Will Femmephobia Increase COVID-19's Death Toll? Karen L. Blair & Rhea Ashley Hoskin Psychology Today — Inclusive Insight
About This Post
Examines how femmephobia — the association of self-protective behaviors like mask-wearing with feminine "weakness" — contributed to men's reluctance to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially increasing their risk of illness and death.
Key Takeaways
- Men were more reluctant to wear masks, perceiving them as a "sign of weakness" — i.e., feminine
- Femmephobia is so deeply ingrained it can override basic self-preservation instincts
- "Real Men" campaigns (Real Men Wear Masks, Real Men Wear Pink, etc.) repeatedly rebrand feminine-coded behaviors as masculine — rather than simply revaluing femininity
- For parents: If femininity were valued equally to masculinity, children and adults alike wouldn't need permission to engage in caring, self-protective behaviors
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Will Femmephobia Increase COVID-19's Death Toll? — Psychology Today
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