Alternatively, society ascribes agency to men in a way it doesn't to women, and so men are less likely to blame external factors or expect support.
This is exactly what men are told.
One good example where the difference can be demonstrated clearly is forums devoted to dating questions. A lot of people come there to whine and they get very different responses depending on gender. Guys almost always get something along the lines of "be more confident, go to gym, be more interesting, etc", while girls gets reassured that they are totally fine, just not lucky yet