People living in countries where men believe they have to constantly prove their “manhood” are less happy, a new study has revealed.
The research found that places where precarious manhood beliefs (PMB) were higher also had lower economic output, lower life expectancy, reduced social support, and heightened perceptions of corruption.
Lebanon, Iran, and Nigeria were among the countries with highest PMB and lowest happiness levels, while Nordic countries, including Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, had the lowest PMB levels and the happiest people.
The study said: “These findings demonstrate that cultural beliefs about masculinity worsen health disparities, reduce collective well-being, and increase national healthcare burdens, underscoring the need to examine precarious manhood's impact on national happiness.”
Researchers from Boston College analysed the data of 59 countries, combining findings from the World Happiness Report with a global study of PMB and health risk behaviours.
They then analysed correlations between PMB and national happiness indicators, including GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceived corruption.
The researchers noted that countries with high PMB and low happiness levels may have more rigid gender expectations, which could contribute to societal stress and lower happiness.
In contrast, Nordic nations, or countries like New Zealand and Canada, were often characterised by progressive gender norms, robust social welfare systems, and egalitarian societal structures, they said.
Countries like the UK, USA, Italy, and Romania fell in the middle range for happiness and PMB levels. “These societies may balance traditional gender norms with increasing openness to evolving gender roles,” the study added.
National happiness was measured by life satisfaction, stress levels, a sense of community and trust, and personal well-being and social cohesion.
The researchers said: “In societies that endorse precarious manhood, men are compelled to repeatedly 'prove' themselves by conforming to rigid gender norms emphasising strength, stoicism, and dominance, ultimately undermining health and social well-being by discouraging cooperation, emotional openness, and support.
“Research on precarious manhood consistently indicates associations with negative well-being at both individual and societal levels.
“At the individual level, men who internalise precarious manhood beliefs are more likely to be anxious and defensive, engage in risky behaviours including physical aggression and financial risk-taking, and avoid behaviours perceived as feminine in order to affirm dominance and control.”
Earlier this month, journalist Louis Theroux released Netflix documentary Inside the Manosphere, which investigates the growing ultra-masculine network of men.
The documentary has prompted a rise in discussions about the “manosphere”, an online ecosystem of sites promoting extreme masculinity and anti-feminist ideologies.
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