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Social theoretical perspective on masculinity
Social theoretical perspective on masculinity
Social theoretical perspective on masculinity
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Activism For The Equal Treatment of Women This year, for the dignity initiative program, we welcomed Dr Michael Kimmel who is a sociologist specializing in gender studies. During his lecture at the conference center of spring creek Collin College, he emphasized on what the society need to do in order to empowered women in today’s society. Dr Kimmel started his lecture by showing that women live have changed in many different field throughout the years including the gender visibility, the work place, the balance work and the sex. In fact, contrary to 1900s where women were passives and less likely to participate to men activities, these recent years has shown an evolution in the presence of women in the work place and certain poll like the measure of the entitlement of pleasure by Alfred Kenzie (41% in 1954 vs 90% in 1996). Along with that, men live has also changed; however, what has not changed is the ideology of masculinity that remain the same. …show more content…
Most men tend to answer that being a good man is to have honor, integrity, stability and being the provider, and being a real man is being tough, strong, get rich etc. All these principles created a psychology built around four main rules of the real men which are: no sissy stuff, be a big wheel, be a sturdy oak, and give “em Hell”. The problem related to this way of thinking is that those notions are taught by others groups of men and this an obstacle to the empowerment of women. The evolution of a gender cannot be done without the support of the
The results reflect opinions from people in the general public who support his argument. The fact that he took the time to conduct these interviews shows that he is informed on the topic and is trying to gather credible information to support his argument. He also quotes social psychologist Robert Brannon’s four basic rules of masculinity in the text. This shows Kimmel took the time to research the topic and learned from the work of other researchers. The author acknowledges the expectations that society has for a man to be considered masculine but he does not think society should have these expectations. Kimmel does not reveal his masculinity or lack of in this essay, so we cannot be sure if his character influenced this writing. If he were extremely masculine he would probably be more likely to side with society’s views but if he were more on the feminine side he would be more likely to oppose society’s views. Kimmel has some credibility because of his use of interviews and surveys but lacks some credibility because of the lack of statistical data on this
Robert Jensen, a journalism professor at the University of Texas, describes in his essay, The High Cost of Manliness how society has seen men and what behavior is acceptable. Many people perceive men as, “naturally competitive and aggressive” (Jensen). Jensen show how men are not supposed to show any, “struggle for control, conquest and domination.” Instead, what needs to be seen, however, that is not always the case, no one is made the same way, everyone thinks and interprets information differently. Robert expresses how, “hard (it is) to live up to the demand that come with the dominant conception of masculinity.” Not all men need to be the textbook definition of masculine. Room for diversity is a must, it separates each person from the other.
In Gail Bederman’s Manliness and Civilization, she aims to describe the concepts of manliness and masculinity at the turn of the century. Bederman explains that the concept of what it means to be a man is ever changing as a result of the ideology of the time as well as the material actions of the men. During the Progressive Era, many forces were at work that put pressure on the supremacy of white, middle class men. Some of these forces included the growing move toward empowered women, the unionization of the working class, and the move from self-employment to big, corporate business. She delves into the way that both racism and sexism were used to build up the concept of masculinity and the turn of the century discourse on civilization.
As Clive Emsly explained in The Old Bailey Proceedings, in the eighteenth century, men were viewed as the stronger sex. They were expected to be tougher, both physically and emotionally, to have determination and will. Men were to be logical thinkers and erudite, they had to dominate their households and provide for their families. By the nineteenth century, historians argue that even though women began to experience more freedom in the workforce, they were still confined socially. Men were still expected to lead their households and be “breadwinners.” For many years, men dominated almost every aspect of society. However, in the past few decades, a movement known as feminism emerged. The feminist movement fought for women’s rights to an education and equality. Women longed for an opportunity to gain knowledge and freedom to seek adventure. In recent years, more so than ever, the feminist movement has made great advances. It has instigated a shift in gender roles and constructs forever altering how society views women and men.
Since the beginning of civilization, the role of men and women have been portrayed by their capabilities. During wars, men were asked to fight against enemies because they had the necessary strength to combat. On the other hand, women were asked to take care of the household chores and to give birth to increase the overall population of the country. This concept of roles has been highly present in our societies. Women fighting against the gender inequality have created a stir among the dominant group which are men. Since men are still more dominant and keep reigning in this world, often women are restricted from getting fair opportunities to achieve in their goals. Till now, women are forced to be obedient to men in certain societies. From past few decades, this perspective is slowly coming to an end in most of the society. Women are now being empowered by ideologies which is reshaping their identity in many societies.
Though most women in the 21st century obtain degrees and indulge in the workforce as opposed to being the stereotypical housewife, gender roles among men and women have not changed in the minds of the majority. It is still believed that there is more of an advantage to being a man than a woman. From physical to intellectual dominance, many men and women themselves buy into this facade that being a man is significantly more desirable. Not that women desire to be men, though that sometimes is the case, but women want the same perks and respect that you get being a man. Women do in fact have more power in the workforce, and more men can be found running their homes, yet there are still social expectations that guide the idea of what it means to be male or female.
