Summary : ' The Prairie ' Cowboys '

Society faces an issue that is not usually addressed because it is seen as the norm in today’s American culture. It is the crisis of masculinity. The notion of how men should be portrayed is not usually identified as a problem; today’s society views men’s apathetic and exasperated exterior as the orthodox behavior of everyday life. Boys at a young age are taught by the popular culture that they need to be a “real man” - strong physically and emotionally. The mask many men put up is based on the extreme idea of masculinity that emphasizes toughness, physical strength and gaining the respect of others through violence or the explicit threat of it. This front is put up by men because they do not want to stray from what is accepted, for men who

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.

The current educational system discourages African-American and Latino men from succeeding in school. I believe that this is due to inequities in educational agency for African-American and Latino students. In my experience, male students are more susceptible to these problems regardless of socioeconomic conditions. Without the structure of a strong educational plan, many young men will seek detrimental habits to fill this void. Any sort of structure becomes a haven for anyone who is trying to navigate the world.

that labels these things unmanly, feminine, womanly, and gay, and teaches boys to avoid them at all costs.” If these characteristics are things that men have, and make them a better person, why is it so merely reinforced by society that men shouldn’t have the qualities? If a guy is blocking these out because they’re not manly, there could be some serious repercussions. These characteristics that are generally associated with women are made fun of in men and they often feel their masculinity is becoming threatened. Due to this men may suppress certain emotional issues, especially around other men. An example of this is shown in the book Passing: When People Can’t Be Who They Are by Brooke Kroeger. In chapter one, Not Some Social Agenda Struggle, Kroeger tells the story of David Matthews, a young man who is caught between two races as he struggles to find his identity. David was raised in a single parent household with his father raising him. He brings up how he and his dad rarely talked about his mother or anything emotional saying, “We were just tough guys and it just didn’t seem like the kind of touchy-feely stuff I needed to know”. Here David shows that he and his dad both feel they are too tough to talk about touchy issues that he

Throughout the history of the world, and specifically in the United States, the pressure that has been forced onto men in society has not only had a significant impact on the people themselves but in society as well. This can be seen through America’s history, the evolution of men and masculinity and even reflected through the development and growth of women and women’s roles in history. The expectation placed on men to conform to what would be considered masculine in that era was an extremely important factor in a young man’s life. This pressure was enforced not only by society but by men themselves who held each other to a specific and high standard. In order to understand the role that men play in society and the ideology of masculinity,

As a boy grows into a man he faces the ever-raising mountain of masculinity. In regards to the occurrence, he finally reaches maturity he has no choice but in order to fight to retain his measly sense of manhood. He is not allowed to act feminine or else he’s not man enough, he can’t show his emotions, he has to hide that he can do anything a woman can do sans give birth. Boys grow up being told they are not allowed to cry and that they are supposed to be tough, that they are not able to be like girls and in the event that they are then they are not real boys. This concept is known as toxic masculinity, some people are not aware that men are being forced to suppress their emotions or even that toxic masculinity should be a topic that is

The article addresses the current fad of articles and books on women’s new dominance. In the first part of the article she addresses the concept that women recently have all the economic agency in the world. However, women still make less money than men but there are more women than ever before in middle management. Also, unmarried women in their 20s now out-earn their male equivalents. The article also points out the factor of the recession and how effected everyone, but men were hit the hardest. However, men have recovered unreasonably quickly and they’ve regained nearly half the jobs that they lost in the recession, while women have recuperated only 38% of the jobs they lost. Coonz not only discusses restrictions on women due to male privilege but also the damage to men by male gender stereotypes.

It has long been proven since the era of World War II that even without men in factories and offices, jobs and quotas were still met while women were in their places. However, because of the clinging social norm that a woman’s job was to tend to the housework and look after the children, men were quickly returned their jobs after the end of World War II causing many women to go on strikes and raise public attention of unfair practices regarding work fairness. This stereotype could not be easily shaken even throughout the nineteenth century. On the other hand, because of the progressive economy in the United States at the time, new jobs were opening up for some women. Many middle class women found employment in department store as clerical workers. (Farmer, 2014.) Although paid considerably less than their male counterparts, work became available for women and a milestone on the pathway to workplace fairness.

