The Pros And Cons Of Masculinity
Masculinity, according to Kimmel (1994), is not a manifestation of our inner-self but rather a social construct consisting of attributes and behaviors associated with boys and men that are a part of historical culture. While masculinity can vary across the globe depending on cultures, Western society’s common masculinity traits include dominance, assertiveness, sexual ability, and intelligence (cite). Masculinity, from a Western view, has been too narrow, making young men’s interests less valuable by the evolving social conditions in which they live (Clayton, Hewitt, & Gaffney, 2004).
From the framework of masculinity, there has been a shift into hypermasculinity, which is an overemphasis and exaggerated adherence to the traditional male gender roles
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Hegemony, according to Kimmel and Davis (2011) is “the process of influence where we learn to earnestly embrace a system of beliefs and practices that essential harm us, while working to uphold the interests of others who have power over us” (p. 9). This means that hegemonic masculinity has specific forms of masculinity, and those that do not embody the most aligned societal forms of masculinity are seen as less than or “others” (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005). This hegemonic masculinity happens due to men having a fear for anything that would be considered feminine. A reasoning behind such fear could be the result from a young man’s lack of emotional relationship with his father (Disney et al., 2015). While certain masculinities can be viewed as positive based on the attributes it comes with, it also can be viewed as negative for men that do not embody what is seen as normally masculine. This, in turn, would make them the “other”, which in this case would be feminine. The “other” or being “othered” means that a person is different than society’s norms and one or more of their salient social identities are not a part of the dominant social group
Bros Before Hos The Guy Code Analysis
154 Words | 1 PagesIn discussing the many facets of masculinity among young men, one key issue has been the correlation it has with several developmental concerns. In Michael Kimmel’s 2008 publication “Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code”, he talks about how men believe manhood is really achieved. More specifically, he talks about “Guy Code”, the universal rulebook that all men must follow if they wish to remain in good standing among their fellow man. These rules are taught as early as their toddler years.
Robert Jensen The High Cost Of Manliness Summary
714 Words | 3 PagesSociety should not base masculinity with these traits since it is learned by observation and demonstration, and this leads men to disconnect their emotions. The author is trying to take away the blindfold on society's eyes because there is an injustice towards men and woman. These aspects of masculinity are how men are taught to be, but if we remove, eliminate, or ignore those aspects and misconceptions men will express their emotions openly without having to restrict themselves and be able to fit in society or at least feel like they are a part of the society. As you can see these views make men disconnect with their emotional side Jensen mentions this when he gives the example of his friend that worked on Wall Street and his friend described it as “coming to work as like walking into a knife fight when all the good spots along the wall were taken” (131). If we stop identifying masculinity as conquest, men would stop trying to be competitive, dominant, and even violent men might not need to always be on their guard to keep this appearance all the
Masculinity In Macbeth And The Mask You Live In
1300 Words | 6 PagesMasculinity has been a heated debated topic over the past years. Not just america or europe, but our whole society. Men tend to think that entering manhood is a good thing, but most don’t know it can be just as detrimental to our society. Men have certain characteristic when it concerns to masculinity and when doing so it can have a range of effects. So, how do men identify themselves masculine and how do they define themselves that way?
Spongebob Gender Roles
1332 Words | 6 PagesWhat constitutes “masculinity?” Sadly, the term has been defined so harshly that it is having detrimental effects on our society. The definitions of gender roles bombard us everywhere, from books, to advertisements, to movies, there is seemingly no place one can hide from these absurd standards. Canadian sociologist Aaron H. Devor points out in his article “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender,” that gender norms are learned early on in life, burdening children with these restrictions (388). This is what makes movies which clearly reject and mock gender roles, such as The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, so refreshing.
Michael Kimmel's Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code
967 Words | 4 PagesHistory has repeatedly given men privilege due to their physical advantages; yet it is these same advantages that have developed into “rules” or expectations that all men should conform to in order to prove their manhood. Michael Kimmel’s essay, “‘Bros Before Hos': The Guy Code” outlines the “rules” where men are expected to never show any emotions, be brave, act knowledgeable, be risk takers, be in control, act reliable, and be competitive, otherwise they would be showing weakness which is analogous to women. It is humiliating that men associate weakness with women; they should focus on the potential of the individual rather than their gender. Most insults toward men attack their masculinity because society finds it shameful for men to be
Jackson Katz Masculinity
1322 Words | 6 PagesOver time, the thought patterns of many individuals mould to believe only one perception of what is morally acceptable— a perception that is completely faulty. The ideology of the male body and demeanor is only one of the many societal norms constructed by the media, and it alone can result in mental health fatalities, mass violence, or the mere elimination of self-identity whilst attempting to meet the ever-changing ideals of masculinity. The continuous and stereotypical depiction of masculinity in the media has idealized invulnerability, toughness and physical strength as the sole qualities of a ‘true man’. As a result, the complexity of masculinity is flattened, and immense pressures are placed on individuals to meet requirements that are entirely faulty. According to Katz, cultures, topics, and even genders are not one-dimensional; in order to fully comprehend the meaning the entirety of something, one must look at more than its representation in the media.
