How Is The Feminine And The Masculine Defined In Asia?

Meanwhile, Connell (1995) states that men who rigorously conform with the mentioned hegemonic rules may only account for a small proportion. With regard to today’s Hong Kong society, more and more males deviate from the rules but are not penalized as severely as in 1990s U.S. Seemingly, males can no longer hold onto a single interpretation of masculinities. Meanwhile, there is a modification of the hegemonic idealized norms under the popular acceptance of metrosexuality (Simpson, 2002).

To understand all modern or early modern states in a general sense is almost impossible; therefore, a narrowing down is necessary here. This paper discusses solely about Japan and China, assumed as “early modern” in this specific context, and the position of women, particularly prostitutes, within them. Drawn from Amy Stanley’s Selling Women and Matthew H. Sommer’s Sex, Law, and Society in Late Imperial China, it addresses the differences and similarities between the women of China and Japan in sex trade to elaborate how women were subject to the gendered order along socio-economic changes.

The role of males in society has consistently changed throughout the years. Males, from an early age, learn the differences in masculine and feminine characteristics. The gender differences that exist in regard to socially acceptable have historical implications as heteronormative and gendered values are passed down between generations. This paper will examine the ways in which different countries socialize males as they learn the proper notion of performing masculinity. The paper also discusses the mechanisms of how gender expectations manifest themselves and how they are forced upon males in different countries. The discourse surrounding masculinity as a learned social phenomenon is important as it holds strong implications for the influence

“Oriental women have long been fetishized into a stereotype; they are depicted as submissive and passive, and are silenced by the double pressure from race and sex”, “Oriental woman, as Said (1979) states in Orientalism, is usually viewed ―with sexist blinders and serves as ―the creatures of a male power-fantasy” and “Asians as a whole are considered to be inferior and emasculated, easy targets for exploitations and dominance. Asian woman, always caged and subordinate both in the patriarchic society and in the Oriental rhetoric tradition, are natural subjects for the White‘s desire” (Weilin).

Gender roles are often established by the ideas of masculinity and femininity. However, these socially constructed concepts vary from one culture to another. For instance, Han explains “The West thinks of itself as masculine - big guns, big industry, big money - so the East is feminine - weak,

Masculinity versus Femininity – the masculine organisation (i.e. Japan) has a confident and bold approach, whereas the feminist societies take a much caring and modest approach.

In a survey of Asian-American gender expectations and attitudes towards masculinity, researchers found that “Because of their subordinated position, some Asian-American men try to counter the effeminate image of Asian-American men by emulating

Just as the self defines itself with the help from in- and outgroups, masculinity is largely defined by what it is not. Historically, people understood manhood not only in terms of its social setting but also in terms of its contrast with womanhood. The parameters of this antagonistic relationship between manhood and womanhood change over time. The fundamental belief about men and women before 1800 was that men were superior. They were seen as more virtuous, in possession of better reason and able to moderate their passions better than women. This form of manhood lingered on through the first decades of the nineteenth century, but was gradually eclipsed by a self-made manhood, which had begun to grow in the late eighteenth century. The self-made man emerged as part of a broader series of changes: the spread of market economy and the growth of the middle class itself. At the root of these changes was an economic and political life based on the free play of individual interests. A man’s work role formed the essence of his identity. Masculinity was now coded in terms befitting a passionate

Masculinity varies too many different people therefore we can speak of it as a timeless essence common among all men. Masculinity searches the collective privileges which men as a group benefit as well as the disadvantages that certain groups of men face off daily. (N.p., 2017. Web.15 Feb. 2017)

Masculinity is seen as a cultural constructions throughout history, by which males are assigned certain social roles of their gender. Traditionally, the image of men is quite clear. Men have to be hard working person, strong father, and disciplined. Historically, the role of man was to provide his wife and family with sustenance. Therefore, masculinity has certain characteristics assigned by our culture. Men are associated in an essential and optional way with the confidence certain aspects are completed when deciding their masculinity and manliness. These aspects range from not crying when they are harm. They can be aggressive and play violent games. The socialization of manhood in our general public begins as early as the main phases of the first stages. The journey of masculinity have been very difficult for many man in America because society expects things that men can’t handle.

We live in a society where creating labels and fitting into them is “a way to operate in the world” (Nixon 301). Some of these labels, however, have slightly different definitions from person to person. An example of a label like this is masculinity. Throughout history, this word has evolved from the rough and haughty man to the less stoic and sensitive man. Due to the slight changes in the meaning of this word, there are many arguments that have arisen about whose definition of masculinity is the most correct. However, these debates do not need to occur if we do not use the word masculinity to describe a man. Thus, the argument in this essay is men should not be labeled as masculine due to the subjective definition of this word.

Following this, increasing globalisation in the world has produced certain new features of the “ideal” image (Ji, 2010), which has led to further and more sophisticated gender images in China. This is visible through the analogy of the imported ‘new man’ and ‘new lad’ from the West, specifically from the UK. This will be covered in detail in what follows.

Masculinity: The masculinity side of culture represents a preference in achievement, heroism, and material rewards as success. This is the opposite of femininity, which represents a preference for cooperation, caring for the weak, and quality of life.

Throughout this course I have been exposed to the concepts of both Masculinity and Femininity, but choose to focus on the concept of Masculinity. Prior to taking this class I had never taken the time to examine my engagement with the subject before, although I had known that men and women have typical ways of acting. Men are viewed as strong, and women are viewed as loving. But that’s just our culture, Isn’t it? Why should I worry about gender views? These were the questions that I now know the answers too.

* Masculinity (95): “what motivates people, wanting to be the best or liking what you do”. Japan is one of the most