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= Man =
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Introduction
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A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or
adolescent is referred to as a boy.
Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X
chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the father. Sex
differentiation of the male fetus is governed by the SRY gene on the Y
chromosome. During puberty, hormones which stimulate androgen
production result in the development of secondary sexual
characteristics that result in even more differences between the
sexes. These include greater muscle mass, greater height, the growth
of facial hair and a lower body fat composition. Male anatomy is
distinguished from female anatomy by the male reproductive system,
which includes the testicles, sperm ducts, prostate gland and
epididymides, and penis. Secondary sex characteristics include a
narrower pelvis and hips, and smaller breasts and nipples.
Throughout human history, traditional gender roles have often defined
men's activities and opportunities. Men often face conscription into
military service or are directed into professions with high mortality
rates. Many religious doctrines stipulate certain rules for men, such
as religious circumcision. Men are over-represented as both
perpetrators and victims of violence.
Trans men have a gender identity that does not align with their female
sex assignment at birth, while intersex men may have sex
characteristics that do not fit typical notions of male biology.
Etymology
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The English term "man" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
'*man-' (see Sanskrit/Avestan 'manu-', Slavic 'mǫž' "man, male"). More
directly, the word derives from Old English 'mann'. The Old English
form primarily meant "person" or "human being" and referred to men,
women, and children alike. The Old English word for "man" as distinct
from "wif"/"woman" or "child" was 'wer'. 'Mann' only came to mean
"man" in Middle English, replacing 'wer', which survives today only in
the compounds "werewolf" (from Old English 'werwulf', literally
"man-wolf"), and "wergild", literally "man-payment".
Biology
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In humans, sperm cells carry either an X or a Y sex chromosome. If a
sperm cell carrying a Y chromosome fertilizes the female ovum, the
offspring will have a male karyotype (XY). The SRY gene is typically
found on the Y chromosome and causes the development of the testes,
which in turn govern other aspects of male sex differentiation. Sex
differentiation in males proceeds in a testes-dependent way while
female differentiation is not gonad dependent.
Primary sex characteristics (or sex organs) are characteristics that
are present at birth and are integral to the reproductive process. For
men, primary sex characteristics include the penis and testicles.
Adult humans exhibit sexual dimorphism in many other characteristics,
many of which have no direct link to reproductive ability. Humans are
sexually dimorphic in body size, body structure, and body composition.
Men tend to be taller and heavier than women, and adjusted for height,
men tend to have greater lean and bone mass than women, and lower fat
mass.
Secondary sex characteristics are features that appear during puberty
in humans. Such features are especially evident in the sexually
dimorphic phenotypic traits that distinguish between the sexes,
but--unlike the primary sex characteristics--are not directly part of
the reproductive system. Secondary sexual characteristics that are
specific to men include:
* Broadened shoulders;
* Increased body hair;
* An enlarged larynx (also known as an Adam's apple); and
* A voice that is significantly deeper than the voice of a child or a
woman.
Men weigh more than women. On average, men are taller than women by
about 10%. On average, men have a larger waist in comparison to their
hips (see waist-hip ratio) than women. In women, the index and ring
fingers tend to be either more similar in size or their index finger
is slightly longer than their ring finger, whereas men's ring finger
tends to be longer.
Reproductive system
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The internal male genitalia consist of the testicles, which produce
sperm, the accessory glands, which produce seminal fluid, the
epididymides, which store sperm cells, and the vasa deferentia and
ejaculatory ducts, which transfer the mature sperm to the urethra.
The external male genitalia consist of the penis and the scrotum, a
pouch of skin housing the testicles.
Sperm cells are ejaculated in semen through the penis and enter the
female reproductive tract through the vagina. Sperm that pass from the
vagina to the uterus can enter the fallopian tubes and fertilize an
egg, which develops into an embryo. The study of male reproduction and
associated organs is called andrology.
Testosterone stimulates the development of the Wolffian ducts, the
penis, and closure of the labioscrotal folds into the scrotum. Another
significant hormone in sexual differentiation is the anti-Müllerian
hormone, which inhibits the development of the Müllerian ducts. For
males during puberty, testosterone, along with gonadotropins released
by the pituitary gland, stimulates spermatogenesis.
Health
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While a majority of the global health gender disparities is weighted
against women, there are situations in which men tend to fare poorer.
