▁weapon ▁of ▁war ▁and ▁contribute ▁to ▁ide als ▁of ▁mascul inity ▁in ▁American ▁culture . ▁ ▁Similarly , ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁post - conf lict ▁Cy pr us , ▁GC ▁h eg em onic ▁mascul inity ▁was ▁broad ly ▁about ▁bra very , ▁the ▁army ▁and ▁keeping ▁alive ▁the ▁‘ f ight ing ▁spirit ’ ▁for ▁the ▁liber ation ▁of ▁Northern ▁Cy pr us ▁through ▁protest ▁and ▁defence . ▁Em body ing ▁bra very , ▁determ ination , ▁mach ismo , ▁the ▁sub ord ination ▁of ▁women ▁and ▁a ▁taste ▁for ▁guns ▁were ▁key ▁aspects ▁for ▁ach ieving ▁GC ▁mascul inity . ▁▁ ▁Military ▁pro w ess ▁has ▁been ▁cru cial ▁to ▁understand ings ▁of ▁contemporary ▁mascul inity ▁in ▁European ▁and ▁American ▁culture . ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁soldiers ▁who ▁experienced ▁shell - sh ock ▁were ▁seen ▁as ▁fail ures ▁of ▁mascul inity , ▁unable ▁to ▁with stand ▁war ▁as ▁the ▁ult imate ▁task ▁of ▁man lin ess . ▁The ▁maintenance ▁of ▁military ▁life ▁re lies ▁on ▁the ▁ideas ▁about ▁men ▁and ▁man lin ess ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁ideas ▁about ▁women ▁and ▁femin inity , ▁included ▁not ions ▁of ▁the ▁fallen ▁women ▁and ▁patri otic ▁mother hood . ▁For ▁example , ▁post - conf lict ▁Cy pr us ▁is ▁conce ived ▁as ▁femin ine ▁and ▁in ▁need ▁of ▁protection , ▁a ▁disc ourse ▁that ▁was ▁respond ed ▁to ▁vis - à - vis ▁with ▁high ▁levels ▁of ▁militar isation . ▁ ▁Women ▁have ▁been ▁mobil ized ▁during ▁times ▁of ▁war ▁to ▁perform