What Is Your Role in Society?

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

I became intrigued and wanted to play with his toys because they became so much more interesting then mine. When my grandmother saw that I was playing with trucks and enjoying it, she quickly came over and grabbed them out of my hands, giving them back to the little boy I had taken them from. She then explained to me that trucks were for boys not girls, and I should stick to using my pink shovel and bucket set to make nice sandcastles. I didn’t understand at that point what the big issue was, it was just toys that were fun to play with, but I agreed with my grandmother because I didn’t want to get into trouble and from then on stuck to focusing on making sandcastles. I quickly forgot about the trucks, and never again did I think to play with anything remotely like that. Little did I know it, but that was one of the first examples of gender roles that I had been exposed too. Growing up, my label of a female has given me both advantages and disadvantages. Having a younger brother has given me a clearer view of how parents and family members socialize the both of us to act male or female. Because I am a female, it was expected of me from a very early age to attend school and university. There was never really a choice, it was either that or go straight into work, which was the less pleasing option. However my brother is just expected to get his high school diploma and go work for my father and take over our family business, which

Throughout history, men and women have been viewed in utterly different spheres. Men have been, and still are, believed to be the hard working individual who is in charge of “bringing home the bacon” and supporting the household finically. On the other hand, women are expected to have little to say, the house spotless, supper on the table, the children bathed, fed, in bed, and educated, all while maintaining a flawless hairdo and makeup. These stereotypes seem a bit offensive nowadays, but if you really consider it, it has been and most likely will be this way for our entire existence.

Dave Barry, a humorous author writes “Guys vs Men” to try to enlighten the term “man”. He focuses on certain aspects that separate guys and men to separate stereotypical characteristics. Barry entertains readers as he uses funny comparisons, analogies, and entertaining punch lines to support his what he thinks the distinct differences between guys and men really are. Barry argues the idea that “man”, is a term that comes with responsibility and unwritten expectations for guys. The intent is to stress that there is another way to look at males, perhaps not characterize as characteristically masculine, but just as a “guy”.

Men need to understand that being a stereotypical masculine figure doesn't mean that they need to always be strong and powerful. Shakespeare explains through his work that being a stereotypical man is actually unhealthy and will lead to dire consequences. In today's society men should model their approach at life more like Macduff and Ross who know to show emotion, and less like Macbeth who only wants to assert his dominance in every situation. The play Macbeth, and the documentary The Mask You Live In, both stress that being a real man means to be a leader, show true emotions, and protect what matters most to

In this article, the author explains why it is difficult to find the idealist man in today’s society. This piece was written by Kay S. Hymowitz and published in the Wall Street Journal on February 2011. The purpose of this essay is to inform women about “where the good men have gone”, due to the fact they are all becoming “guys” instead of men. When Hymowitz states this, she is referring to a stage between a boy and a man. The author provides evidence telling how men in their twenties have decreased and the amount of “guys” have increased over a period of time. Also, this article could strike up conversation about how the economy has changed by the increase in female roles and decrease in male roles.

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.

Dave Barry's 'Guys vs. Men" article is a clever and humerous way to show the degree of maturity to what it is to be a "man" and what it is to be a "guy". A man has more responsibility, maturity, and a sense of contol, who knows when to be serious and can show respect. A guy may have less responlsibilities, more fun loving, competitive in meaningless activities, a bit insensitive and is more relaxed. The role of a man is part of the identity as is the guy. Barry notices that even men in their late thirties have a side of them who are just guys. "These are middle-aged guys, suppossedly adults, and they're out there bragginig about thier performance in a stupid juvenile footrace" (406). This article reminds me of a the phrase "there's a kid inside

Men of the present day aren’t automatically viewed as a head of the household type figure. Men these days often share the responsibility of earning an income for the family. They also help with things such as cooking and shopping.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy” (SOURCE). Manhood and being a “real man” is defined in many different ways depending on the person. However, most of these things that men are defined by can be done by any gender and there are people that make it their work to prove that. The social construct of manhood has overall negative consequences on society; however, not all men uphold this construct, and can prove to be advocates of change.

When thinking of gender roles in society, stereotypes generally come to mind. Throughout history these stereotypes have only proven to be true. Major historical events have had a huge impact on the way men and women are seen and treated. In this way, women have always been secondary to males and seen as the fragile counterparts whose job is to take care of the household and most importantly, be loyal to her husband no matter the circumstance. Gender roles throughout history have greatly influenced society. The slow progress of woman’s rights throughout humanities led to an explosion of woman’s rights throughout the 20th century and that trend will only continue on into the rest of the 21st century.

How one communicates is also influenced by gender. Studies show that ones sex can place a person in a gender role expectation. Women and Men communicate differently and because sexual identity is defined through same sex parent or role model, women and men can get into gender role expectations. These expectations influence their perception attitudes and behavior that will result in a communication style. This early self-concept can effect each one's interpersonal relations. Women for instance are much-attached human beings they have very early identification with their mothers, and this can cause an on going pattern of role expectation. It can lead to interpersonal communication skills that are very nurturing and understanding. Women are not threatened by intimacy and communicating at a close range with people. Similarly, men also have an early identification process not with their mother, but their fathers. Men tend to be fairly reserved, and quite. Men are most comfortable when there is a level of separation. This male role will contribute to the communication processes and it can cause communication to

What makes a man, a “man”? Is it how much money he makes? The car he drives? The life he lives? Or, the amount of “Masculinity” that he shows? These are some of the stereotypical question that becomes the ideas of what men should have or strive to achieve. In Post-Princess Models of Gender: The New Man in Disney/Pixar by Ken Gillam and Shannon R. Wooden, they bring forth the ideas/thought of what the characteristic of men should be, by the overly influential control Disney and Pixar have on us and our future generation. Similar to what Matthew Immergut, in his article Manscaping: The Tangle of Nature, Culture and the Male Body, they both share ideas on the thought of man. The argument addressed in the question is either the way we view masculinity should be changed or not to determine us as men. In which the answer is, yes it should. Male or man, is a gender identity which show/ categorize, us separate from our female counterpart, Female or woman. But then are criticized on their place a “males” by getting in situation the emasculate them. Just because men independent or allowing for help, either overly sensitive or possess a lack of emotion, or whether or not “he” shaves his body or not should deter what the worlds thought on his masculinity

The notion of hegemonic masculinity has altered the field of gender studies and many academic arenas. An idea popularized by R.W. Connell, hegemonic masculinity has played an integral role in the emotional development of American men, articulating the impact that this societal construction has had on the concept of American masculinity. It is a contested topic, yet the impacts that it has in terms of sexuality, struggles for power and political leadership, and gender identities are valid (Connell 830). Although difficult to fully achieve, it acts as a guiding force for the stereotypically masculine. Hegemonic masculinity assumes the subordination of all other forms of masculinity, placing it at the top of the social hierarchy. At the same time, the idea of hegemonic masculinity has served as a bridge between the growing field of men’s’ studies and female studies (Connell 829). Several authors share the premise that men in American society conform to the standards of the social construct of hegemonic masculinity.

According to Anthony Clare the heart of the masculinity crisis lies within the understanding of “the private and public sphere, the intimate and the impersonal, the emotional and the irrational” (Clare, 2000:212). Both men and women are both confined to their spaces and the line between the two has somewhat been blurred, thus resulting in a crisis. The way in which this line is blurred is by masculinity becoming more feminized. There have been two major shifts in masculinity over