For years our society has been defined as being patriarchal — a system we inherited through biblical and governmental institutions.

Male representation continues to be greater in business and leadership; however, that edge is progressively dwindling, with several women now being managers, leaders, and parliamentarians. Additionally, many more women are becoming educated.

In fact, based on observations, there is a significant gap in the ratio between the number of females and males who enrol in our higher education institutions.

The long-held view that men are smarter than woman is a position of past eras as women nowadays are making wiser decisions than their male counterparts. Moreover, there have been several women empowerment conferences and movements that have been raising awareness on issues affecting their gender, and providing a safe space where they can express their concerns and redefine their worth. Undoubtedly, this is needed and should be commended. But what has been put in place for our men?

The evidence is before our eyes and ears daily. We are losing our boys and men. Several teenage boys and young men are implicated in crime and violence and lottery scamming.

Many of them take inspiration from the trash music being put out by some of these so-called reggae-dancehall artistes. We have heard of the stabbing incidents in schools, some of which have been fatal.

We have a culture that perpetuates violence, and boys — sometimes girls, too — are encouraged to retaliate with deadly weapons, even for minute issues.

Our men have been socialised not to express their feelings. A terrible stigma is attached to men who show emotions because it is seen as a sign of weakness. Consequently, they internalise their pain and disappointments, which leads to them having an angry spirit. The moment someone and something triggers them, they are likely to snap.

Given that, “Real men don’t cry,” they are forced to always keep things together. As such, several of them will never report cases of abuse, domestic, sexual, etc; mental health issues; and other grievances. This attitude then spills over into relationships, and many have difficulty communicating with their partners because they fear being vulnerable. Furthermore, men suffer from many other unmentioned traumas and are told to “tough it out”.

Unfortunately, there is still strong resistance to seeking help from counsellors, doctors, and psychologists. We must not neglect our men; we must encourage them to express their feelings and not ridicule them.

Our society has been obsessed with how men speak and their sexuality.

For several years, being educated was only reserved for a meagre percentage of the privileged stratum of the society as they spoke standard English, while those who spoke ‘broken English’ or variations of the Jamaican patois were considered uneducated. Over time, however, this view has shifted as many educated people can switch between both languages.

Notwithstanding, the perception that Jamaican men who speak and write English well are ‘fish’ — a popular word in our sociolinguistics used to refer to a gay or homosexual man — is still prevalent. Could this also contribute to the reasons we do so poorly in English language and other writing courses?

In my experience in the education sector, I have seen many young men struggle to communicate their thoughts in English. It is clear that their environment did not allow them to speak in English.

There are those who will argue that English is not our native language and that it is the language of our colonisers. But, while I understand these views, having spent a number of years living and studying this phenomenon, there is no rationale to link one’s use of language with his or her sexuality.

This view has stifled male participation in certain areas of the humanities as the negative perceptions increase when men pursue modern languages and the creative arts because, apparently, a man becomes extra gay if he pursues these areas.

This is a sad state of affairs as men need to be afforded the freedom — without fear of stigma — to pursue areas that correspond with their interests and learning styles.

As a teacher of English, French, and Spanish, I often see the discomfort and unwillingness when males come to my language classes, and it is my duty to help them understand the importance of foreign languages and cultures in this globalised world. I go as far as to tell them that it is sexy and attractive when a man can speak a foreign language, and it will bring them different types of opportunities.

Besides, we are too backward in our thinking in this country. It is common for children, on a whole, to master two or more foreign languages in European and Scandinavian countries.

The Church, school, and other social and professional institutions for centuries have defined the tenets of grooming and professionalism; one of which is the length of the hair.

It was considered disrespectful and blasphemous for a black man to grow his hair to a certain length, and this has restrained them from expressing their individuality. Bible scriptures have been quoted in this regard as well.

On the other hand, we are quite accepting when men of other ethnicities have long hair. What is so disastrous about black men growing their hair?

In recent times, men have begun to grow their hair in defiance of the boundaries placed on them. Consequently, men have been seen sporting a variety of hairstyles in churches, tertiary institutions, and the workplace. After all, it is not the hair that makes a man educated or competent.

The call is not new for us to address the issues affecting men. While civilisations might have started with great male dominance, we have seen that this archaic system no longer works. There is a generation of younger men who want to see changes in how men are cultured and nurtured. More should be done through advocacy, education, research, and other fora to hear their concerns.

Oneil Madden is a PhD candidate in didactics and linguistics at the Université Clermont Auvergne, France, and president of the Association of Jamaican Nationals in France (Jaminfrance). Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or oneil.madden@uca.fr.