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Femininity: A Literature Review

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Femininity is formed through patriarchal ideas. This means that femininity is always set up as inferior to men. As a result, women as a group lack the same level of cultural power as men. Women do have agency to resist these ideals. Women can actively challenge gender norms by refusing to let patriarchy define how they portray and reconstruct their femininity. This can be done by rejecting cultural scripts. For example, entering male-dominated fields, such as body-building or Science and Technology (Dr Leullos,2014). According to Bladwin and McCracken (2008) Feminism explains both the broad movement that has fought against the political and social differences between men and women as well as the school of academic criticism that takes gender …show more content…

Men and Masculinity Gender role is generally defined as a set of attitudes, behaviours, and self-presentation methods ascribed to member of certain biological sex. It includes norms for behaviour, which some researchers have stated to call it “the rules of masculinity” or “masculine and ideology.” this includes the gender roles such as strength which refers to emotional toughness, courage, self-reliance and nationality. Honour refers to duty, loyalty, responsibility, integrity, selflessness and compassion. Lastly action which refers to competitiveness, ambition, risk-taking and agency (Barker, 2012). Dr Leullos (2014). Defines masculinity as a widely set of procedures which include gender relations gender practices between men and women and the belongings of these practices confidently experiences, personality and culture. He argues that it dictates ways of being masculine and “unmasculine.” He argues that there a several masculinities functioning within anyone cultural context, and some of these masculinities are hegemonic, subordinate, compliant and …show more content…

Race and Ethnicity Race and ethnicity have been and still is at the heart of South African history, politics, society and economy since the European colonisation. South Africa stays a complex mix of different cultural identities, races, language and ethnic bonds. The concept of race became popular during the period time of the colonization, as well as during the Apartheid period which started in 1948. Race is defined as a social concept referring to a group of people who share different and similar psychological characteristics (The South African History, 2015). The ‘term ‘race’ is often placed in invented commas in cultural studies to indicate its historical uncertainty and its status as an analytic concept. Going back to the nineteenth century there were many aims by European investigators to group people based on their racial groups (white, yellow, black) and attribute unchanging feature to them. However these challenge to legitimate sets of stable racial differences. Race is an everyday term that people use to categorise themselves and identifying the differences between other groups that are not familiar to them. This term is broadly believed as potent markers of cultural differences Bladwin and McCracken

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Despite opposition to the movement, feminism battles constant stereotypes not only imposed upon women, but men as well. Simply, it’s a movement for human betterment, for human equality, and for human advancement. By ridding society of deeply ingrained, bigoted labels, feminism will succeed in the progression of more open-minded and accepting peoples. Purging gender expectations allows humans to avoid succumbing to discrimination driven by chauvinistic reasoning. A deep-seated superiority complex that those of the least oppressive gender/race maintain often blinds them of their own contribution to the struggle of equality for all.

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In Robert Jensen’s article “The High Cost of Manliness”, he states that the idea of masculinity is a bad thing and they should get rid of it. This article debates on the common stereotypes of men, as he states: “That dominant conception of masculinity in U.S. Culture is easily summarized: Men are assumed to be naturally competitive and aggressive, and being a real man is therefore marked by the struggle for control, conquest, and domination” (par. 4). Nonetheless, there are some traits that men and woman share, such as, caring, compassion, and tenderness. These traits often depend on the situation, since a man cannot always be this way, whereas, a woman is often expected to have these traits.

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Critical Summary “Racial Formations” by Michael Omi and Howard Winant discusses the definition of race, race as a social construct, racial ideology and identity, the historical development of race, and unresolved questions regarding race. The article opens with The Phipps case, which ruled that a law which “quantified racial identity” would be upheld (Omi and Winant, 1986, 12). The article describes how race is viewed from both scientific and religious standpoints. Race was used to determine the characteristics and treatment of those who did not look like the European standard.

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Masculinity is a role that has defined parameters that young men are compelled into performing, and these roles,

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Professor Beckham believes the only reason the term “race” still continues to be used is because of the “social significance” it still has in society. It is evident that there are physical differences between people of different races, but these differences have no meaning by themselves in society. Therefore, there are distinctions drawn about certain races because people align these physical differences to social or cultural differences we observe in different races. Even so, these sociocultural associations are rapidly disintegrating in our society.

