...From novels to history, males have always played a pertinent, and occasionally overbearing, role in the world around us. In the past, they have been depicted as domineering social figures in a patriarchal world. Now, as times change, people are trying to look more into the struggles that men face regarding their own identity and masculinity. One such person is Dr. Michael Kimmel, a sociologist who works to uncover the dynamics of becoming a man and what it means to be a man. He documents his collection of such experiences in Guyland and analyzes the thought process of many young men go through when determining their own worth. These complex encounters of sociability, sexuality, and masculinity parallel to Richard Blanco and his memoir, The Prince of Los Cocuyos. Richard must battle with his family’s immigration, conforming, and all the negative repercussions of doing so, or not. His thoughts of maintaining a strong mental and physical appearance, to friends and family, troubles him as he tries to explore his differences. Although everyone faces...
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...Comparisson of Masculinity and the Psychoanalytic theories using the example of the Fight Club. Introduction. Fight club is an interesting film to be reflected through psychoanalytic and masculinity theories. In this essay I will attempt to present the number of elements of narrative that can be explained by these theories. I intend to use citations from Marc A. Price's essay The Fight for Self: The Language of the Unconscious in Fight club regarding psychoanalytical concepts such as ego, super-ego and the id as well as Lynn M. Ta's dissertation Hurt So Good: Fight Club, Masculine Violence, and the Crisis of Capitalism (regarding masulinity in the film), as these works were the main sources of my research. Then I'll try to come to the conclusion on which of two theories have more strength at being applied to films (primarily Fight Club). Application of theories and analysis. The connection that we shall draw between psychoanalytic theory and the film Fight Club is simple and is this; the narrator is a representation of the ego, for Tyler Durden we can substitute the id. In the Freudian psychic model the ego is the civilized part of consciousness. The ego is that part of the psychic apparatus that is modified so that a being can interact safely with other beings and thus remain accepted within the social group. It is important for identity formation that the individual is accepted by the group (that is wider society) therefore, a controlled id is...
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...Masculinity and Class in Media The Media consistently uses the power of masculinity and class to entertain and increase profits. The public either buy into these depictions or find them repulsive. The media continues this lucrative behavior because it reflects everyday images and the lives of many viewers. This week’s assigned readings demonstrate how the white male working-class buffoon and white and black male masculinity create negative images that are embraced by certain audiences. The articles describe examples of how masculinity and class are incorporated into the creative ideas in Hollywood. As consumers we either accept these views or choose not to participate. Other than activist groups, the public at large rarely demands alternative programming and advertisements. “Ralph, Fred, Archie, Homer and the King of Queens: Why television keeps re-creating the white male working-class buffoon”, Butsch, describes the differences between Hollywood’s portrayals of buffoon heads of household in shows such as I Love Lucy and The Brady Brunch and the irresponsible heads of household in The Flintstones and The Simpsons. In addition, “Advertising and the Construction of Violet White Masculinity: From Eminem to Clinique for Men”, Katz, explains Hollywood’s utilization of violet behavior by action adventure actors such as Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis. Consequently, “The White Man’s Burden: Gonzo Pornography and the Construction of Black Masculinity”...
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...The purpose of this paper is to explain the following terms in detail: radical feminism; socialist feminism; rape; masculinities; violence; sexual harassment; biology is not destiny; and negative feminist stereotypes. I have chosen to discuss the two feminist theories that were previously mentioned due to the fact that they both focus heavily on the oppression of men in society, as well as the evident gender division between the sexes. I have chosen to focus on the six concepts that were previously mentioned because they focus on how women are oppressed, and mistreated in society. Radical Feminism Radical feminism supports the idea that patriarchy is the main form of oppression women face. The goal of radical feminism is the elimination of patriarchy. From a radical feminist perspective, women are oppressed in three main ways or areas: the state, the nuclear family, and through reproduction and mothering. Radical feminism also suggests that the lack of control women have over their own bodies and own reproduction is central to oppression. Radical feminists aim towards eliminating sexual, as well as physical violence against women (Calixte et al., 2009). The significance of radical feminism is that it focuses on what is seen as the major oppressors in our culture. Moreover, radical feminism opens our eyes to male dominance and how it has been highly normalized. It alerts us to how ‘normal’ or common images from pornography reduce women to sexual objects. Moreover, it makes...
