Masculinity Underpinnings

In Dave Barry’s reflection. “Guys vs. Men,” he introduces the idea that the term “man” presents more negative qualities, unlike the term “guy,” which gives males free reign to indulge in stereotypical characteristics. He characterizes “guy” as a gender that likes “neat unnecessary stuff, who engage in pointless competitions with each other, and lack moral and social graces.” Barry argues the idea that “Men” is a term that holds too much responsibility and unwritten expectations for guys-who function on less complex regulations. Dave Barry creates a humorous satire based on what it means to be a “guy,”combining common stereotypes and their everyday habits.

In Paul Theroux’s article “The Male Myth” Theroux makes a point that he does not like the stereotypes placed on men in today’s society. Theroux’s article is focused on exposing the stereotypes that men face and the reasons for their occurrence. He claims that writers and many others are directly affected by the expectations of masculinity that are thoroughly incorporated in America. The ideas of masculinity are deeply rooted in high school sports, in the view of the president, and in many other areas. Theroux attempts to prove that being a man in American is, “…pitiful, a little like having to wear an ill-fitting coat for one’s entire life.”

Society’s current structure of masculinity is unforgiving in form. It cuts out other forms of masculinity, it physically and mentally demanding, and its ill effects extend far beyond the men it infuses itself in. Yet what would we do if we were given other options for masculinity, ones that allowed for unique blends of attitudes and perceptions? Looking in to the lives of homeless men we can see the forced strategies which create new masculine codes created for the adaption against patriarchal pressures. They are made out of survival need to circumnavigate the painful mental and physical reality that is only made worse by harsh masculine standards. Yet these new masculinities hold out a form of hopefulness for society. They offer up new discussion to what it means to be a man, the potential for change, and what we can expect from changes in male identity over time. Using what we learn from the disadvantaged, we can hope to improve the lives of people, although the process will take time, effort, and careful mediation.

In today’s society, masculinity has changed throughout time. Fast forward one hundred years ago, masculinity is defined as being strong and having a good paying job. But as the world is changing so is the representation of manliness. You don’t have to show your dominance over men or women today, but you should support your family nowadays and we have all been brainwashed by the thought of masculinity from our ancestors. As men our reputation is always being valued but now it isn’t so much about our reputation but about caring for one another and especially for our families. Perspective of manhood is also a significant factor in portraying what masculinity is in the eyes of other people. Masculinity has been shown through money, appearance, and providing protection for your family members but as we shift into the modern world, masculinity is not seen as displaying the most discipline but caring for one another by taking out some of your time to help one another. Throughout the paper, I will be writing about my interviews from a broad spectrum of ages from one of my younger sisters to my dad with not friends not at Seb’s in between so I can get what it really means to be a man from all ages.

We see that masculinity is not a race or class issue it more than that, this documentary shows how sexuality and masculinity are connected. But, this is ignored and leads more men to be diagnosed with a behavior disorders and prescribed more stimulant medications and are more likely to fail out of school from the pressures of having to live up to this image. While men tend to be more utilitarian, objective, unsentimental and tough-minded, young boys in our society don’t feel safe talking about emotions and personal struggles, this documentary highlights a possibility for change towards a more open and loving form of masculinity for the future boys and men in America. My personal connection to this documentary I read this CNN article a few years ago that always stuck with me in how where rising boys in America was so much harder than rising girls. That man are taught to be the breadwinners from an early age and American boys are having a harder time living up to this, that they have dreams to, but a lot of what they want is crushed due to society demands on

The harnessing of western masculinity has been made to to unify Americans through democratic sentiments and the endorsement of true social democracy and economic aristocracy. Because of this, the masculinity of the Western cowboy is often misinterpreted—yet, it remains vital to the West. The social restrictions of queerness and the embodiments of homosocial relations, however, prove to retract the former and instead, act as a form of alteration to reveal how the cowboy’s masculinity is not as traditionally viewed, but yet, the typical image still must be utilized with literature to suit the audience and keep the Western construction

Thesis: The constructs of masculinity found in most Disney movies create an environment of images that shape and define what young boys view as masculinity. By

