The Society has made the male child almost worthless without money - Atu Nnanna

 "The society has made the male child almost worthless without money"

A male (♂) organism according to Wikipedia is the physiological sex that produces the gamete known as sperm. A male gamete can fuse with a larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization. A male cannot reproduce sexually without access to at least one ovum from a female, but some organisms can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Most male mammals, including male humans, have a Y chromosome, which codes for the production of larger amounts of testosterone to develop male reproductive organs. 

We as Africans hasn't come to assimilate the glaring fact that male species' are no long as special as they used to be, perhaps due to advancement in technology and innovations. 

It's a bit weird for such an awkward perspective to be coming from a male. But I particularly love being factual. Hence, my personal views will be greatly influenced by existing evidences and researches. 

Dating back to the 17th century in Africa when the quest for a male child was indirectly driven by environment, settlements, wars, and to some extent number.

ENVIRONMENT:

This is evident in their way of life, which was almost based on farming and fishing, with geographical location as the major deciding factor. This farming and fishing requires intense labour and strength. Of course, on the average, nature was somehow partial in favour of men in it's distribution of strength. Having stated the above, ladies were playing a supplementary role in the main means of eking out a living. This somehow demeaned their importance in the earliest age. Hence, the main responsibility of fending for the family was indirectly placed on the man of the house. This lead to the unconscious demand for more males children who will learn, perfect and possibly take after their father in near future. 

SETTLEMENT:

The ancient settlements were basically determined by proximity to adaptable ways of life. Like the closeness to rivers and streams to support their activities of farming. The highlands can be another example that influenced the situation of houses then to avoid flooding that were common at that time. Most adult males travel farther to new lands in their quest to establish authority. This most times, entails going into tick forests to assert dominance. And the laborious duty of clearing the new settlement or warding off intruding animals were hugely dependent on adult males. This contributed much to the need for males.

WARS: 

Wars among territories were quite common. This can be to keep off new settlers so they can explore other unoccupied regions, since they were solely dependent on their environment for survival. This to a large extent, involves much physical show of strength, always done by the strongest of male species. This may mean perceived stronger males, seeking out more successful locations and possibly subduing the original dwellers to enjoy the abundance nature given advantages.

NUMBER: 

This factor cannot be entirely ignored as nature pressed a demand on a male child. This is better understood by the logic of fewer numbers increases demand. The nature's probability of one Y chromosome in an average four means a lot in the dominance of males. This has made males to be in higher demand, as an average society has more females to males ratio. This indirectly accorded some social status to married men and women who were able to make more males.

CAUSES OF SUCH DECLINE IN OUR PRESENT SOCIETY

In line with the above, the place and high demands of male figures is undisputable and sacred to families. But we have since moved on from such era and have gotten very much sophisticated in almost all spheres of life. This has since driven the need for strength from male humans to machines. Which not only fits in perfectly, but can outdo humans when it comes to strength. This has also made women who can man machines to replace the need for this male figures. It is inarguable that the world has shifted to a knowledge based one, where you have a stake in it's activities once you can mentally contribute. Hence, we now live in a world were you don't need to see each other to make a living unlike before. And a new premium has been placed on who controls more money and influence. 

INDUSTRIALIZATION:

The industrialized worlds that is expected to have attained equality on sexes, have once more beamed attention to male dominance unknowingly. This is by way of business and succession. We have more social pressures on males. Here male kids are desired for reasons relating to happiness and personal well-being. As well as the expected better financial benefits to parents at old ages. Moreover, it's not a news anymore to hear or see families where the mothers carry the financial weights.

UNENDING EXPECTATIONS:

These pressures surface mainly as expectations. Some of which are the perceived widely expectations of males as less emotional beings. Where he is not expected to cry or show emotions easily. This has brought about depression that sometimes leads to suicide. It can be attested that such obsessive pressures plunges young boys into vices such as robbery, kidnapping, rituals, frauds etc.

21th century priorities has raised the importance of money to an extent, the male child seems useless without it. The comforting aura men afford their female counterparts are henceforth neglected. It has also contributed to the surge in emotional instabilities common of recent. These are often manifested in the form of personality disorders. We have overtime relegated our emotional state and comfort that we have forgotten that all we are toiling for becomes in vain if our spirit, conscience, and mind happens to be at tandem. It maybe unfair to the female gender as a whole if I fail to emphasize the fact that some financial burdens, and social securities of some families had not been shouldered by the wives, perhaps due to the demise of the husbands or irresponsibility.

This may still not be unconnected with the rising level of promiscuity and sexual unfaithfulness amongst ladies lately, due to their question for who bids the highest money for their bodies. They easily switch partner based on men's financial muscles. This has promoted the yearnings for same sex sexual affairs as the same pleasure a lady gets from his male counterpart can now be comfortably substituted as claimed by lesbians. It has turned to be a trade of body for money. Yeah, it is expected that men should redefine their importance in the current society where their physical strengths have become insignificant, the emotional and sexual completeness accorded the human race is no more appreciated. 

There has been so many instances where gender roles has been switched by way of the demands for money. Such as in the case where the job necessities of the woman demands that she spends much time in the office or her business, and that of the man allows him much time to spend at home. Still the man due to ego and traditional strictness insists he can't support the family, by playing a complementary role in the upkeeps. This is more of ignorance and toxic patriarchy, and should be highly eschewed in a 21th century world. 

I personally, was lucky to be born into a family where the man of the house doesn't believe in the sharp divide between him and my mum. He does the house chores whenever he can and opportune, he cooks sometimes and such mindset was inculcated in us. We do whatever we can in the house, gender notwithstanding. How I wish the world will understand how interdependent humans were made to be.

In conclusion, I wish to state clearly, that the intention of this review is not to claim or promote male superiority of dominance, but to highlight the need for a balanced society where honour is accorded whom it's due, as well as a seamless overlap and support for opposite sex as there is no hard or fast rule, neither are there strict roles to genders. A mutual respect and supplement of the other's weakness is key, instead of making males appear worthless without money

By: Samson Nnanna (Buffalo)

Kindly tell us what you think in the comment section, is money only the true value that is possessed by the male child