Strong and tough: Reflections on Masculinity from Africa

‘Strong’ and ‘tough.’ Males across many cultures often identify these common traits to describe ‘real men.’

In our North American retreats on healthy masculinity as we examine the so-called ‘man box’ of dominate masculinity, ‘strong’ and ‘tough’ are heard repeatedly. These same words were used at recent men’s retreats I led in South Africa and Tanzania.

How are we to understand that ‘strong’ and ‘tough’ are so frequently used to describe what ‘real men’ are like?

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