The “New Man” as described by Ken Gillam and Shannon R. Wooden in Post Princess Models of Gender: The New Man in Disney/Pixar explains the way in which men are portrayed in children's films today and how that varies from older films. Contrasting this “New Man” are all the dangerous and traditional men Michael S. Kimmel describes in Gender, Class and Terrorism because these men are “uber macho males” as explained by Gillam and Wooden. Pixar’s “New Man” definition has evolved from the original definition of what it means to be male and have masculine qualities which escapes the rhetoric of masculinity(a term coined by Kimmel) which if incorporated into modern society would lessen negative events that happen in the world. When speaking of negative events that covers all damaging behavior that comes from following what C.J. Pascoe explains in “‘Dude, You’re a Fag”: Adolescent Masculinity and the Fag Discourse”. In Pascoe’s work he describes the way in which men treat each other to diminish each other's manhood.

In the future, I hope to expand on many of themes interrogated in this dissertation and to build on the initial research conducted for this project. Several of these chapters suggest avenues for further studies. For example. This project lays the groundwork for further research into the representation of boys on Disney Channel, however, since other than Zach and Cody, tween boys shows were not existent, the unofficial tween boy channel, a Disney spin-off called Disney XD should be examined. Originally meant as a subchannel for Disney Channel that focused on tweens 24/7, the channel has unofficially become geared towards tween boys. While a more independent girl has emerged on Disney, girls appearing on Disney XD (which is minor supporting

This book ultimately presents newer ideas in a form that is easy to understand for both children and adults. My Princess Boy shows that femininity is not something that should be shamed and that one does not have to be a girl to like traditionally feminine things. Because the general public holds norms that go against these ideas it is a very true to life depiction of how people deal with this concept today (Lecture 9/14/15). For example, My Princess Boy takes place in a world where it it hinted that compulsory heterosexuality is prominent by the negative reactions to this boy’s dresses. This compulsory heterosexuality, where boys or their parents assure themselves and others that they have to present “manly” to be a boy, is shown not by sexual advances on women but in other

Theories of hyper-masculinity indicate and support that hyper-masculinity asserts male

How is gender and gender roles socially constructed? Soulliere states that gender is a cultural creation that is frequently developed by and represented through popular cultural media such as advertisements, music, sports, and entertainment television (Soulliere 2006). The article “Wrestling with Masculinity: Messages about Manhood in the WWE” by Danielle M. Soulliere (2006), examines messages about manhood revealed by televised professional wrestling (Soulliere 1). Messages concerning masculinity and manhood were investigated and compared to the cultural version of masculinity (Soulliere 2006). Soulliere’s research proves that the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) depicts messages, which supports the dominant hegemonic form of masculinity (Soulliere 2006). To further grasp and understand Soulliere’s hypothesis, we must first examine her research methods and outcomes.

Reserving the cultural power and importance of gaming for the male audience effectively forms a gender hierarchy, which is the definition of hegemonic masculinity (Connell, 2005). This concept is a theoretical perspective combining Gramsci’s analysis of class relations with gender studies to illustrate how gender can shape society. Connell defines hegemonic masculinity as a “gender practice which embodies the currently accepted answer to the problem of the legitimacy of patriarchy, which guarantees (or is taken to guarantee) the dominant position of men and the subordination of women” (Connell, 2005, p. 77). Therefore, in the context of the videogames industry and the gaming press, because men have always been, and continue to be perceived as, the dominant audience, they and not women, will remain the principal group courted by these institutions, which effectively reinforces the perception that gaming is a space owned by men where women are not

If a girl begins to demonstrate some signs of male characteristics, she is referred to as a ‘tom-boy’. It is like a taboo to show such kinds of signs in a girl. On the other hand, if a male does not have masculine features, he is seen as an outcast. All of these perceptions are obtained from the media, and especially televisions and movies. According to Mehta and Hay (2005), media houses have for a long time helped to construct and reinforce stereotypical ideas about masculinity and men. From what is portrayed in the media, it is possible for people to dismiss others on the basis of whether they have masculinity or are feminine (Ferrey, 2008).

The way our society views what it means to be a “man” is shaped by family, community, and popular culture. While the narrow definition of acceptable masculinity has expanded in the last three decades, there is still a great amount of anxiety and pressure over being the right kind of “man.” Like many of my generation, gender performance and masculinity were formed by reading and watching superhero narratives as a youth. What were the deeper messages in those stories that engrossed our weekends and evening hours and what do they say about us as a society?