There seems to be a lot of confusion now a days about the Men's Rights Movement (MRM), what it is and what it stands for. I am hoping to clear that up.
First please understand that there are many different groups that fall under the greater umbrella of the movement itself, some groups are also conflated with the MRM such as pick up artists, and some hate groups. I am hoping to clear up some of those misconceptions.
Let's start with the infamous Pick Up Artists. Though many PUA's might also be MRA's (Men's Right's Activists) not all are, nor are all in the MRM PUA's. The main philosophy behind the pick up artist is that both men and women have biological urges, that their are certain attributes in men that women find attractive, and that these attributes can be learned or achieved. They give such advice as to work out, get a sense of style, and understand that when a woman rejects you it's not the end of the world. Though it seems that the main media seems to think that this segment is the end all be all of the movement it certainly is not. Men are not fighting for rights "just to get laid" regardless of what anyone seems to want you to think.
The second group that I want to talk about is Anti-Feminists. Feminism is defined as a movement for equality between the sexes, yet seems to screw up that goal any chance they get. Feminism has a lot to answer for, in fact I could argue that some of the biggest injustices facing men today are the direct result of feminist action. It's one thing to advocate for equality, it's a complete different thing to argue that men and women are the exact same, that gender is a social construct, until you bring up violent tendencies. That only men are violent, and rapists, and that masculinity is inherently "toxic."
Next are men's rights activists themselves. MRA's see a large set of injustices, these include legal, social, and economic. Many of these are systematic and assumed. And many of them stem from gynocenterism (Gynocentrism refers to a dominant or exclusive focus on women in theory or practice; or to the advocacy of this. Anything can be considered gynocentric when it is concerned exclusively with a female (or specifically a feminist) point of view. Wikipedea).
Much of this may come from a biological urge that men have to protect women, and in doing so ignoring their own problems. It seems that it is a social "given" that women have it worse, but without empirical evidence to back that claim it seems that we continue to push for more and more "rights" and "equality" without ever looking at the other side of the equation. This is how injustices are made, MRA's work hard to point out the other side of the equation and try and balance these scales.
And lastly, of course MGTOW. Men Going Their Own Way, with the rise of gynocenterism there is a group of men who have simply said "enough" I want to live my life for me. Men who refuse to live their lives for and because of women. They can point out that though women may make less money then men, they spend more (Gender Spending Gap Forbes Magazine). That relationships and especially divorce are extremely one sided, that there seems to be an expectation that men take care of women. MGTOW says no, not for me. I want to live my life seeking my own happiness, without interference.
I hope this helps clear some things up. Here are some resources:
Also:
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