Hegemonic Masculinity in American Society

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Recommended: Explain hegemonic masculinity

Masculinity is described as possession of attributes considered typical of a man. Hegemonic masculinity is a form of masculine character with cultural idealism and emphasis that connects masculinity to competitiveness, toughness, and women subordination. Masculinity hegemonic is the enforcement of male dominion over a society. Masculine ideology dates back to the time of agrarian and the industrial revolution in Europe when survival compelled men to leave their homesteads to work in industries to earn a living for their families while women remained at home to take care of family affairs (Good and Sherrod 210). Women did not work in industries then because industrial labor was considered too physical beyond their capacity. This led to definition of roles which placated the position of men in a society while condemning women as mere subordinates who cannot do without men. The critics of gender stereotypes in America describe the following five hegemonic features of masculinity: frontiersman ship, heterosexuality, occupational achievement, familial patriarchy, and physical force and control (Trujillo 4). The advent of the 20th century led to sweeping changes in American masculinity. The first half of the 19th century of the United States of America had a characteristic of masculinity described above. Masculinity was made hegemonic, by defining power in terms of force and control. This is because men are naturally created with body physique, which is characterized by a higher controlling force than women are. Therefore, using force and control to define power naturalized male superiority. The male body was used to represent power, which was masculinized as force, physical strength, control, speed, toughness, and d... ... middle of paper ... ... E Glenn, and Nancy B Sherrod. The psychology of men and masculinity:Research status and future directions. New York: John Wiley and sons, 2001. Katz, J. D. The Invention of Heterosexuality London: Routledge Kimmel, Michael. "Manhood In America: A Cultural History” Matza, Alexis Ruthg. The Boston "T" Party: Masculinity, Testosterone Therapy, And Embodiment Among Aging Men And Transgender Men. Thesis and Desertation. Iowa: The university of Iowa press, 2009. Mosse, L George. The Image of Man: The Creation of Modern Masculinity. New York: Macmillan publishers, 1996. Summers, Martin. The Black Middle Class and the Transformation of Masculinity. Chapel Hill: University of Carolina Press, 2004. Trujillo, Nick. "Hegemonic Masculinity on the Mound:Media representation Of Nolan Ryan and American sports culture." Critical Studies in Mass communication (1991): pages 1-12.

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