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...BULLYING BOYS: AN EXAMINATION OF HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY IN THE PLAYGROUND Dr L Trickett1 ABSTRACT Violence between young men, particularly resulting from the emergence of a so called ‘gun and knife culture’, is currently subject to extensive media coverage in UK2. Alongside this there has been increased anxiety about both the scale and impact of bullying in schools (Cawson et al, 2002; Tyler, 2002). These issues form part of a more generalised concern about men and boys in Britain often referred to as a ‘crisis of masculinity’ (see Clare, 2000). This article examines findings from research with male respondents about their relationship with hegemonic masculinity (Connell, 1987, 1989, 1995, 2005) and bullying whilst at school and makes suggestions as to what can be done to tackle abusive behaviour amongst boys and young men. 1 Dr Loretta Tricket is a Senior Lecturer and researcher with the Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University, UK. 2 See Lockhart, G; McClory, J and Qvortrup, M. (2007) Gun and Knife Crime in Great Britain, Policy Exchange, Research Note. Knife crime is a fact of life for teenagers (Bryony Gardon, telegraph.co.uk, 31 May 2008). 2 Introduction This article is in five parts. Part One outlines the theoretical background to the research. Part Two describes the methodology and the participants. Part Three discusses different types of bullying and the factors that were associated with them. Part Four discusses resistance...
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...became the first open gay player to enter the NFL draft and eventually would be selected in the draft by the St. Louis Rams. He announced he was gay back in February and ever since them he was the main focal point of the NFL up until the Draft. The main point of this paper is to take basic ideologies such as masculinity, violence, Race, Gender, sexuality or meritocracy, and use these ideologies to analyze how the media portrays Michael Sam. Another point that will be touched upon is how the news media and sport media have different ways of portraying Michael Sam in the media. Methods: The first thing I did to conduct my research was to find 10 media sources that were related to how the media portrayed Michael Sam. In these 10 media sources I was looking for different types of ideologies and how the media used these articles to describe Michael Sam. Once I found 10 media Articles I needed to find 2 more Academic articles. It was going to be hard to find an Academic article on Michael Sam because he announced he was gay in February, so I improvised. When searching for my academic articles I searched for sources that would be associated with Michael Sam such as black masculinity, or an article on changing the way sport reporters examine gay athletes. These articles don’t necessarily talk about Michael Sam but they help give a better...
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...relative term dependent on different societies and their norms and values; what is considered deviant also changes over times, for example it used to be considered deviant for women to smoke, whereas now that is accepted (western). There is a clear relationship between gender and crime according to official statistics. It has been revealed that men about six or seven times more likely to offend than women. In self-report studies the figures are not as large, however, men are still in the majority. Also when we look at victims of crime it appears that men are more likely to be victims of crime than women. Messerschmidt says young men want to conform to the dominant form of masculinity which he called ‘hegemonic masculinity’. It’s the idealised form which is ‘defined through work in the paid labour market, the subordination of women, heterosexist and the uncontrollable sexuality of men’, (It’s a form of masculinity that most men aim to accomplish and is prized and prestigious). Messerschmidt argues that different men use crime and deviance to accomplish prestigious hegemonic masculinity. Depending on their status and class position, different men attempt to accomplish this masculinity in different ways. Young Middle class males are usually able to demonstrate some form of masculinity through success at school/college, while some assert their masculinity outside of school through vandalism, theft and heavy drinking, they are able to avoid negative labelling due to their affluent background...
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...The play seemingly complicates the first scene’s public masculinity through Benvolio’s challenge towards the violence, but his failure to resist demonstrates how alternative masculine identities fail. Once the initial fight concludes and Benvolio and Tybalt join the fray, Benvolio encourages the men to “[p]ut up [their] swords” (1.1.70). Here, Benvolio attempts to stop the violence, which complicates the notion that all men must publicly perform violent behavior. By publicly taking this stance, Benvolio positions himself against societal norms and expectations, which places him at risk for society to view him as less masculine. The Courtier notes how deviations and failures to achieve traditional notions of masculinity result in society viewing...
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...Violence from a gender view what role does masculinity play in Ethiopia context. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Main concepts in feminist approach 3. Hegemonic masculinity theory 4. The subculture of violence in peace and conflict 5. The perception on gender versus sex in Ethiopia 6. Gendered dynamics of violence 6.1 Masculinities and violence 6.2 Femininities and violence 7. Conclusion 8. References 1. Introduction The paper critically evaluate the theory which claims that violence has a strong gender dimension and what role does masculinity play in violence. There are feminist theories and assumptions regarding the societal construction of gender, as it is divided into two major categories...
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...Masculinity in ‘Death of a Salesman’ In Arthur Miller’s play ‘Death of a Salesman’, masculinity, and indeed the characters’ perceptions of it, is a key theme. Willy Loman is the patriarch of his family, and as was the norm at the time, he feels he alone has to provide for his family. In the 1950’s the traditional version of the ‘American Dream’ was being altered by newfound consumerism, and therefore Willy is caught between two worlds, unable to provide for his family as well as he would like. Therefore, Willy feels he doesn’t live up to what he should be doing as a man. Throughout the play, Willy demonstrates the intense social pressures felt by men during this time. At the beginning of the play, Willy’s career as a salesman is coming to a bitter end. With his mind and body deteriorating from age and years of disappointment, Willy is in denial of his continued failure which he has been attempting to cover up for many years, for instance when he vastly exaggerates how much he made on his trip in his first flashback, initially claiming to have made “five hundred gross in Providence and seven hundred gross in Boston”, before conceding that he actually only made “roughly two hundred gross on the whole trip”. In this instance, and indeed throughout the play, Willy is trying to preserve his waning sense of masculinity, which has taken a devastating blow at the hands of drastic economic changes in the 1950’s. With the rise of catalogues and shopping malls, success has come to...