One such instance is armed conflicts, where men are often the
immediate victims. A study of conflicts in 13 countries from 1955 to
2002 found that 81% of all violent war deaths were male. Apart from
armed conflicts, areas with high incidence of violence, such as
regions controlled by drug cartels, also see men experiencing higher
mortality rates. This stems from social beliefs that associate ideals
of masculinity with aggressive, confrontational behavior. Lastly,
sudden and drastic changes in economic environments and the loss of
social safety nets, in particular social subsidies and food stamps,
have also been linked to higher levels of alcohol consumption and
psychological stress among men, leading to a spike in male mortality
rates. This is because such situations often makes it harder for men
to provide for their family, a task that has been long regarded as the
"essence of masculinity."
A retrospective analyses of people infected with the common cold
found that doctors underrate the symptoms of men, and are more willing
to attribute symptoms and illness to women than men. Women live longer
than men in all countries, and across all age groups, for which
reliable records exist. In the United States, men are less healthy
than women across all social classes. Non-white men are especially
unhealthy. Men are over-represented in dangerous occupations and
represent a majority of on the job deaths. Further, medical doctors
provide men with less service, less advice, and spend less time with
men than they do with women per medical encounter.
Sexuality
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Male sexuality and attraction varies between individuals, and a man's
sexual behavior can be affected by many factors, including evolved
predispositions, personality, upbringing, and culture. While most men
are heterosexual, significant minorities are homosexual or bisexual.
Sex or gender identity
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Most cultures use a gender binary in which man is one of the two
genders, the other being woman.
Most men are cisgender, and their gender identity aligns with their
male sex assignment at birth. Trans men have a male gender identity
that does not align with their female sex assignment at birth, and may
undergo masculinizing hormone replacement therapy and/or sex
reassignment surgery. Intersex men may have sex characteristics that
do not fit typical notions of male biology. A 2016 systemic review
estimated that 0.256% of people self-identify as female-to-male
transgender. A 2017 survey of 80,929 Minnesota students found that
roughly twice as many female-assigned adolescents self-identified as
transgender, compared to adolescents with a male sex assignment.
Masculinity
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Masculinity (also sometimes called 'manhood' or 'manliness') is the
set of personality traits and attributes associated with boys and men.
Although masculinity is socially constructed, some research indicates
that some behaviors considered masculine are biologically
influenced.Social vs biological citations:
*
*
*
* To what extent masculinity is biologically or socially influenced
is subject to debate. It is distinct from the definition of the
biological male sex, as both males and females can exhibit masculine
traits.Male vs Masculine/Feminine:
*
*
* Men generally face social stigma for embodying feminine traits,
more so than women do for embodying masculine traits. This can also
manifest as homophobia.
Standards of manliness or masculinity vary across different cultures
and historical periods. While the outward signs of masculinity look
different in different cultures, there are some common aspects to its
definition across cultures. In all cultures in the past, and still
among traditional and non-Western cultures, getting married is the
most common and definitive distinction between boyhood and manhood. In
the late 20th century, some qualities traditionally associated with
marriage (such as the "triple Ps" of 'protecting, providing, and
procreating') were still considered signs of having achieved manhood.
Relationships
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Platonic relationships are not significantly different between men and
women, though some differences do exist. Friendships involving men
tend to be based more on shared activities than self-disclosure and
personal connection. Perceptions of friendship involving men varies
among cultures and time periods. In heterosexual romantic
relationships, men are typically expected to take a proactive role,
initiate the relationship, plan dates, and propose marriage.
Status
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Anthropology has shown that masculinity itself has social status, just
like wealth, race and social class. In Western culture, for example,
greater masculinity usually brings greater social status. Many English
words such as 'virtue' and 'virile' (from the Indo-European root 'vir'
meaning 'man') reflect this. In most cultures, male privilege allows
men more rights and privileges than women. In societies where men are
not given special legal privileges, they typically hold more positions
of power, and men are seen as being taken more seriously in society.
This is associated with a "gender-role strain" in which men face
increased societal pressure to conform to gender roles.
History
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The earliest known recorded name of a man in writing is potentially
Kushim, who would have lived sometime between 3400 and 3000 BC in the
Sumerian city of Uruk; though his name may have been a title rather
than his actual name. The earliest confirmed names are that of Gal-Sal
and his two slaves named En-pap X and Sukkalgir, from .
