What if it was exhausting to live up to the ideals of masculinity? From Antiquity to the present day, this is the story of virility.

Could the so-called crisis of masculinity be an attempt to reinforce the gender hierarchy, with women subordinated to men? Are masculinists threatened by female emancipation?

In the world of work and politics alike, masculine values forge our imagination and influence behaviour. Is the extreme competition in some sectors evidence of a toxic masculine culture? And can we overcome it?