Scottish male ideal 'no longer viable'

The traditional Scottish male ideal - that of a competitive and emotionally detached man - is no longer viable in the modern age, it has been claimed. Writing for the Radio Scotland Blog, Chartered Psychologist Dr Ewan Gillon noted the idea of the 'tough guy' still holds firm in many parts of Scottish society.

Dr Gillon explained this view, which emphasises aggression and hard living, often has a darker edge and can promote violence - with Scotland having one of the highest rates of male-on-male homicide in Western Europe.

He said the Scottish man appears to be in crisis, noting this is ultimately because of the "beliefs and ideals we have about what it means to be 'male' that structure the choices we make about what to do in any given set of circumstances".

These male gender role beliefs can result in men acting in ways that can be self-defeating, Dr Gillon added.

Dr Gillon has previously given a lecture on the subject as part of the British Psychological Society's Division of Counselling Psychology's Annual Conference.

This year the Division of Counselling Psychology are holding their free open lecture Modern Childhood – Is Still 'Toxic'? at the Wessex Suite in the Thistle Grand Hotel on Saturday July 16th from 12:00-13:00. Further information can be found at www.bps.org.uk/toxicchildhood