Gender and Sexuality Studies

Abstract

This paper aims to challenge the patriarchal system and cultural norms that perpetuate the belief that men don’t cry to promote healthy relationships, decrease gender-based violence, and improve community well-being. The concept of a stoic, mentally strong man dates back to ancient cultures. It is associated with cultural and societal norms on masculinity, which dictate that men should not express their feelings of grief or cry, as the isiZulu infamous saying, "Indoda Ayikhali"(meaning men don’t cry). As a result, our understanding of masculinity poses a significant obstacle for men in modern society. Men are taught that their worth lies in their ability to be strong, in control, and succeed. Therefore, this paper challenges gender stereotypes and redefines masculinity in the modern era while examining the evolving context of gender roles and expectations. 
This paper adopts the Hegemonic Masculinity Theory to challenge and confront difficulties created by masculinity stereotypes. In addition, this conceptual paper used an integrative review approach to construct a new perspective regarding gender stereotypes through synthesising knowledge in extant literature. It, therefore, utilised secondary data available in the public domain to find patterns, identify knowledge gaps and generate new perspectives. 
Conclusion: We argue that men carry a lot of pain, anger, and bitterness due to suppressing their emotions to conform to cultural norms. Therefore, the notion of "men don't cry" is connected to gender-based violence due to its support of the stoic facade. 

Keywords: Gender-based violence, Masculinity, Paradoxes, Stereotype, Stoic Facade

Biography

Dr. Angeline Sibongile Ngcobo is a multidisciplinary social science researcher with a Ph.D. in Community Development. She works at the Human Sciences Research Council and has extensive knowledge of research implementation. In addition, Dr Ngcobo has experience lecturing community development studies and has supervised Honours, PGD, and Master’s level students in the School of Built Environment and Development Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She has published and submitted numerous journal articles and book chapters to be published in 2024. Moreover, she has presented her research at two international research conferences. Her research chiefly focuses on community engagement, participation, gender-based violence, Afrocentricity, Ubuntu, and policy interventions for vulnerable populations.