Masculine anxiety and interrupting sexism at work

Why don’t men interrupt sexism in the workplace? Catalyst research has shown that many men want to intervene and reduce sexism—yet sometimes do not. This study finds that men at work often experience “masculine anxiety”—distress over not living up to society’s rigid masculine standards.

We found that 94% of men surveyed experienced at least some degree of masculine anxiety at work, and men who experience high levels of masculine anxiety are five times more likely to do nothing to confront workplace sexism than men who experience less masculine anxiety.

Organizations must take a hard look at their culture to determine whether it perpetuates and reinforces stereotypical displays of manliness. These “combative cultures” create an atmosphere that deters men from intervening when sexism occurs. To stifle combative cultures at work, organizations should work toward creating fair and transparent policies and procedures.