The process of removing, reducing, or losing masculine characteristics or qualities; the reversal or elimination of masculinity.
From de- (removal) + masculine + -ization (process). British spelling uses 's' instead of 'z'. Masculine comes from Latin 'masculus' (male).
Sociologists studying demasculinisation noticed it happens when men prioritize care work or emotional expression—society hasn't agreed if this is loss or liberation, which tells you a lot about how we define manhood.
This term emerged in late 20th-century discourse within feminist and gender studies frameworks. It reflects assumptions about 'masculinity' as a monolithic, undesirable quality to be removed, potentially conflating biological sex with socially constructed gender traits and reinforcing binary thinking.
Use with specificity: name the actual behavior or trait being addressed (e.g., 'reducing authoritarian structures' rather than 'demasculinising'). Avoid suggesting that feminine qualities are inherently superior or that gender traits are fixed.
["gender-role transformation","reduction of authoritarian practices","cultural shift toward equity"]
Women's contributions to dismantling hierarchical power structures were often attributed to general 'cultural change' rather than credited to feminist organizing, labor, and scholarship that explicitly theorized these alternatives.
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