My experience visiting Europe was that European men are very effeminate, although my opinion may be harsh as I am from a somewhat rural area of Canada where men still act like cowboys. I think LeBrok would agree with me as he lives in the same general vicinity. In my experiences here with immigrants from Europe (much less so for Germans) they tend to learn very quickly that public displays of emotion are severely frowned upon and touching others is considered rude and will make you a social pariah. Even accidental touching warrants a "Sorry" here which is a hallmark of our culture. Canadians are different from Americans in that if you behave improperly in America Americans will make it a point to say something to you and point it out so people from other cultures quickly learn what is and isn't acceptable. Alternatively in Canada if someone behaves in an unacceptable manner Canadians just make it a point to avoid that person.
Motzart, I've enjoyed many of your posts on genetics, but I have to say that I don't find this comment very insightful in terms of the topic.
There is nothing "effeminate" about men being expressive and emotional with one another. In fact, if I wanted to be inflammatory, I could post studies to the effect that men who have a phobia about being touched affectionately by other men often harbor secret homosexual tendencies. However, I am taking my new duties seriously, and I don't want to be inflammatory.
Plus, I don't think the science on that is actually all that sound to be honest, and such phobias are often also just a function of extreme youth.
I do think, however, that there is something to be said for the fact that men who
are affectionate and expressive often are, indeed, very comfortable in their masculinity, and that men who are more insecure about it can sometimes overcompensate by trying to project what they
think is a super "masculine" persona. I might also add that for many women, that combination in men of strength and masculinity with tenderness and emotional availability is devastatingly attractive, and indeed irresistible.
I'll give you an example with which you might be familiar, given the mania of Americans for Mafia movies. Think about the depiction of the men in a movie like "The Godfather", for example. I've said before, and I'll say again that I think Mario Puzo and Coppola romanticized them. Many of them are far more like Tataglia than they are like Vito Corleone. Be that as it may, the portrayal in terms of speech patterns, body language, expressiveness, family relationships, etc. is an extremely accurate representation of these Italian-Americans. Do you find anything remotely effeminate about these men? I sure don't.