...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...
Words: 13647 - Pages: 55
...masculine ideology and Black men’s masculinity ideology has been measured on similar scales, data has shown that Black men tend to support traditional values of masculinity, more so than White men. Within the construct of traditional masculinities and hegemonic masculinities, R.W. Connell has provided ground-breaking research on the sociology of gender. Connell proposed the idea that masculinity has three separate components. The first component describes how individuals, regardless of whether they identify as male or female, can embody masculinity through practice. That being said, women can perform masculine characteristics because masculinity is not solely reserved for men. Secondly, this “set of practices and characteristics are only understood to be ‘masculine’ (Schippers, 2007). This second component reinforces the first idea in that masculine characteristics are not solely for men, although men often display them more. Lastly, when all people personify masculine characteristics,...
Words: 1512 - Pages: 7
...Masculinity in Hip Hop Introduction In their discourses on the same, Frith and McRobbie (1990) tackle the issue of sexuality in popular culture. As they tackle this issue, the authors focus specifically on the issue of masculinity as depicted in imagery, songs, videos, and concert tours. In the course of their work, Frith and McRobbie (1990: 374) observed a prevalent trend, which they referred to as ‘cock rock’ in their initial scholarly account. This was the reference to the dominant pattern of masculine chest-thumping as well as the aggressive and explicit portrayal of male sexuality. Later scholars also used the term hegemonic masculinity to sustain this viewpoint. Besides hegemonic masculinity, Frith and McRobbie (1990: 375) identify ‘the soft sentimentalist’ as another form of masculine sexuality, essentially a subtle evolution of the former. Sentimental masculinity appeals more to female vanity and the need for affection. The sentimentalist is charismatic and charming full of sensual flirtation aimed at luring the superficial audience. Critical observation indicates that both forms of masculine sexuality are still present in the world of Hip Hop today. In a detailed overview on the same, this paper tackles the issue of hegemonic and sentimental masculinity as evidenced in the world of Hip Hop today and the pervasive trend of aggression and sexuality in popular culture. Sexuality in Popular Culture The issue of sexuality continues to dominate the world of popular...
Words: 2101 - Pages: 9
...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...
Words: 4327 - Pages: 18
...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...
Words: 3218 - Pages: 13
...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...
Words: 1405 - Pages: 6
...Throughout media texts, most men share certain common characteristics. They are strong, stoic, protective, rational and independent, to name a few. Characters such as James Bond, Tony Soprano and most superheroes greatly exemplify many of these qualities. Reoccurring representations of men with these same attributes contribute to what is called hegemonic masculinity, or “normative male behavior” (Iftkhar, November 6, 2014). This stereotype causes the audience to associate certain qualities with men. Gotham, a new television series that creatively divulges the backstories of Batman and his most famous rivals, appeals to a male audience and represents masculinity in the classic ways. Through both character illustration and dialogue, Gotham portrays most of its male characters as strong, aggressive, and independent protectors, reinforcing the conception of hegemonic masculinity. At the same time, the show also presents characters who challenge or pervert those norms exploring invalidity of the stereotype. The city of Gotham is in bad shape. Crime lords rule and have made deals with the Gotham County Police Department to keep it that way. For example, some doctors work on the black market to treat criminals and police officers agree not to arrest them in exchange for information about the patients they see. In addition to structured crime, strange murders frequently occur in the city. James Gordon, newly appointed police homicide detective and son of former district attorney...
Words: 2323 - Pages: 10
...I will be explaining the following: radical feminism; marxist feminism; hegemonic masculinity;gender;homophobia;misogyny; rape culture; and Heterosexism. I have focused on these six terms because they highlight how sexuality and gender are categorized culturally and in our Western Capitalist society, causing women to be oppressed. I have focused on the previously mentioned feminist theories because they focus on a male dominated society that encourages unrealistic gender stereotypes. Also, these theories explain how women experience discrimination and unfair disadvantages. Radical Feminism Radical Feminism relates to the idea that women are being dominated in a male driven patriarchal society. Oppression of women has been engrained into the structure of society is reinforced through areas like motherhood,family, the state. Radical feminism indicates that we live in patriarchal society that sexualizes women and never allows them to be an authority figure. It affects women on a global scale and continues to build a prioritized system that continuously gives men dominant power and control. Women cannot seek help through the system because it is biased and controls women’s sexuality. Social dominance allows privileges to be given out according to gender and basically states women should not be in control of their own bodies and men are connected to power. Women are prone to unjust treatment and every aspect of their lives in shaped around male dominance. Women are put in a...