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...TITLE: outline and assess sociological explanations for gender difference in patterns of crime. What is the relationship between crime and masculinity? Crime can be described as an act that harmful to an individual as well as the society; such acts are against and punishable by the law. While deviance can be described as acting against social norms, for example a boy wearing a skirt would be out of place in the society The sex role theory states that, when young males and females are younger they socialise in different ways, resulting in young males being more reckless and neglectful. There are several sociologist and different versions of the sex theory. Edwin Sutherland stated that the gender difference when it comes to socialisation is very obvious. Girls are treated with more supervision and control, while boys are treated not as strict as the girls and are emboldened to take more risk to be tough, which makes boys more inclined and a higher tendency of committing crimes. Talcott parsons believes that there are clear gender roles in a nuclear family, where the father performs the instrumental role which portrays him as a leader and provider, while the mother performs the expressive role of providing emotional support and talking of the children. For girls, because their female role model who is their mother is always available unlike for boys who don’t not have as much access to the male figure in their lives (the father) because traditionally the father would be at work...
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...movie Fight Club directed by David Fincher demonstrates the means of gender inequality throughout the film. Fight club presents the view of Marla Singer being a low life character, Robert also known as “Bob” being an over dramatic character because the removal of his testicals characterize him more women like and the violence symbolically revealing nature's way of dominance. Fight Club conveys manhood and masculinity and the unimportance of women through the duration of the film. Marla Singer was the only main character played by a women in the film which shows the gender roles. Throughout...
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...Explain how theories of masculinity have transformed the sociology of the family? Finbarr Lawton, University College Cork, Department of Sociology. Student Number: 111310236, Module title/code: Sociology of Family, SC2026, Module Coordinator: Linda Connolly Submission Date: 14/1/13 Throughout my essay I will attempt to look at different theories of masculinity and try to show how these theories have transformed the sociology of family in recent decades. I will start by looking at the sociology of family, giving a brief insight into the main theory’s and how it helps us to understand what the sociology of family is essentially about. Following on from this I will look at masculinity giving the main ideas of it and how it has changed and shifted roles in past decades. Before going into detail about masculinity and how it has changed by looking at theories of fatherhood, work, and unemployment and Hegemonic masculinity. Finally I will finish by looking at the main advantages and disadvantages of this change in masculinity in recent decades looking also at how it has changed the sociology of family. When looking at the sociology of family we see that it is an extremely broad field of study and can really be split into four main theories of which to look at the sociology of family, these being: 1. “Functionalist theory: Looks at the essential tasks provided by the family e.g. Socialisation: Regulation of sexual activity. Social placement: Material and emotional...
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...This film represents and analyzes all understanding of the concept associated with masculinity. The main idea of this film is "What does it mean to be a man in America? » In every culture, it is very important to be a man. The concept of a man or masculinity is manifestation of strong, domineering, powerful character. Coach Ehrmann says that masculinity can be divided into three categories such as athletic ability, economic success and sexual conquest. The division into masculinity and femininity has been going on since childhood and parents take a big part in this, for example, many boys in their childhood hear "stop crying" or "stop acting like a girl." By these phrases, one can understand that weakness and excessive emotionality are not...
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...Ashley Sanchez SOC325 Gender and Masculinities A. Lobo 7 February 2015 Journal Entry #2 In today’s reading masculinity was discussed and deciphered. To understand the ideals and beliefs connected to masculinity, Connell starts by explaining the history of the male gender. By first acknowledging that men were considered the bold hunters at the beginning of time, to then recognizing conventional middle class men as the breadwinners, hyper-male attributes that are attached to masculinity can be further understood. Thus, social roles play a significant part in motivating such stereotypes and concepts. Hegemonic masculinity, argued as the most common, also enables men to disregard their complexities and accept such expectations. This hegemony enables a division of labor, resulting in contrasting power relations between females and males. However, recognizing that femininity and masculinity are not just simple opposites further proves the notion that there is no pattern within masculinity. Connell provides extensive research and debates that offer evidence of men experiencing conflicting ideals and principles during their adulthood, as well as different cultures and their diverse ideals of masculinity. I particularly enjoyed the debates brought by the feminist theorists and the gay community. These critical comparisons enabled us to further comprehend masculinity concepts and flawed ideas, such as those brought forward by pop psychologists, who only offered simplified views...
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