Socially constructed norms
The masculine beauty ideal is a set of cultural beauty standards for men which change based on the historical era and the geographic region.[ 1] These standards are ingrained in men from a young age to increase their perceived physical attractiveness .[ 2]
Masculine beauty ideals are mainly rooted in heteronormative beliefs about hypermasculinity , but they heavily influence men of all sexual orientations and gender identities .[ 3] The masculine beauty ideal traits include but are not limited to: male body shape , figure , beefcake , height , body weight , muscle mass , male breast size , physical fitness , hair and genital size .[ 4] Men oftentimes feel social pressure to conform to these standards in order to feel desirable, and thus elect to alter their bodies through processes such as extreme dieting, bodybuilding , male breast muscle enlargement, male buttock enlargement, radical fitness regimens, genital enlargement, and other bodily surgical modifications.[ 5] [ 6] [ 7]
^ Simonova, Michaela (9 November 2021). "The Ideal Man: Male Beauty Standards Through History" . The Collector . Retrieved 15 December 2022 .
^ Lee Yang, Eugene; Koeppel, Kari; Vazquez, Eli (19 March 2015). "Men's Standards Of Beauty Around The World" . Buzzfeed . Retrieved 15 December 2022 .
^ Joy, Phillip; Numer, Matthew (6 January 2019). "How body ideals shape the health of gay men" . The Conversation . Retrieved 15 December 2022 .
^ Hames, R. "Beauty" (PDF) . University of Nebraska - Lincoln . Retrieved 15 December 2022 .
^ "Body image - men - Better Health Channel" . www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au . Retrieved 2022-04-21 .
^ "The Truth About Male Body Image Issues" . Newport Institute . 2021-08-25. Retrieved 2022-04-21 .
^ McCreary, Donald R.; Saucier, Deborah M. (2009-01-01). "Drive for muscularity, body comparison, and social physique anxiety in men and women" . Body Image . 6 (1): 24–30. doi :10.1016/j.bodyim.2008.09.002 . ISSN 1740-1445 . PMID 18996066 .