Since junior high, I have always been curious as to why males felt the need to carry a tough façade. This unauthentic behavior persuaded me to view the documentary, The Mask You Live In. Certainly, after watching The Mask You Live In, my curiosity in men unnecessary macho persona; was relieved. For years, I wondered, why are most males so aggressive? Why are some vulgarly forward while flirting with women? What is wrong with men? Overall, I never could grasp why most had a really challenging time fully expressing themselves. Whenever I would ask my male friends, their vague response sounded like “That is just how we are”, as if there were innately programed for emotional disconnect. Of course, their response would cease to satisfy my itching ears. However, after watching this documentary, the internalized oppression of young men was clearified. It noted that they were generally forced to suppress their feelings as young as the tender age of five, simply to gain approval from their fathers or peers. It was disheartening to see the great pressure boys experience, simply to reach the title of “being a man”. What exactly is meant by the term, ‘be a man’? Does it imply one’s ability to maintain a numbness to feminine equality or engaging in violent tendencies? The documentary addressed the question and enlightened one on the damages that such a short phrase can cause as a generational curse on manhood.

It has been reported that in 1970, women held an unemployment rate of 5.9 percent; and as of 2012, women hold an unemployment rate of 7.9 percent (Data & statistics, 2014). With an increase in unemployment by two percent, job security after graduation is a concern for many women. “Within the United States women are more likely to live in poverty than men and still face significant barriers to economic security and stability, including: occupational segregation; barriers to moving into higher-level positions; low wages and unequal pay; inadequate workplace flexibility; and pregnancy and sex discrimination.” (Data &

This study reveals “the generational shift in terms of how young people perceive their own masculinity”(New YouGov). This study shows that only two percent of men age 18-24 feel completely masculine whereas fifty-six percent of men aged 65+ believe they are completely masculine. These statistics represent the fact that even though the standards of masculinity have not changed in the timeframe of those generations the impressions of the men 18-24 have diminished their feelings in that they are completely masculine. I believe that this study depicts that men of this generation do not feel they fit 100% in the role of a masculine

Experiences in life reveal a lot about ourselves and others. We have witnessed a dramatic shift in our world. Divorce is widespread and no longer shameful. Fathers are not fathers, and mothers have to act like fathers. When fathers are physically present, they have removed themselves mentally and emotionally. Boys in the armor of men are sleep walking through existence. Most men have been feminized, they are proudly confused. A deadly combination of self-importance and bewilderment, make for an overwhelming tirade of masculinity.

Writers Michael Kimmel, Grace Paley, and Mary Karr all present contradictory ideas about masculinity. Kimmel begins by listing four basic rules of masculinity which are summarized by psychologist-Robert Brannon. The first rule is “No Sissy Stuff,” which means that guys shouldn’t show their weakness. The second is “Be a Big Wheel,” by this he means masculinity is measured by wealth and power. The third rule, “Be a Sturdy Oak,”says that guys should be reliable in a crisis. And the last one, “Give ‘em Hell,” implies that man should take risks and show his aggression (655). Kimmel also suggests that the ways that today’s society expects guys (males between the ages of 16 and 26) to behave, for instance, not being a sissy, not being perceived as weak. Then, Kimmel states that young men get these ideas from their male relatives or teachers, he says that our peers are a kind of “gender police”, who are ready to catch every movement containing a coded gender language (657). In most cases masculinity is largely performed for other men and they put

Gone are the days of masculinity being a mountain man or a cutthroat businessman, society is no longer the 1800s or an episode of MadMen. Currently, some of society’s expectations of masculinity (as defined by experts) are a desire to win, need for emotional control, dominance (including that over women), violence, sexual promiscuity, and a pursuit of status. However masculinity can also be something that is positive. Like a steady rock to build emotional support upon, a stoic person can be an excellent resource. This can be like the person that hides their emotion in order to better others that need a push forward when their emotions get the better of them. This is where masculine ideals can be a double edged sword because these traits can be beneficial in some manners but it can also have some detriments that occur consequently. It is not that men are not masculine; it is that masculinity does not represent men anymore. Because of the negative side effects of men exhibiting masculine traits they should no longer be expected to adhere to all of these traditional ideals.

“Be a man!” “Men don’t cry!” From a very young age, men are constantly exposed to stereotypical phrases or words. In toady’s society, men are perceived as a powerful living creature that has dominance over everything. Based on personal observations, many parents who have male children are constantly emphasizing that being a man means acquiring power and none emotional. Nevertheless, when it comes to classifying