Masculinity And Social Construction

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3) We should do away with what is currently known as ‘masculinity’ because it is a constricting entity that is exclusive to certain kinds of men and is socially constructed. Masculinity itself stems from the ideas of gender. Gender itself is socially constructed. Lorber states how, “gender is constantly created and re-created,” in society (Lorber 55). It is a widely believed concept and key feminist theory that social constructionism is how gender should be viewed; social constructionism being the notion that gender is a social construct and not related to genitalia, and the ‘correct’ execution of gender changes across time and space throughout different societies (Launius and Hassel 27). Fausto-Sterling comments saying that gender and …show more content…

If gender is a social construct, and by extension so is masculinity, how unnatural and constricting is masculinity if it is unable to change even as a social construct? Rebuttals to the notion that masculinity is biological is states as Kimmel explains how if masculinity were, “biological, it would be as natural as breathing or blinking,” and yet contemporary masculinity is as unnatural as gender (Kimmel 51). With the idea of masculinity being so narrow, it is fitting to say that, “masculinity is socially constructed and highly constrained in our society,” (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 11). Kimmel describes the “Guy Code,” as fitting, “as comfortably as a straightjacket,” because not every man can fit into the contemporary version of masculinity (Kimmel 51). Kimmel explains how men fear not being thought of as “real men” by other men, and how so much of male culture is about men being scared of other men not thinking that they are masculine enough (Kimmel 47). And herein lies the heart of the issue. This notion must be thrown out. Men, as a result, learn from other men that they need to act and be a certain way (not feminine) in order for their masculinity to be validated by men. Masculinity is often seen as being the opposite of femininity in …show more content…

Piece by piece. The “’mask of masculinity,’” needs to be shed for all men (Kimmel 53). By looking at evidence that gender is social, as well as masculinity, it can be deduced that masculinity needs to be corrected to be more inclusive. My new definition is that masculinity should be like a wall (entirely exclusive from the connotations the word ‘wall’ now has as a result of Trump). A wall is sturdy and strong and, yes, built by humans. The current wall of masculinity is currently made of the same type of brick, with the same color and material, replicated over and over and over and over with no mortar in between these bricks. Other shapes and colors and types of bricks do not have room to become part of the wall of masculinity. The only reason this wall hasn’t fallen down yet is because the current bricks are so heavy and relentlessly stubborn and they have stayed up because people have not unified to push hard enough to knock the wall down. Once that happens, a new wall can be built. A fabulously colorful wall will be built. This new wall of masculinity will be able to accommodate all shapes and sizes of bricks. Bricks can be expressed, colored, shaped and decorated however they please. These bricks will be able to fit because mortar will be used in between these bricks to hold them together. The mortar is ‘human love, compassion, empathy and understanding’ because it is through those key traits that all kinds of men will be able to

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