Man

This article concerns how a man differs from women. For other meanings of man see Man (disambiguation). For other uses of boy, see Boy (disambiguation)

*Image of a man on the Pioneer plaque sent to outer space*

A man (from Proto-Germanic mannaz "man, person") is a male human adult, in contrast to an adult female, which is a woman. The term man (irregular plural: men) is used to indicate biological sex distinctions, cultural gender role distinctions, or both. Manhood is the period in a male's life after he has transitioned from a boy. Many cultures have rites of passage to symbolize a man's coming of age, such as confirmation in some branches of Christianity, bar mitzvah in Judaism, or even just the celebration of the eighteenth or twenty-first birthday.

A boy is a male human child, in contrast to an female child, which is a girl. The term boy is used to indicate biological sex distinctions, cultural gender role distinctions, or both. After a boy matures, he is called a man. There are various colloquial exceptions to this usage. For example, the word boy is also commonly used when discussing adult males in relationships, such as in the word boyfriend. Sometimes the word is also used disparagingly for a black man or male slave.

For many, the word man implies a certain degree of maturity and responsibility that young men in particular often feel unprepared for; yet they may also feel too old to be called a boy. For this reason, many avoid using either man or boy to describe a young man and prefer colloquial terms such as bloke, chap, fellow, guy or the like.

Sex

In terms of sex, men have various sexual characteristics that differentiate them from women. Just as in women, the sex organs of a man are part of the reproductive system. The secondary sex characteristics are involved in attracting a mate or in defeating rivals. But these secondary traits are also often related to reproduction in some manner. In contrast to women, men have sex organs that are mostly considered to be external, although many parts of the male reproductive system are internal as well. The study of male reproduction and associated organs is called andrology. Most, but not all, men have the karyotype 46,XY.

In general, men suffer from many of the same illnesses as women. However, there are some sex-related illnesses that occur only, or more frequently, in men. For example, autism and color blindness are more common in men than women.

Biological factors are usually not the sole determinants of whether a person considers themselves as man or is considered a man or not, for example, several men have been born without a typical male physiology (that is, they are transgendered or transsexual men; estimates range between 1:2.000 and one in 100,000), or some men can have an abnormal hormone or chromosomal difference (such as androgen insensitivity syndrome), or another intersex condition; some of those intersex people who have had a female sex assigned at birth sought to reassign their sex later in their lives (or vice versa). (See also gender identity, gender role and transman.) Additionally, 20% of males, particularly in the US, the Philippines, and South Korea, as well as Jews and Muslims from all countries, have experienced circumcision, a process of altering the penis from its natural state by removing the foreskin.

Gender roles

In terms of gender, men differ from women by a variety of behaviours. Certain characteristics generally associated with men may be delineated; it is important to remember that the following are generalizations (even stereotypes) and are by no means true of all men.

Men are often considered to be more:

aggressive than women. However, in interpersonal relationships, most research has found that men and women are equally aggressive. Men do tend to be more aggressive outside of the home.
courageous and adventuresome than women; the negative side of this image is the perception that men may be more prepared to abandon their families.
competitive but also more stubborn than women.
self-confident (even arrogant) and exhibit better leadership skills than women.
self-controlled and less emotional (sometimes to the point of being perceived as cold and unloving) than women.
technically and organizationally skilled than women.
prone to abstract thinking than women

In terms of outward appearance, few men in Western cultures wear cosmetics or clothing generally associated with female gender roles. (Doing so is known as cross-dressing, and is generally stigmatised.) Fashions change, however: whereas wearing jewellery was formerly associated with females, today in Western cultures it is common for men to wear earrings without being perceived as cross-dressing.

External links

Historical Boys' Clothing