce environmental damage.
Professor Jeff Hearn, a sociologist in the Department of Social and Psychological Sciences at the University of Huddersfield, says there is growing research showing the negative impacts of some men's behaviours on the environment and climate. What remains surprising, he says, is that this aspect is rarely included in debates and policies for a more sustainable world.
Largest carbon footprint
One of the main findings of the study is that men, in general, have a larger carbon footprint. The researchers link this to their more frequent use of transportation, travel, tourism, and meat consumption.
The authors point out that meat consumption remains linked to traditional models of masculinity in many cultures. According to them, men not only consume more meat, but also often have leadership roles in industries with high environmental impact, including the agribusiness sector.
Less concern about the climate
The study also suggests that men tend to be less concerned about climate change and less willing to change daily practices to mitigate it.
According to researchers, this is also reflected in politics, where men show less ambition towards climate measures and support for environmental policies.
Masculinity and environmental politics
The authors argue that men are on average less active in environmental politics and less supportive of parties or movements that promote climate justice.
They point out that in some political circles, especially among the far-right elite, climate change denial is often accompanied by misogynistic attitudes.
The study notes that men, especially white men from Western elites, dominate the ownership and management of industries with high environmental impact, such as industrial agriculture, automobiles, the water sector, new technologies and artificial intelligence.
Activities with high environmental impact
According to researchers, some activities traditionally perceived as "masculine" are associated with environmental damage. These include fishing, hunting, meat consumption, but also involvement in heavy, chemical, carbon-based industries with a high ecological impact.
The authors also mention militarism as a field historically dominated by men, with serious consequences for the environment.
Not all men fit into this pattern.
However, the researchers emphasize that these findings do not apply to all men. According to them, many men are actively engaged in the fight against climate change and are working to change these trends.
They highlight that the most damaging patterns are particularly associated with privileged men in the rich countries of the northern hemisphere, especially the elites who run large and highly influential industries on the planet.
In conclusion, the study does not claim that men as individuals are "bad for the planet", but that certain models of masculinity, especially those linked to power, consumption, industry and resistance to change, have a significant impact on the climate crisis. /GazetaExpress/
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