Women today hold many roles in society. We are mother, care givers, daughters, wives, bosses, employees, educators, arbitrators and the list can go on and on. In my view we are the glue that can hold a family together and the ethical back bone in a still very male dominated society. Males have been the force behind most of the ethical and moral decisions that dominate our world. Women for much of our known history been subservient, dominated, and treated as second class citizens. We have been told that we are too sensitive and not as smart as men. It was believed and debated for many centuries that a women could only be virtues if she was a mother and a wife. This was her role because of her gender. With all the negativity towards women we
Gender inequality is prevalent in all major societies. The way that I would describe gender inequality is the unequal and unfair treatment between the two sexes. Sex makes up the biological differences of male or female. While gender is learned through social interactions and behaviors applied to the sexes. As a result, from a very early age, we are taught to follow certain gender expectations. For this reason, I agree with the statement that inequality is the result of gendered systems in which we live. I will evaluate certain chapters by Michael Kimmel in his book Gendered Society, to help show how we use certain concepts learned from society to run our lives. In today’s society children are raised to be a certain gender and they are expected to perform certain gender roles.
Men and women are targeted by society with stereotypes that most of the time do not apply, and instead of growing up to become the best version of themselves, they are conditioned to grow up oppressed by the gender roles that are giving within a society- which limits their options to an incredibly narrow range of ideals and behaviors.
Throughout history, men have been given power solely because of their gender. In society, men receive benefits, rights, and authority, not based on character or eligibility, but on their physical characteristics and life is inherently easier if one is male. Women have just gained the right to vote within the past decade, while men have always been allowed the privilege of contributing to government and civilization. Also, men had the advantage of being in control of wealth and property for hundreds of years because that is how society always functioned. The foundations of society were built on a patriarchy. Therefore, the value of male characteristics and the importance of men have been passed along and are still present today. While society progresses in understanding equality as years go by, male privilege is still in action
From as far as we know it, gender roles have existed in our society and still plays a huge role in societies across the globe. Throughout history, women were often portrayed as weak, unintelligent, sentimental, and useless. Women have been perceived as a homemaker, they had to take of their children and take care of their households. Men, on the other hand, are portrayed as money makers, strong, smart, and noble. Patriarchy has been very common in our society. Even today, many families live in a social system where males have the primary power, father-like figures have authority over women and children and are predominate in roles of political leadership and social privilege.Throughout history, women have been faced with violence, isolation,
The term “feminism” tends to have a negative connotation in today’s culture. Feminism is now focusing on female dominance and male disrespect. Women are fighting for equality, yet using personal bias to define equality, claiming identical rights for all will produce an equal culture. The mainstream feminist movement is using this corrupted view of equality to force rights of women. Contrary to popular belief, true feminism fights for true equality for women, as well as other people groups. The false view of feminism causes women to distort gender roles, dishonor themselves, and degrade men.
In just a few decades The Women’s Liberation Movement has changed typical gender roles that once were never challenged or questioned. As women, those of us who identified as feminist have rebelled against the status quo and redefined what it means to be a strong and powerful woman. But at...
The New Femininity Femininity is not a word that we are encouraged to use these days. A lot of people would argue that femininity is the thing that keeps women obedient to men. However, there is a hidden assumption behind this term. The assumption is that masculinity is superior to femininity; that femininity is not a beautiful and powerful thing in its own right. I believe that women have something men do not have. Women have special qualities that belong to them as women, and they do not intend to suppress those special qualities. I think the world would be a much poorer place without femininity. ?gWhat means to be a woman??h What first came to my mind was stereotypical. Passive, dependent, altruistic, intuitive emotionally open, and impulsive?cis this what meant to be the ideal women in our society? In general, men have more power in the public place such as economic and political order, while women have more power in the private place such as domestic life, family. The social whole will be best suited if each sex does those tasks for which they are best suited. In fact, men and women have biologically different capacities and interests (aggressive vs. maternal feelings, etc) In the role of the family, men have power in making decision and the women have control of housework. ?@?@?@?@I had encountered to see the different aspects of gender role in two societies. These two societies have their own values and beliefs that keep the man and the women different. However, th...
All can do assume as a matter of fact a nature of a man thus, making a negative output to a man. However, this could be a type desire that could help awaken and motivate the outlook or perspective we certainly have. This transitional process that everyone experiences should never be taken as a burden that would inhibit us from realizing the situations our society has. A man has the capacity to be successful without the need to follow the standard of how a man should be able to act in order to be considered as manly. No matter what we choose, as long as we believe positive results might fall into pieces. A true meaning and identification of being a manly doesn’t rely on traits and beliefs. It all fall under the factor of how we do things. A masculine wanting to be something often described to as feminine could be one without any hindrance. The obsession to be something is what makes a person a man, a whole new different standard that everyone would be able to adapt to. Eliminating the requirements and discriminative factors to what we know and what we try to believe. In general terms, a desire was never fuelled by masculinity and never was considered to be destructive to both genders. It is but driven by a human’s capacity to fail. Fail and be able to rise again. Different entities of gender concept that has no date, period, or age. A framework considered to have the aptitude to diminish substantial