Final answer:
Anthropologists refer to the challenges and cultural expectations faced by men to establish their masculinity as the "manhood puzzle." This encompasses the complex social process of gender identity cultivation that is recognized across various cultures. The term highlights the continuous effort required to achieve and maintain a masculine identity within societal norms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anthropologists refer to the observation that in nearly all world cultures men test and prove their manhood as the "manhood puzzle." This concept reflects the common cultural challenges and expectations that men face in their journey towards masculinity and adulthood. Culture and gender studies have revealed that assertive gender identities are not simply assigned at birth but are continuously cultivated through social practices and challenges, creating a complex and often difficult pathway that individuals must navigate to be recognized as men within their communities.
Anthropologists have conducted cross-cultural research, demonstrating that masculine identity is a project that begins in childhood and continues throughout life. This is exemplified in Daniel Jordan Smith's work on Igbo communities in southeast Nigeria, detailed in his book To Be a Man Is Not a One-Day Job (2017), where the cultivation of masculinity is shown to be an ongoing process heavy with societal expectations.
The study of how men are socially constructed within their societies has led to insights about the performance of masculinity, the challenges of adhering to cultural definitions of manhood, and the potential for alternative gender categories in different cultures, emphasizing the diversity and complexity of gender roles worldwide.