Gender Polarisation and the Crisis of Integrity in Contemporary Cultures:
A Sociological Analysis of Misandry, Misogyny, and Pathways Beyond
Abstract
This paper examines the polarisation of gender roles in Western and Islamic contexts, exploring how ideological double standards undermine integrity and genuine equality. It analyses the tension between Western feminism (alleged drift toward female supremacy) and Islamic patriarchal systems of female objectification and control. Drawing from feminist theory, masculinity studies, cultural sociology, and conflict theory, the paper offers pragmatic suggestions to move beyond binary gender conflict towards integrity-based equality.
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Introduction
In modern global societies, debates around gender have become increasingly polarised. On the one hand, Western discourse, grounded historically in feminist struggle for equality, faces accusations of drifting into female supremacy and systemic misandry. On the other, Islamic societies often institutionalise forms of female repression and objectification, justified through religious doctrine. This paper analyses this duality through a sociological lens, identifying cultural, structural, and ideological roots of these tensions.
We explore how claims of equality without integrity lead to cultural contradictions, and propose pathways to realign social norms and institutions toward a model of shared responsibility and agency.
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Section I: Cultural Polarisation and Gender Double Standards
1. Islamic Objectification and Repression of Women
Islamic legal and cultural systems in some contexts prescribe gender segregation, mandatory veiling, and strict codes governing female behaviour (Mernissi, Beyond the Veil). While often framed as protection, these measures systematically limit female autonomy (Abu-Lughod, Do Muslim Women Need Saving?).
2. Western Feminism and Allegations of Female Supremacy
Western feminism, rooted in liberation and equality (de Beauvoir, The Second Sex), has been critiqued by some scholars and cultural commentators (Nathanson & Young, Legalizing Misandry) for evolving into what they term a “female supremacist” narrative: where men are collectively blamed for systemic oppression, and male suffering is dismissed or downplayed.
Claims of false allegations, biased family courts, and ideological misuse of crime statistics fuel perceptions of systemic misandry (Farrell, The Myth of Male Power). This contributes to movements such as MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way), reflecting male withdrawal from social and civic life.
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3. Misandry vs Misogyny; Feminisation vs Masculinisation
These are not mere rhetorical opposites, but culturally loaded dynamics: misogyny as institutional and cultural control over women; misandry as a cultural narrative framing men as inherently suspect or dangerous. Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity (Connell, Masculinities) helps explain how dominant gender norms marginalise both women and non-hegemonic men, while Nathanson & Young argue that “legal misandry” has institutionalised male disadvantage.
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Section II: The Integrity Gap and its Consequences
The principle of integrity implies consistency between declared ideals (equality) and lived reality (laws, norms, narratives). The paper’s central argument is that Western societies often proclaim gender equality, while permitting legal and cultural double standards that structurally disadvantage men.
Islamic frameworks, meanwhile, seek to avoid perceived Western excess by enforcing patriarchal control, resulting in repression of female agency.
The consequence of this polarisation, as outlined in the thesis, is a dystopian trajectory:
• Western men withdraw socially and demographically (Kimmel, Guyland).
• Patriarchal external forces fill the cultural vacuum, reasserting control over women.
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Section III: Pathways Beyond Polarisation — Toward Integrity-Based Equality
To address these structural and cultural contradictions, the following recommendations draw on interdisciplinary research and contemporary scholarship:
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1. Rebuild Integrity in Gender Discourse
• Reject ideological supremacy narratives (male or female).
• Embrace shared responsibility: “No. We all fight. That’s what equality is.”
• Integrate restorative justice approaches (Zehr, The Little Book of Restorative Justice) to move beyond punitive gender politics.
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2. Reform Social Policy and Law
• Ensure equal protection in domestic violence and sexual assault laws (Straus, The Gender Symmetry Debate).
• Criminalise false allegations while preserving robust victim protection.
• Establish independent statistical review boards to safeguard against ideological manipulation.
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3. Promote Male Re-Engagement
• Develop positive male identities centred on mentorship, fatherhood, and civic participation (Connell, Masculinities).
• Expand male mental health initiatives to counter social isolation (Mahalik et al., Gender Role Conflict).
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4. Recognise Women’s Agency Beyond Victimhood
• Elevate cultural narratives where women protect, lead, and build.
• Avoid narratives of inherent female vulnerability that justify paternalistic control.
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5. De-Weaponise Accusations and Ideological Policing
• Encourage due process and evidence-based adjudication.
• Support educational campaigns on the social harm of false accusations.
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6. Invest in Shared Civic Projects
• Community-driven initiatives (disaster response, environmental stewardship) as cultural laboratories for genuine gender cooperation.
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Conclusion
The cultural double standard between Western feminist discourse (as alleged to have drifted into female supremacy) and Islamic patriarchal control reflects a deeper failure of integrity in applying the principle of equality consistently.
A new paradigm — integrity-based equality — demands dismantling supremacist ideologies of all kinds and rebuilding shared responsibility and agency.
As sociological history shows, societies that fail to reconcile ideological contradiction risk polarisation and external domination. By re-centring integrity, societies can transcend gender war toward genuine mutual empowerment.
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Index of Referenced Works
Index of Referenced Works
• Beyond the Veil: Male-Female Dynamics in Modern Muslim Society — Fatima Mernissi
• Do Muslim Women Need Saving? — Lila Abu-Lughod
• The Second Sex — Simone de Beauvoir
• Legalizing Misandry: From Public Shame to Systemic Discrimination against Men — Paul Nathanson & Katherine K. Young
• The Myth of Male Power — Warren Farrell
• Masculinities — R.W. Connell
• Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men — Michael Kimmel
• The Little Book of Restorative Justice — Howard Zehr
• The Gender Symmetry Debate: The Evidence on Partner Violence by Women — Murray Straus
• Gender Role Conflict: Psychological Costs, Consequences, and an Agenda for Change — James M. O’Neil, R.W. Mahalik et al.
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