What is it about?
Our article grapples with the adverse consequences of men’s thinning social networks, asking: How does this deficit impact women, particularly in cross-gender relationships, and what does this mean for broader gender inequalities? We introduce the concept of "mankeeping,” a concept that continues the legacy of Carolyn Rosenthal’s sociological theory of “kinkeeping,” where we explored three postulates: that women disproportionately compensate for men's lack of social support, that this compensation constitutes labor, and that such labor often comes at a cost to women through their wellbeing and time. The aim was to articulate and systematize this overlooked dynamic, setting the stage for future research that interrogates how the gendered distribution of emotional labor perpetuates patriarchy at different scales.
Featured Image
Photo by César Abner Martínez Aguilar on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Over the past 30 years, studies in places like North America and Europe show that men’s social networks have shrunk significantly in comparison to women. Fewer close relationships between males may cause some men to rely heavily on relationships with women, specifically romantic relationships, for emotional support in ways that are not always fully reciprocated. This theoretical article argues that a decline in men’s social connections may increase the work women exert to support men through a phenomenon we call “mankeeping.” Mankeeping refers to the efforts women make to compensate for men’s thinner social networks, which can strain their time and well-being. Naming and understanding this dynamic is crucial for disrupting the broader societal impacts of male social networks that are not emotionally intimate and supportive.
Perspectives
Co-writing this article was a true honor to delve into a subject that affects me deeply as a man in the 21st century. Male socialization and male mental health is an important yet not often discussed topic, so I hope that this article helps both women and men in providing resources and support for mental health.
Dylan Vergara
Stanford University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Theorizing mankeeping: The male friendship recession and women’s
associated labor as a structural component of gender
inequality., Psychology of Men & Masculinity, October 2024, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/men0000494.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