Father
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Men may have children, whether biological or adopted; such men are
called fathers. The role of men in the family has shifted considerably
in the 20th and 21st centuries, taking on a more active role in
raising children in most societies. Men would traditionally marry a
woman when raising children, but in modern times many countries now
allow for same-sex marriage, and for those couples to raise children
either via adoption or surrogacy. Men may be single parents, and are
increasingly so in modern times, though women are three times more
likely to be single parents than men. In paternal societies, men have
typically have been regarded as the "head of household" and held
additional social privileges.
Work
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Men have traditionally held jobs that were not available to women.
Such jobs tended to be either more strenuous, more prestigious, or
more dangerous. Modern men increasingly take untraditional career
paths, such as staying home and raising children while their partner
works. Modern men tend to work longer than women, which impacts their
ability to spend time with their families. Even in modern times, some
jobs remain available only to men, such as military service.
Conscription is overwhelmingly discriminatory, currently only ten
countries include women in their conscription programs. Men continue
to hold more dangerous jobs than women, even in developed countries.
In the United States in 2020, ten times as many men died on the job as
women, and a man was ten times more likely to die on the job than a
woman.
Entertainment and media
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Media portrayals of men often replicate traditional understanding of
masculinity. Men are portrayed more frequently in television than
women and most commonly appear as leads in action and drama
programming. Men are typically more active in television programming
than women and typically hold more power and status. Due to their
prominence, men are more likely to be both the objects and instigators
of humorous or disparaging content. Fathers are often portrayed in
television as either idealized and caring or clumsy and inept. In
advertising, men are disproportionately featured in advertisements for
alcohol, vehicles, and business products.
Clothing
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Men's clothing typically encompasses a range of garments designed for
various occasions, seasons, and styles. Fundamental items of a man's
wardrobe include shirts, trousers, suits, and jackets, which are
designed to provide both comfort and style while prioritizing
functionality. Men's fashion also encompasses more casual garments
such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, jeans, shorts, and swimwear, which are
typically intended for informal settings. Cultural and regional
traditions often influence men's fashion, resulting in diverse styles
and garments that reflect the unique characteristics of different
parts of the world.
Education
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Men traditionally received more education than women as a result of
single-sex education. Universal education, meaning state-provided
primary and secondary education independent of gender, is not yet a
global norm, even if it is assumed in most developed countries. In the
21st century, the balance has shifted in many developed nations, and
men now lag behind women in education.
Men are more likely than women to be faculty at universities.
In 2020, 90% of the world's men were literate, compared to 87% of
women. But sub-Saharan Africa, and southwest Asia lagged behind the
rest of the world; only 72% of men in sub-Saharan Africa were
literate.
Rights
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In most societies, men have more legal and cultural rights than women,
and misogyny is far more prevalent than misandry in society. However,
there are exceptions to this generalization. While one in six males
experience childhood sexual abuse, men typically receive less support
after being victims of it, and rape of males is stigmatized. Domestic
violence against men is similarly stigmatized, although men make up
half of the victims in heterosexual couples. Opponents of circumcision
describe it as a human rights violation. The fathers' rights movement
seeks to support separated fathers that do not receive equal rights to
care for their children. The men's movement is the response to issues
faced by men in Western countries. It includes pro-feminist groups
such as the men's liberation movement, and anti-feminist groups such
as the manosphere.
Gender symbol
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The Mars symbol (♂) is a common symbol that represents the male sex.
The symbol is identical to the planetary symbol of Mars. It was first
used to denote sex by Carl Linnaeus in 1751. The symbol is sometimes
seen as a stylized representation of the shield and spear of the Roman
god Mars. According to Stearn, however, this derivation is "fanciful"
and all the historical evidence favours "the conclusion of the French
classical scholar Claude de Saumaise" that it is derived from ', the
contraction of a Greek epithet for Mars, ' ('Thouros').
See also
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* International Men's Day
* International Men's Health Week
* Lists of men
* Men's studies
* Patriarchy
* Sexism
Further reading
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* Andrew Perchuk, Simon Watney, bell hooks, 'The Masculine Masquerade:
Masculinity and Representation', MIT Press, 1995.
* Pierre Bourdieu, 'Masculine Domination', Paperback Edition, Stanford
University Press, 2001.
* Robert W. Connell, 'Masculinities', Cambridge: Polity Press, 1995.
* Warren Farrell, 'The Myth of Male Power', Berkley Trade, 1993. .
* Michael Kimmel (ed.), Robert W. Connell (ed.), Jeff Hearn (ed.),
'Handbook of Studies on Men and Masculinities', Sage Publications,
2004.
License
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License URL:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man
