Will society ever view African-Americans as people and not as less than? In “Chokehold” Paul Butler will discuss this very idea depth. Butler provides history on why and how society sees African-American men as violent thugs. Butler goes on to explain in detail how the chokehold plays a part in oppressing African-American men and how to avoid the ramifications of the Chokehold, if possible.
Stereotypes have the power to label someone and rob them of all their hard work or strike fear into others. One such stereotype is that of black men being more dangerous;yet, one black writer voices his opinion on such a stereotype. In the essay “Just Walk On By” by Brent Staples, Staples describes his experience of being a large black man and how it affects the people around him. From people locking their doors to pedestrians crossing the street to avoid a confrontation, people seem to be afraid of Staples just from a glance. Yet Staples does nothing to cause this fear, rather his stereotype is to blame.
The section of “White Woman, Black Man” further delves into his views of white women and the role that society has in shaping gender relations between black men and white women and also in influencing masculinity and femininity.
The “Rock Pile” by James Baldwin and “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston are two stories that examined black male resistance to emasculation. The men in these stories lived in patriarchal societies, and they reaped the benefits of a structure that favored men. In both of these stories, the male characters are dominant figures in their households, and when they felt like their manhood was being attacked, they retaliate viciously. In “Their eyes were watching god”
In this chapter, Hooks explains how the demasculinization of any person in a society is seen as a cross from a world of having little power into a world full of privilege. Hooks dives into the fact that many black comedians actually have their first success when they include their impersonations of black women. This is due to the fact that the black woman is often a target of ridicule and scorn. She also talks about how during her viewing experience many white people just treated the stories and hardships of these minorities as entertainment, and didn’t actually take it seriously. I would like to connect this subject to the actual documentary because it is suggested by multiple people in the film that black women are treated much worse than men, but despite this there are still many people in the film that either cross dress as a women, or that have undergone a sex change.
Synthesis Research Paper Everyday growing up as a young black male we have a target on our back. Society was set out for black males not to succeed in life. I would always hear my dad talk about how police in his younger days would roam around the town looking for people to arrest or get into an altercation with. As a young boy growing up I couldn’t believe some of the things he said was happening. However as I got older I would frequently hear about someone getting killed by the police force.
“Black Men and Public Spaces” Diagnostic Essay Brent Staples in “Black Men and Public Spaces,” illustrates the inescapable prejudices and stereotyping that African-American men face in America. He does this by relating to his audience through his personal experiences with stereotyping, and sharing his malcontent on how these events have made him alter his way of living. From “victimizing” woman, watching people lock themselves away, and having to whistle classical music to calm the nerves of people around him; Staples builds a picture to help people better sympathize and understand his frustration. Although Staples describes himself as a college graduate, a journalist, and a softy in the face of violence, he details that the overall public deems him a dangerous criminal.
This has led to the belief that African American women hold character traits that are more masculine in nature and are viewed as being stronger, reliable and independent; while African American men display feminine traits and are seen as the weaker sex with negative characteristics such as undependable and unemotional. It is understood that there is a greater sense of egalitarian gender roles amongst the African American community in comparison to whites in the United States. With African American men having a more liberal view towards the gender roles of women more so than white Americans (Kane,
Rather than a single standard of masculinity to which all men and boys are taught to aspire to, studies have documented a variety of masculinity that define manhood differently across racial , ethnic, class, sexual , and regional boundaries.(Kathleen Blee) In this quote the author states that due to intersectional differences, different racial groups of men might have different definitions on what it means to be masculine and what it means to perform masculinity. Gender roles are also modified by life experiences over time across racial groups. In the next images I presented are all images of my guy friends and cousins. More specifically they are all images of African American males in my life choosing to participate in gender and masculinity.
It is often said that the first step for improvement is to recognize that there is a problem needed to be dealt with. Though not uncommon, this dilemma is rarely brought to light and therefore has a long, tragic history. The Representation Project 's documentary The Mask You Live In is focused on the age-old question, "How to be a man in America?" This film defines masculinity, discusses learned behavior, and reminds us of our role in society.
The article explores public masculinization of sexuality causing discomfort in women talking openly about sex. Shameful or improper feelings prevent open dialogue with regard to sex creating a social climate that does not support autonomy of gender order regarding sexuality. Culture factors greatly into how adolescents are taught and view sexuality. For example American teenagers are prone to be less open with their parents and more likely to hide their sexual identities more so than Dutch teenagers who are raised with their parents normalizing sexuality to them.
In order to empower themselves and their children, the mothers reinforce their African American identity and then pass down their knowledge on traditions, history, and music to their children (Dow, “Racial Distinctions” 89). Dow notes that some mothers even choose to reclaim the racial stereotype of a strong black woman, who is required to be self-reliant and self-contained, in order to help their daughters embrace a positive self-image. Jordana from Dow’s study asserts that “I think it is important to role model for my daughter being a strong woman […] I think in certain settings strong black women are thought of as aggressive women, and it is thought of negatively… [but] to me it is a positive thing… it means unwavering values, goal-oriented, recognizing your beauty, and possessing self-love” (Dow, “Negotiating” 47). By rearticulating the purpose of a “strong black woman” and removing its negative connotations, working-class African American mothers are able to reclaim their authority and place themselves in a position of empowerment that withstands both a patriarchal and racist society.
OUTLINE Title: Confronting or Confirming The Traditional Masculinity? (The Portrayal of Fatherhood in Indonesia Men’s Lifestyle Magazine) Research Problem: In Indonesia patriarchal country, being a man means that one has a bigger responsibility in his life.
Being part of two historically marginalised groups, black women are conceptualised distinctly from black men and white women. Women of Color have to battle not only against white patriarchy and sexism of Black men; they also have to fight against white women’s racism. Shrouded in harmful stereotypes, they are doubly disadvantaged. Because their struggle has been largely different from that of white women and black men, they experience alienation from both groups.
Importantly, another contributing factor to men oppression is racial factors. Various inequalities exist between people of different races, and men are vulnerable to mistreatment arising from ethical, cultural and color differences. In most cases, the minority groups always suffer, for example, in the US history the blacks were subjected to more suffering than the white due to what is believed to be race superiority. In his book, Andrew Kimbrell ‘ ' Masculine Mystique ' ' indicate the oppression that the African Americans underwent in search of good jobs, homes and a better life for their families (Kimbrell 47).