African American Gender Roles
1826 Words | 8 PagesRather than a single standard of masculinity to which all men and boys are taught to aspire to, studies have documented a variety of masculinity that define manhood differently across racial , ethnic, class, sexual , and regional boundaries.(Kathleen Blee) In this quote the author states that due to intersectional differences, different racial groups of men might have different definitions on what it means to be masculine and what it means to perform masculinity. Gender roles are also modified by life experiences over time across racial groups. In the next images I presented are all images of my guy friends and cousins. More specifically they are all images of African American males in my life choosing to participate in gender and masculinity.
False Masculinity In Season Of Life
409 Words | 2 PagesNow with the evolution of technology the false masculinity has gotten even worse. In today’s society you are now compared by the technology you have, if you have a phone or not, your relationships with girls, what music you
Masculinity As Homophobia Analysis
1394 Words | 6 Pages“Masculinity as Homophobia” an article by S. Kimmel, that talks about how men these days have the fear of being judged and ranked based on their manhood. There are some arguments that the Professor mentions and uses in his article that supports his argument and some experiences from other people 's perspective in life of men over the years. The author’s main argument is about how men these days are being watched and judged closely based on how they walk, talk, eat, dress, move and look like. The author explains how the world is judging men and how it tries to take that power and that pride of being a man.
Summary Of Talking To Boys The Way We Talk To Girls By Andrew Reiner
701 Words | 3 Pages“Talking to Boys the Way We Talk to Girls” by Andrew Reiner argues that boys are being taught a message of masculinity that is becoming detrimental for their emotional development. Andrew Reiner says that, contrary to how we are raised, men are actually more emotional than women. This contradicts society's portrayal of men, which says men need to be tough due to the harshness of society. Reiner shows how this message of masculinity is perpetuated by our parents. Fathers focus on achievement driven words of theirs sons, which is contrary to mothers and their daughters.
Compulsive Heterosexuality
731 Words | 3 PagesPascoe claims that “masculinizing discourses and practices extend beyond male bodies,” and that the fluid practices, rituals, and discourses that make up masculinity can be enacted by and affect males and females, and a multiplicity of institutions (9). Masculinity and compulsive heterosexuality are immutably linked, creating a reciprocal situation in which boys will assert their masculinity to prove their heterosexual and dominant identity, as well as prove their heterosexual dominance in order to affirm their
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower Analysis
1817 Words | 8 PagesThe analysis of hegemonic masculinity, age induced frustration and restrictions, and the discourse of innocence will be defined and elaborated on. Finally, a comparison between the socio-cultural and developmental lenses of youth analysis, the unique view they each offer and my personal experience using the socio-cultural lens, will be discussed. Hegemony is synonymous to leadership and dominance. During lecture, hegemony was described as a power structure that influences consent without coaxing or force. Furthermore, as this concept of power is rooted into institutions and social structures, the effortless compliance of society creates a status quo along with a
Toxic Masculinity In Media
1492 Words | 6 PagesThere is a lot of pressure on men in society to be manly; however, what exactly does it mean to be manly? Though many people have different opinions, a lot of them conclude that a man has to be strong and somewhat emotionless to be considered a man. This assumption can lead to Toxic Masculinity, which is “A false idea that men are expected to be as manly as possible” (The Hard, Adrenaline-Soaked Truth About 'Toxic Masculinity, 2017). Men are forced to face these assumptions not only from those around him, but also from people he might see in Media. Media reinforces Toxic Masculinity which in turn causes men to belittle women.
Essay On Masculinity
1064 Words | 5 PagesMasculinity (also called boyhood, manliness or manhood) is a set of attributes, behaviors and roles generally associated with boys and men. But the culture doesn’t end at the definition, it starts from there. The first thing to come to mind when the word masculinity is heard is usually a man flexing his gigantic muscles, as the word might sound to suggest, and that right there is the current culture of masculinity because sadly, in the world we live in, not everyone has a “muscular body”. So far we know the concept of masculinity, but the culture is what is truly hampering.
Feminism Vs Masculinity
988 Words | 4 PagesMasculinity refers to the qualities, personality traits and roles that are associated with the male gender. In the 21st century, there has been a movement, a drive in the more socially aware sections of the world to equalize or balance out masculinity and femininity. Feminism or, at least the main stream feminism aims to find equality for the females in social, political and economical fields. Even today, as we work forward to find a middle ground for the two genders, masculinity is seen as the superior quality that only men are privileged to have. Hence, main stream feminism is so focused on emancipating women by encouraging them to let go of the ‘weaker’ feminine qualities and roles and fit themselves in a Man’s world by embracing masculinity
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