ABSTRACT
In most countries with standing armies, the male population is conditioned to acts of violence and to killing. Social conditioning prepares males to obey orders and go to war. The male sex role consists of cultural norms that set standards for what it means to be male. These norms or sex role messages establish culturally condoned notions for male behavior. The chapter shows that some men feel frustrated when they can’t realize deep-seated messages they have within themselves. Many men raised by nurturing parents find themselves in competitive work environments where they are expected to be unemotional and nonsupportive. They are supposed to give orders, fire others, and act in ways that may generate profit for their employers, but deny their essential humanity. Men are also systematically raised to kill. The key to overcoming sex role conditioning for violent male behavior is teaching men how to respond nonviolently to conflict.
