Masculinity In Sociology

1414 Words6 Pages

Throughout this sociological investigation, the notion of ’’masculinity’’ will be explored, examined and dissected as well as the concept and the idea of what it means to be a man in the eyes of an individual themselves as well as society as a whole. One may note that this investigation will intertwine and relate to the woks of Lorber (1996), Connell (1995) as well as various other pieces of academic literature and research. It is evident to note that further research has been done in the form of a one-on-one live interaction with a Mr Andrew James. This interview will explore the paradigms of what it means to be a man and what is considered to be masculine from the view point of a heterosexual male and thus illustrating the stereotypical thoughts that are associated with what a man ‘’should be.’’ Before one starts to explore to notion of masculinity and what is meant be the term man, one first needs to differentiate and find a distinction between the notion of sex and gender. One may note that in the 1900s sex had been defined …show more content…

Connell (1995: 78) reinforces the idea that hegemony relates to cultural dominance in the society as a whole and thus within the overall framework there are specific gender relations of dominance and subordination between the groups of men. One may note that oppression positions homosexual masculinities at the bottom of the gender hierarchy among men. According to Connell (1995:78), ‘’gayness, in patriarchal ideology, is repository of whatever is symbolically expelled from hegemonic masculinity , the items ranging from fastidious taste in home decoration to receptive anal pleasure’’ (Connell, 1995: 78). Thus if one looks at masculinity from a hegemonic lens, being gay or homosexual is easily and effortlessly assimilated to the notion of femininity and can thus lead to ferocity of homophobic attacks within a society (Connell, 1995: