The psychology of Putin and the dangers of 'militarized masculinity'

Russian President Vladimir Putin frequently engages in hypermasculine performances of power: Riding bare-chested on horseback through Southern Siberia, quoting song lyrics about rape in his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, hosting talks with staff and foreign dignitaries from the end of one ludicrously long desk.

The global leader's machismo has been satirized by some western media, but experts on authoritarianism and masculinity say Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine shows how ideas about gender can shape not only interpersonal conflicts but also state ones. Putin's brand of manhood – the unrestrained power and dominance found in many authoritarian regimes around the globe – can have violent, deadly and global consequences.

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"We can talk about geopolitical and geostrategic reasons for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is obviously important, but there's also a subtext that is rarely acknowledged in discussions about violence, which is that there are direct links to gender and, in this case, beliefs about manhood," said Jackson Katz, an expert on gender and violence and author of "Man Enough?: Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and the Politics of Presidential Masculinity." "This is the violence, the brutality that is associated with Putin's traditional masculine ideals. It's not just about cosplaying or a silly boy posing as a tough guy. It's not just about image and theatrics. This is actually the concrete and material brutality that is linked to those images and those narratives."

Putin's masculinity is part of his persona and crucial to his brand, something scholars who study illiberal leaders say he shares with other authoritarians across the globe, including Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines, and are reminiscent of Italy's Benito Mussolini and Germany's Adolf Hitler.

"For a hundred years machismo and hypermasculinity have been really key to the exercise of authoritarian rule," said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian at New York University who studies fascism and authoritarian leaders.

What is 'militarized masculinity'?

Lisa DiGiovanni, a professor in the Holocaust and Genocide Studies Department at Keene State College who studies state violence as social control, refers to Putin's brand of manhood as "militarized masculinity" – a term coined by political scientist Cynthia Enloe. It is rooted in demonstrations of power. Men who perform militarized masculinity believe violent force is the most effective solution to political unrest and are taught that aggression is natural and unavoidable, DiGiovanni said.

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Experts who study authoritarian regimes say militarized masculinity connects to broader issues of gender inequality, misogyny and homophobia. In 2017, Russia partially decriminalized domestic violence. It is also illegal in Russia to promote gay rights. Putin has said teaching children gender fluidity was "on the verge of a crime against humanity” and has linked gay people to pedophiles.

"Military masculinity normalizes the tough man and glorifies soldiering, which serve as unifying factors in the making of genocidal architects, perpetrators and civilian bystanders," DiGiovanni said. "It reinforces this idea that society needs to be ruled by a strong leader, and that the strong leader is absolutely a patriarchal figure – a man."

Crucial for the base, dangerous for us all

For authoritarian leaders, aggressive hypermasculinity is not ancillary, but a central part of how leaders like Putin appeal to their base. It's also why Putin appeals to some people in America who value traditional masculine power.

"Putin is a global figure, but he's seen as the guardian of white, western, patriarchal values globally," Katz said. "One of the reasons why Donald Trump admires Putin is because he sees in him the same qualities that he aspires to, which is unrestrained power and dominance and the ability to impose your will on other people."

These men not only desire dominance, but experts say they also refuse to show vulnerability. They are stubborn and proud and can be difficult to negotiate with.

"Putin has gone through a kind of public humiliation," Ben-Ghiat said. "His military has been shown to be less efficient and modernized than we thought. His propaganda apparatus has been shut down abroad. The whole world practically has united against him. So in a situation like that, unfortunately, these male leaders can become kind of nihilistic because they feel like they can't back down."

Why Russia is getting bogged down: Poor planning, low troop morale and a fierce Ukrainian resistance.

Katz said there may be a temptation to shame Putin, to punish or mock him, but it's possible for a leader like Putin that will only result in more violence. Ben-Ghiat said the only way to appeal to a leader like Putin is to give him a way to back down that allows him to maintain his belief that he is a strong man.

"I think he would only listen to another autocrat ... if he would listen to anyone at all," Ben-Ghiat said. "But the problem is they don't really back down. If you're this hypermasculine leader and you back down, that's dangerous for you politically in your own country. Someone has to find a solution that allows them to save face so they can project it as a win."

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'We've got to wean ourselves off this cult of male force'

Katz said he hopes Ukraine will be a wake-up call for some people who may have mocked or minimized Putin's masculine bravado in the past. Putin's version of manhood has material consequences for people's lives, in his own country and beyond.

Ben-Ghiat said people shouldn't write off leaders' aggressive talk as hyperbole.

"At a basic level, if someone starts talking about violence as a political candidate, we have to take those things very seriously. We need to avoid being drawn in by the glamour of these personalities and this cult of male take-charge," she said.

Men like Putin exist everywhere, she noted, but it becomes incredibly dangerous when they become heads of state.

"We've got to wean ourselves off this cult of male force and thinking that's good in our leaders," she said. "We need a different model of what it means to be a male authority. Maybe even be ready for a female one."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Putin and Ukraine invasion: Is 'militarized masculinity' to blame?