Race, Class And Gender : Masculinity, Feminism, And Intersectionality

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word Masculine as “Male: having qualities appropriate to or usually associated with a man” (Merriam-Webster). While another source, the popular comedic Urban Dictionary, presents a more satirical definition of the word Masculine, "Often defined as aggressive, strong, and unfeeling or stoic. Being masculine means in modern times, at least, no shows of emotion, no flamboyance, no hugging or even looking at other men, must be interested in sports and physical/violent activity” (Urban Dictionary). Obviously the Urban Dictionary is a comedic source and should not hold the same weight as the definition that comes from the academic source of Merriam-Webster, but the truth that is within the comedy, the absurd structure of what a man should be, is brought out into the light. A question many before us and many after us have and will attempt to answer is how is masculinity defined? The unfortunately anticlimactic answer to this is that masculinity is simply what a man chooses to do. In a world of both gender inequity and rapidly shifting gender roles, the term masculinity is becoming more and more simple in definition. In a video made by the Huffington Post to show how modern men described the word masculine, most used dominant diction such as “power,” “dominance,” “strong,” and “alpha” (Genuske). It wasn 't long ago when the word Presidential was synonym to masculine, but with the upcoming 2016 election and the first female to run for a

The traditional definition of masculinity include such qualities as independence, pride, resiliency, self control and physical strength. It can be change into qualities such as competitiveness, toughness, aggressiveness and power. For example, he says that the boy who doesn’t show these qualities and might be called a “fag”. The boy is most likely becoming aware of having feminine qualities.

Despite the efforts made, civil rights have not been fully achieved in the United States of America, on the contrary, racial disparities appear to be increasing (Barlow & Barlow, 2002).

Masculinity has changed very little over time. By definition, to be masculine is to be tough, having little or no emotion, and having great physical strength and endurance. Men are thought to be natural leaders and should accept the role of dominating the household (both his wife and children. “Inequality between women and men is a worldwide social phenomenon”. (Schaefer, R., 2012. p354)

The concept of masculinity has been around for an eminently long time. However, the qualifications for being

The United States’ long history of savagery, discrimination, inequality, and racism surfaced in our nation from the time it was “founded” by European settlers. And although the US constitution states that “all men are equal,” minority groups such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Indian Americans, and Latinos endured countless sufferings from the European settlers and Whites. The Civil Rights era, however, marked one of the most significant events in our nation’s history for in this period, minority groups won several important victories that impacted the lives of many. The Civil Rights era is when our country became intolerant of racial discrimination and segregation, and minority groups were finally given the right to be part of the

In this paper I will be discussing the Constitution and Civil Rights. Both are vital to our nation’s strong beliefs that we, as Americans, deserve equal rights and a strong government. In the United States, we all want to have a nation that we can trust and will give us our unalienable rights, no matter the skin tone or gender. So why, in 2016, do women and people of color still fight for equal treatment?

Even after the Civil Rights Movement, the issue regarding civil rights persists today. A reform within the police force and education systems for equality. Although most people believe that oppression is culturally ingrained, reform in the government and in society will assist in closing the gap caused by discrimination. Ta-Nehisi Coates states that “A world with equal access to safe, quality, and affordable education; with the right to health care; with strong restrictions on massive wealth accumulation; with guaranteed childcare; and with access to the full gamut of birth-control, including abortion, is a better world” (Coates The Atlantic). A world with a true democratic system without the oppression of minority races would be a world where everyone can achieve their American

The difference in today’s society to that of hundreds of years ago, can be seen in the advancements of technology, but sadly, the same cannot be said for dealing with social issues and the rights of all people. This has particularly been present in our time today, with many issues dealing with blacks that have dated to the establishment of the United States. Similar issues have been seen with with all minorities, while it may be not be as clear to see as the period before the civil war, it’s still prevalent in the world around us, it just takes a different approach. It is seen with the exclusion of opportunities for minorities, the treatment of African-Americans with the criminal justice system, and recently, with the 2016 presidential election.

Since the creation of the United States of America, race has been an issue. The discussion of colored people’s position in society was discussed by the founding fathers even during the creation of the Constitution. As time passed, Americans realized the hypocrisy of the idea that all people are entitled to the rights of “life, liberty, and property.” How could a country support such an idea when the vast majority of its blacks lived in lifelong enslavement? The passage of the 14th and 15th amendments after the Civil War aimed to remedy the racial inequality that plagued America, but it became evident that that was not enough. As a result, the Civil Rights movement of the mid 20th century began in order to address existing issues. The movement led to the passage of pivotal pieces of legislation in regards to racial equality in America, such as the Civil Rights Act. Many believed that the racial problems of America had been solved. However, the issue of race has been brought to the forefront of America once again. In 2013, a controversial court case decision sparked the Black Lives Matter activist movement, which believes that racial inequality and profiling are problems that still exist in modern America and have contributed to unjustified violence against black people, especially by law enforcement officers.

Civil rights are the protection from discrimination by both the government and individuals, which are rooted both in laws and the Fourteenth Amendments’ equal protection clause. With protection for women, African Americans, native Americans, Asians, and Latinos the perception of equivalence has developed over time. Even with our efforts to live in a colorless culture, cognizance of race still impacts countless opinions and actions. Past the inadequate treatment of ethnic minorities, women, and the LBGT communities, inequalities on political, social, and economic conditions also continue. More whites are able to participate politically at a greater level, enjoy a superior standard of living, and avoid prejudice in the criminal justice system because of these

Much has changed in the world since 1964, the year that the Civil Rights Legislation was enacted. Throughout 50 years morals, beliefs, perspectives, and biases for many have become overwhelmingly open-minded and accepting. Although, for others, this act somehow made them more persistent in their movement backwards. Therefore, the indisputable case of the matter is that we all have a long path ahead for true equality.

The theory of intersectionality has received a widespread of various distinct definitions and usage; it is often unclear of its designed function may be. Intersectionality is defined as “the acknowledgment that different forms of identity-based discrimination can combine to give rise to unique brands of injustice”(Lucas 8). In other words, how the classification of one’s individuality such as gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and class can intertwine with each other among the social structure. The term was first coined by feminist and civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw who spoke upon the discrimination and marginalization of black women and how both institutions interconnect with one another. The significance of

All men have some so-called feminine traits. Masculinity has certain characteristics assigned to it by our culture. Men are primarily socialized into believing certain characteristics are definitive in determining their manliness and masculinity. These characteristics range from not crying when they get hurt to playing violently. Stereotypes about gender can cause unequal and unfair treatment because of a person’s gender.

In American culture, attributes associated with masculinity are typically seen as aggression and toughness, achievement,