Words: 2925 - Pages: 12
...Every spring avid sports fans look forward to the biggest college basketball tournament of the year, most commonly known as March Madness. This competition consists of both men’s and women’s NCAA basketball teams who compete in hopes of making it to the respected and heavily televised Final Four. The Final Four is the last game for each remaining team before the National Championship game, where the two deserving teams are matched up against each other. This series of competition creates a rich supply of content for sports media networks to influence viewer’s values and attitudes. Networks have become increasingly knowledgeable and schematic in using sport entertainment as a way to promote their ideologies, values, commercialization and interpretations of sport. Studies have found that people turn to sports in the media for entertainment. The different forms of media are evolving and moving in a more prevalent direction than they have been in the past. With the explosive growth of internet users in the past decade, media companies have created a domain where they can input their interpretations of sporting events and coverage. These domains have become dominated by the 18-34-year-old demographic (Kian, Mondello & Vincent 2009) who use websites such as ESPN, the most widely used website for obtaining sports related news (Lefton, 2006 as cited in Battenfield, Redmond & Ridinger 2014), and Sports Illustrated to read about upcoming games, watch live coverage, or get the low...
Words: 4713 - Pages: 19
...punishable by law. It is a 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...
Words: 707 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 2781 - Pages: 12
...attribution to recognizable performances of roles and gendered and sexualized performances (Giltrow 276). According to Delph-Janiurek, voices are limited within the confines of certain societal hegemonic norms. He explains that the relationship between voices and bodies is not necessarily physiological; voices are vocal “performances”. There exists a pre-established gender duality within society, in which masculinity and the “male” voice is associated with the male body, and femininity and the “female” voice is associated with the female body. Thus, what is considered to be a “natural” voice is merely a choice made by an individual as to which of the two sides of duality they identify with more (Gamson). This choice is a representation of a gendered and sexualized identity that is influenced by discourse. Gender norms dictate that males identify with the more masculine voice, with a lower pitch and only slight increases in intonation. The stereotypical female voice, on the other hand, is more high pitched, with more variation in intonation (Bonds-Raacke). With this in consideration, Delph Janiurek’s thesis is that voices have a “geography”, and that they can be authored in a certain way within certain societal “spaces” (Giltrow 276). In other words, certain situations demand misperformance of hegemonic gender roles in the form of voice alteration. Delph-Janiurek’s argument is limited in the sense that it does not conduct enough research into different types of social roles in order to...
Words: 2318 - Pages: 10
...Outline and assess sociological explanations of gender difference in patterns of crime. In this essay, I am going to assess the patterns of crime committed by males and females. Many general theories tend to neglect gender as a factor influencing criminality. There is a common assumption that males often commit more crime than women. The study of criminology have tended to be dominated by males, therefore the studies are done by men about men. The official statistics suggest that gender is perhaps the most significant single factor in whether an individual is convicted of crime. The official statistics often comply with the common assumption that men commit more crimes then women. According to official statistics, in 2005, 1.8 million offenders were guilty in which 79% were male and 7% of these were aged fewer than 18. The ratio of male offenders to female offenders is four to one. The highest rates of offending for the most serious crimes were 17 year olds for males and 15 year olds for females. Pollak (1950) argued that official statistics on gender and crime were highly misleading. He claimed that statistics underestimated the extent of female criminality. Pollack claimed to have identified crimes that are usually committed by women but which are likely to go unreported. According to him, nearly all offences of shoplifting and all criminal abortion were carried out by women. Many unreported crimes are committed by female domestic servants. Pollack accepted official definitions...
Words: 2222 - Pages: 9
...Defining Masculinity Masculinity is what it means to be a man which I think is not such a simple thing” (Grey Beyer) Being a man or a woman is the biological sex of a person, it is a descriptive biological concept. It is a physical and bodily nature but being masculine or feminine includes a mix of behaviours, characteristics and beliefs. Our society usually associates masculine traits with a boy or man and feminine traits with a girl or woman. Our cultures teaches men and women to be completely the opposite of each other. Pezzote (2008) tries to explains that when people refer what a ‘real man’ is in the everyday sense they actually combine four things together. • Biological sex ( Male and female reproductive organs) • Gender expression (How gender is expressed whether as masculine or feminine) • Gender identity ( The inner sense of being a man or woman) • Sexual orientation ( Straight or gay) When we combine these four categories it creates the perception that a biological male, masculine and hetereosexual and who identifies himself as a man is the norm to which all the other types of men should aim. Different types of masculinities Just like in societies...
Words: 591 - Pages: 3
...Crime is the when an individual or group commit an act against the law. Deviance is an act that is against the social norm and is labelled as deviant. Official statistics have proven that 80% of all crimes are committed by males. However the study of criminology have tended to be dominated by males, therefore the studies are done by men about men. The official statistics suggest that gender is perhaps the most significant single factor in whether an individual is convicted of crime. The official statistics often comply with the common assumption that men commit more crimes then women. According to official statistics, in 2005, 1.8 million offenders were guilty in which 79% were male and 7% of these were aged fewer than 18. The ratio of male offenders to female offenders is four to one. The highest rates of offending for the most serious crimes were 17 year olds for males and 15 year olds for females. Pollak (1950) argued that official statistics on gender and crime were highly misleading. He claimed that statistics underestimated the extent of female criminality. Pollack claimed to have identified crimes that are usually committed by women but which are likely to go unreported. According to him, nearly all offences of shoplifting and all criminal abortion were carried out by women. Many unreported crimes are committed by female domestic servants. Pollack accepted official definitions of crime when he pointed out all the offences of prostitution that were not reported. He...
Words: 2210 - Pages: 9
