Masculinity In High School

Overall, society constructs masculinity verbally and visually. It begins early in the adolescent stage with toy images and advertisement to appeal to boys. It defines masculinity and constructs their key role and body image. The components to influence masculinity are strongly implied by the meaning of masculinity to be strong, stern, and independent. Children’s toys carry small masculinity, but as the child ages the definition will be more

No matter what, we are almost always talking about violence masculinity in America. Whether we are talking about the horrifying, high-profile mass shooting we have seen over recent decades, the far greater rates of murder and gun violence we see on a day – to – day basis that barely register in the national news, or the epidemic of sexual violence and domestic violence, the vast majority of this violence is committed by men, young men, and boys (Jackson Katz, 2013). Throughout this essay the topics covered will be how culture defines masculinity, according to the film, violent masculinity as a cultural norm, agents of socialization that teach boys how to be men, the cool

Masculinity is a topic discussed frequently in the world today. Many argue that it has become toxic, while others argue we may not even have enough masculinity. The topic is always evolving, since the definition and others’ perception of it always vary. It has become evident that everyone shares a different perspective on masculinity, as I have discussed this topic multiple times with my peers. For me, the definition of masculinity is very situational, and it is hard to set a certain phrase to define it.

In Pollack’s expert of Inside The World Of Boys Behind The Mask Of Masculinity, the author illuminated the oppressive struggles males endure as a result of “Boy Codes”. Within the excerpt, Pollack defines “Boy Codes” as a “straitjacket”, or a constraint of male emotions in order to correctly function with society’s assumption, attitudes, and codes towards male figures. Thus, Pollack notes that males employ a “mask of masculinity” to “hide their genuine self” and in turn “conform to our society’s expectations”. Through one’s use of the “mask of masculinity: or “boy codes”, males begin to live a “semi-inauthentic lives” by deeming “fear, uncertainty, loneliness, and need” unacceptable.

Cultural attitudes towards masculinity have transformed in recent years. Boys are taught the “values” of this attitude early on and it is reinforced throughout their lives. As a result of these changes, the pressure to display and assert one’s masculinity has been amplified. The “traditional” definition of masculinity requires males to establish homophobic attitudes, be clean shaven anywhere below the neck (much like women) and have rippling muscles. These expectations can greatly affect a boy’s self-esteem and well-being as he is growing up in a society that is increasingly obsessing over the concept of the “ideal man.”

The United States is made up of an astounding assortment of people of all different types, boasting one of the most diverse populations compared to anywhere around the world. Of these different peoples, toxic masculinity affects each group differently, with an especially profound effect to be found when studying those who identify as Latin- or Hispanic-American. While attempting to homogenize the many unique and beautiful facets of various Latin and Hispanic cultures is a disservice, they tend to share many traits which can be simplified, including their ideas on gender roles. In many Hispanic cultures, there are strong gender roles and ideas about gender that are traditionally built into every aspect of the culture, especially in the form of “machismo”, or the Hispanic ideas of masculinity. In some cultures, “…women are supposedly submissive… men are characterized by verbal and bodily aggression… and sexual dominance,” (Cantú 150). When combined with the gendered expectations and stereotypes that are increasingly prevalent in American culture, young Hispanic-American boys are growing up with an overwhelming volume of standards being impressed upon them from all sides. This same phenomenon can be seen again in African-American communities and cultures, with the already painfully present standards of white American masculinity being taken to another level by a culture which serves to pile on an even stricter set of standards on to its men. As with the Latin American ideas of

What is masculinity? Answers may vary depending on who you may ask, C.J. Pascoe’s ethnography titled Dude, You’re A Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School targets high school as being the important location where the term masculinity is asserted, defended and defined by the students who roam the halls of River High. High school is a difficult time for anyone, especially when we bring up the ideals of sexuality and gender identity, all topics which are explored in this ethnography. Pascoe spent around eighteen months of fieldwork in the racially diverse working middle-class River High School. Dude You’re A Fag sheds a new light on masculinity as a meaning as well as a set of social practices. C. J. Pascoe 's unconventional approach examines masculinity as not only a gendered process but also a sexual one. Pascoe demonstrates how the threat of the word fag becomes a disciplinary mechanism for regulating heterosexual as well as homosexual boys and how the "fag discourse" is as much tied to gender as it is to sexuality.

