We’ve all got daddy issues

Change is in the air. Imperial College has taken up recommendations to improve student satisfaction made by the Union, the Higher Education and Research Bill has just been amended, an education demo is taking place in London this weekend, and Donald Trump’s backtracking behaviour has captured the public’s imagination anew. But enough of that, this issue is the daddy issue, the issue where we explore our complex relationship with our fathers, our constant pursuit for their approval, our personal struggle: our masculinity.

Masculinity is a bizarre concept. Though I’m someone who has struggled with it their whole life I still don’t feel confident addressing it. I still think many essential elements surrounding masculinity discourse escape me. This became painfully evident whilst trying to write a feature this week, as I realised that my views on the masculine were not quite as clear in my head as I thought they were.

Regardless of my questionable attempt at creating #content, we think this is a relevant time to have some discussion on this topic, as International Men’s Day is fast approaching (19th of November), moustaches are popping up like mushrooms nationwide in an effort to combat prostate and testicular cancer (the Movember phenomenon), and the Southbank Centre is dedicating a full three days this weekend to discuss “the challenges and pressures of masculine identity” in an event aptly named Being A Man (BAM).

And we really should be talking about the masculine norms a lot of us are knowingly or unknowingly constrained by. How so many aspects of our culture, our life (especially our sex life) are affected by masculinity. How it’s not expected of us to openly and critically discuss such issues.

So, talk we shall.