Chapter 2 - Gender Identity and the Perception of Male Masculinity
In the field of Gender Studies, we understand that it deals with the exploration of how varying cultures with varying Socio-Economic and Cultural backgrounds are represented in literature, language, history, political science, sociology, cinema, media studies etc. Regarding gender, Simone de Beauvoir states, "One is not born a woman, one becomes one” This proposes the idea that in gender studies, the term "gender" must be used to refer social and cultural constructions which are placed on masculine and feminine identity creations and, not to the state of being male or female in its entirety. Sam Killermann explains in his Ted X Talk at the University of Chicago that Gender can be divided into three specific categories and they are - Gender identity, Gender expression, and Biological sex. Killermann explains that these three categories is one way of simplifying and differentiating gender into the different social, biological, and
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While for long time women have taken centre stage and have been pushing for women’s right and equality in a largely male dominated society. We forget that it is not only the women’s identity which is warped and under heavy scrutiny of the man-made categories that we have created but men as well. So when asking various men and women and questioning them on how they defined masculinity, they were left silently confused and unsure what they had to say. However, they answered it along the similar lines, “by possessing qualities traditionally attributed to men, such as aggressiveness.” Or “having qualities regarded as characteristic of men and boys, as strength, vigour, boldness, etc.; manly” When asked about what traits fall under ideal masculinity, they stated the following traits