Views of Masculinity in Our Society

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Introduction
In today’s world, becoming a man is a right of passage to most people. A lot of times, however, a man’s sense of self gets denied because of the views from this generation. They shy away from their real personalities and fail to achieve the things they love because they are afraid of being struck down by the world’s view. Boys try to meet up to fake expectations of masculinity, they mask their real self in order to seem superior, and they hide their emotions so that they can meet up to these fake views that are quite prominent in our society.
Fake Definition of Masculinity
Young men are told daily to “be a man.” This request can have a different definition depending on who ask and can’t be accomplished depending on who you ask. Boys everywhere feel as if they have to meet up to today’s standard of masculinity, which was recalled by one boy in an interview, is based on looks, how many parties you go to, and how much you have sex (Kelher & Martino, 2007). This, among other things, gives young men a false definition for what it is they should strive to be. It is harmful for boys to grow up with these restrictions on growing up to this normalcy of manhood. Masculinity or femininity, however, are not inherent properties of individuals (Dalley-Trim, 2009). Boys will fake who they really are in order to make it seem on the outside that they are a” manly man” like their predecessors. If you don’t meet up to these expectations, some will get picked on and called names such as girly, gay, feminine, or named “sissies.” Becoming a man in our society is more or less creating yourself into this mold of manliness. There is a certain code of conduct that every young boy has to follow. Most boys will stray from the things they really...

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..., be the strongest, and be someone who others would look to as tough. Though there is nothing wrong with this image, boys get knocked down if they don’t meet up to these standards. Boys fake their own identities and are unable to become who they really want to be based on today’s modern views on masculinity.

Works Cited

Dalley-Trim, L. (2009). The call to critique ‘common sense’ understandings about boys and masculinity(ies). (1st ed., Vol. 34). Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ922747.pdf
Kehler , M., & Martino, W. (2007).Questioning masculinities: Interrogating boys’ capacities for self‐ problematization in schools . Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ771847.pdf
Slauer, N. (2013, Feburuary 15). Exploring masculinity in modern culture. Retrieved from http://www.calvin.edu/chimes/2013/02/15/exploring-masculinity-in-modern-culture/

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