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Throughout this paper, I argued for race’s importance in defining who we are as human beings. First, I introduced the concept of race, defined terms, and provided background information that show cased the role of race throughout history into modernity. Next, I introduced my argument, provided sources, and a outlined a valid argument in support of race’s importance to human beings. Finally, I acknowledged two possible objects to my argument and responded to them. After reviewing all of the definitions, background information, arguments, and explanations for race, one can confidently conclude that as a result of our social institutions, race is an important feature of who we human persons

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Masculinity has been a heated debated topic over the past years. Not just america or europe, but our whole society. Men tend to think that entering manhood is a good thing, but most don’t know it can be just as detrimental to our society. Men have certain characteristic when it concerns to masculinity and when doing so it can have a range of effects. So, how do men identify themselves masculine and how do they define themselves that way?

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What is masculinity? Masculinity is a set of attributes, behaviors and roles generally associated with boys and men. In today's society, the perception of masculinity has been reinvented much like many other social issues. Studies show older generations still believe in the idea of masculinity whilst newer generations are breaking away from this very restrictive mold. William Shakespeare's work, Romeo and Juliet, presents readers with the huge part masculinity plays within society due to the characters constant need to prove themselves, Romeo’s struggle to balance his sensitive and tough side, and the role of women.

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What constitutes “masculinity?” Sadly, the term has been defined so harshly that it is having detrimental effects on our society. The definitions of gender roles bombard us everywhere, from books, to advertisements, to movies, there is seemingly no place one can hide from these absurd standards. Canadian sociologist Aaron H. Devor points out in his article “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender,” that gender norms are learned early on in life, burdening children with these restrictions (388). This is what makes movies which clearly reject and mock gender roles, such as The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, so refreshing.

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A very controversial topic of discussion today involves the difference between the biological and social view of race. The biological view sees a population according to traits that are passed down biologically, this is where the term “race” comes from. It would be somewhat accurate to say that people from different parts of the world have some differences biologically. The issue in this argument is found when people see that there may be some differences biologically but try to segregate them into fixed categories. What is found by this is that by assessing this biology and peoples' appearance, you can categorize them into a specific race.

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“Sociologists find themselves deeply intrigued by the concept of race, which seems to be an organising structure within society on a par with gender or class (p.2)” (Atkin, 2014, P. 2). The term ‘Race’ first came about in the west within 1200 and 1500ce. It was used to categorize shared biological behaviours/traits. It ‘simplified’ the groups of distinct people.

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The first discussion of this course we have covered, we learned race is a social construction. According to Snip, he explained why he believes that race is a social construction; he argued that race is being used to pursue social class and political desires. Throughout the history race has changed from time to time. In the context of the United State race was used for assigned people based on their skin color then it become matter of personal identification. The book explains the concept of race, as this “Racialization is the social process by which a racial group identity is attached to a group and that is placed in a race-based social hierarchy.”

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1. What does the social construction of race and ethnicity mean? The social construction of race and ethnicity deals with the need to have a hierarchy based on skin color, phenotype, and the poking and prodding of humans to scientifically justify their claims that White is the superior race. Though the basis of the conversation of race and ethnicity as a social construct is based on biases, prejudice, and misconceptions about minorities, it was believed in society for many decades because of the rhetoric that was pushed into institutions that helped to further oppress people of color.

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Masculinity versus femininity This dimension doesn’t correlate directly with gender roles or behaviours. Instead this is more orientated towards specific traits that Hofstede has defined as masculine and low masculine (femininity). A high masculine culture is characterized by focusing on money, possessions, and traditional family values. Feminine cultures are said to be relationship oriented, focused on quality of life, and failing is generally more accepted. This is best describe by the commonly used phrase “Americans live to work, while Europeans work to live.

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Masculinity (also called boyhood, manliness or manhood) is a set of attributes, behaviors and roles generally associated with boys and men. But the culture doesn’t end at the definition, it starts from there. The first thing to come to mind when the word masculinity is heard is usually a man flexing his gigantic muscles, as the word might sound to suggest, and that right there is the current culture of masculinity because sadly, in the world we live in, not everyone has a “muscular body”. So far we know the concept of masculinity, but the culture is what is truly hampering.

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