Created Image New: Toxic Debates on Science of Traditional Masculinity

Sustantive Caption: This image is created with screenshots of online responses to the new Psychological Guidelines of Boys and Men published in late 2018 by the American Psychological Association (APA).  This image aims to illustrate the ways in which scientific findings about the effects of tranditional masculinity are inaccurately interpreted on both sides, resulting in toxic debates missing the main message.  Based on deceades of research, APA presents its findings about how men's well-being and mental health outcomes can be at risk as well as strengthened.  Yet, shown by this image, the responses on the right took a leap to assume that traditional masculity is absolutely harmful, whereas responses on the left are in denial of findings pinpointing drawbacks of toxic masculinity.  Both reactions are misinterpretations and attacks on scientific endevors in current society.

Design statement: I select this image to show how science is threatened due to the circulation of toxic extreme values in current society for the following reasons:

• The image vividly shows the reactions and responses to scientific findings regarding traditional masculinity from popular media soruces 
• The image stimulates new thinkings about how and why knowledge production can be misrepresented and misinterpreted, resulting in new incapacities in the current society.
• The image offers a new way to think about how and why scientific knowledge can be writen off and being unpersuasive to the public