Although results from the study found that the sample slightly disagreed with traditional masculine ideology, it may be beneficial for future researchers to develop a new measure of masculinity, representative of African American society in the United States. The MRNI-SF was advanced twenty to thirty years ago to examine respondent agreement to existing cultural norms of manhood ideology and later amended in order to better operationalize traditional masculinity standards characteristic of U.S. and Western societies prior to the 1960s (Thompson & Bennett, 2015). Research suggests that the complexity of operationalizing masculinity ideology is apparent in the MRNI scale, as the wording of scale items is absolute. These fixed interpretations of the MRNI-SF assume that all statements are applicable across contexts, geographies, and generations (Thompson & Bennett, 2015). This poses limitations on the current study, which examines a unique age range and a culture potentially limited in inclusion during the development of the

After watching the documentary The Mask You Live In in class, I realized how oblivious as a woman I was about issues young boys and men face in today’s society. This film underlines the influence culture has in inculcating a distorted definition of what masculinity is. From their early years and into their adulthood we teach boys not to show any emotion, view woman as the weaker sex and that the only way to resolve conflict is through violence. In doing so we lead our boys to fit into their gender stereotype and we commend destructive and harmful behavior. Therefore, boys develop many issues. They lose their sense of self-identity constantly trying to achieve what society deemed a “real” man should be. According to the film boys display different

Conventionally, American society the notion of ‘masculinity’ is built upon violence and aggression. For example; mainstream Hollywood movies, video games and music promote hyper-masculine and hyper-aggressive culture

For many years, beard has been an emblem of masculinity for men. Their facial hair and rugged aura has been an indicator that they are capable and competent. Their beard, matched with proud and brawny physique is a distinct representation of their manly gender.

Masculinity, a seemingly simple concept. Yet, when examined more closely, it is clear that masculinity is constantly changing in its definition as well as in its most basic essence. Throughout the years, one can see this evolution firsthand by looking back at the men who have been portrayed in popular media in the United States of America. From the suave Don Draper types of the 1950s to the more casual, educated, and easygoing men- with perfectly chiseled abs, of course- that are portrayed in media today, the difference is clear. This drastic, yet unsurprising, shift in ideals, as well as the exponential increase of media consumed every day, has led to a change in how “masculinity” is perceived, as well as how it is enforced by society in the modern day. Alarmingly, this trend has led to the birth of so-called “toxic masculinity”, a bastardization of the original ideas behind masculinity which has created an enormous, detrimental effect on society as a whole. As defined in the article The Difference Between Toxic Masculinity and Being a Man, toxic masculinity is “manhood as defined by violence, sex, status, and aggression. It’s the cultural ideal of manliness, where strength is everything… where sex and brutality are yardsticks by which men are measured,” (O’Malley) This is a clearly displayed truth, and it’s astounding to see how even from a young age boys are taught not to show emotions other than anger, conditioned to believe that being “like a girl” is the worst possible

High school is a challenging thing to deal with especially if sexuality and gender identity are in the process. Students who are male or female are exploring in a smart and insightful ways. During C.J. Pascoe’s eighteen months of observation in a racially assorted high school, “Dude, You 're a Fag” shows new light on masculinity both as a field of meaning and as a set of social practices. C. J. Pascoe 's unusual approach questions masculinity as not only a gender process but also a sexual one. She proves how the word fag becomes a disciplinary tool for regulating heterosexual and how the word fag is tied to the gender also but as it is to sexuality. Masculinity as a theory, some sociologists and psychologist often viewed the gender differences as vital to personal development of a society. Looking beyond hegemonic masculinity; it is difficult to put it in a category. The focus used on the body in the study “Dude, You’re a Fag” masculinity is embedded in the biology as the study of gender is not reliable. In this case study we are going to be talking about: how was the use of the word Fag a tool in policing masculinity at the high school River High? How was masculinity defined differently for boys who were non-white? Finally, how did administrators at River High both encourage and control normative heterosexuality?

“Violent, aggressive, forceful, assertive, hateful, arrogant, and stubborn” (Carranza 1-2) are all descriptions often identified as masculine. Traditional masculinity often has a negative connotation when discussed in today 's social environment and is said to have no place within the current era of sensitivity and acceptance. Although it may be accurate that some men can and are perceived as hateful and abusive people this isn 't the case for all men. Some of the traits that seem to be the most negative in today’s culture, can be very beneficial traits for people to aspire to have and cultivate, not to eradicate.

Within many gender systems, masculinity is an expression of male gender that can vary based upon culture and society. Many cultures uphold a set of standards and expectations that an individual must maintain in order to be considered masculine. Several of these expectations can often be dangerous, violent, or even abusive. In particular with a focus on the two-sex, two-gender system of Western, patriarchal society, this paper will investigate the correlation between enforced masculinity and violence.