Why Is Masculinity So Fragile

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Journal #4 Question: Why is masculinity so fragile? It seems that the very existence of the term fag and the reason for its prevalence amongst adolescent boys is the fragility of masculinity. This seems to be solidified when Pascoe explains that the idea of being a fag goes beyond sexual identity and more with the association of masculine incompetence, weakness and femininity (Pascoe, 330). The fluidity of the term has allowed itself to become a powerful disciplinary mechanism in which boys heavily police themselves and others in order to avoid being attached to the term (Pascoe, 330). Even basic things like caring about one’s clothing, dancing, showing emotions or as Ben, one of the students at River High that Pascoe interviewed, says,

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