Societal Concept Of Masculinity

Sawyer Victor

COMP 150

10 October 2017

Genre Analysis: The Societal Concept of Masculinity The genre of analyzation in this paper is masculinity. More in depth, the societal perpetuation of the concept of masculinity and its effects on individuals. Masculinity is a concept defined as a category of attributes, social behaviors and roles generally associated only with individuals of the male sex. It is rarely associated with females unless they are butch lesbian, and even if they are not, society will portray them as so. The concept of masculinity is a social construct – most often seen in patriarchal cultures and societies and identified mainly with gender roles. Gender roles are the acceptable or appropriate societal norms dictating

The samples being analyzed in this genre analysis all utilize the rhetorical devices known as ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), topos (theme or convention), and logos (logic), which are used as persuasive contrivances. An analysis of the genre focused upon the social construct of masculinity reveals one major challenge facing society: the perpetuation of gender roles and the degrading effect it has on individuals. The purpose of this essay is to establish an accurate analysis of the genre of masculinity as well as three different samples from the genre and their utilization of rhetorical devices. This essay provides an analysis of the rhetorical situation of the masculinity genre taking into account and analyzing three examples of work from the

It compares and contrasts the “physical view on masculinity” as it has changed over the centuries in relation to society’s views on it. In her article, Bordo explains, “Attention to beauty was associated not with femininity but with a life that was both privileged and governed by exacting standards… By the end of the nineteenth century, older notions of manliness premised on altruism, self-restraint, and moral integrity – qualities that women could have too – began to be understood as vaguely ‘feminine’… ‘Homosexual’ came to be classified as a perverse personality type which the normal, heterosexual male have to prove himself distinct from.” (402) Bordo goes on to explain how in the twentieth century the homosexual community has greatly influenced social discourse through developing the way models pose. In turn, this discourse has shaped the way male bodies are portrayed both in advertisements and within our culture, and broken the idea that all male bodies need to be portrayed in a strong and masculine fashion. In her article, Bordo uses a surfeit of anecdotes to typify pathos, several accounts of logos, and ethos to show the adaption that has taken place in the masculine advertising