Hannah Kramer November 19, 2013 Writing For Social Justice Dr. Adkins Masculinity and the Struggle to Conform “Who you callin’ a pussy? I’m more of a man than you are.” Insults like this ring through the walls of Heart and Hand, an after school program dedicated to helping kids do better in school, and have a safe place to spend their time. Yet, in this safe place, words like “pussy”, “punk”, “faggot”, or “homo” can be heard leaving the mouths of each young boy who enters. Amad, a young African American boy who can simply walk in a room, and his presence alone can get everyone’s attention has a “bad ass” demeanor that matches perfectly with his “rebelling against authority attitude”. Pants sagging, Nike’s laced loosely, hat cocked to the …show more content…
This is far too much pressure for young schoolboys to maintain their academics while every day they are faced with the struggle to be tough, and show no sign of weakness-- constantly battling to be the top man. In his article “Research at the Margin: Mapping Masculinity and Mobility of African-American High School Dropouts”, James Earl Davis addresses the issue of gender stereotypes playing a significant role on academic success. “The politics of identity has emerged as a critical theme in educational theory and practice.” (Davis 2006). Gender can substantially contribute to academic literature, to policy, and to our basic understanding about race and culture. A serious question has been raised with the recent increase in reports of violence, sexual exploits of male teens, lower literacy rates, and far fewer males entering college: what has gone awry with our American male youth? Some have placed blame on the fact that educational institutions give greater attention to the social needs and education of girls, rather than equally allotting their time (Davis …show more content…
In today’s culture, the rebel model celebrates all types of men who stand apart from powerful institutions. (Thompson, 2004) In American mass culture, rebels are idolized as models for independence, potency, and adventure. According to the article “From Jim Crow to Jay-Z: Race, Rap, and the Performance of Masculinity” by Miles White, the author traces the way in which the masculine masquerade has proven key to the development of our adolescent males from today’s performance of hardcore hip-hop. (White, 2011) White has examined the ways in which “hardcore hip-hop has helped to articulate new models of self and identity” for black and white youth and for better and worse. According to White, the turn from “hard” rap, to “hardcore” rap is when a shift of increased violence, and lower literacy rates occurred. According to Geoffrey Canada, author of Fist Stick Knife Gun, he says this about media’s role in masculinity; The music industry presents overtly sexual messages that denigrate women and portray them as sex toys. Video games offer violent messages, and even the sports video games include taunting and teasing. Movies portray men as tough guys. And there are the subtle advertising messages aimed at boys, in the liquor ads on billboards and buses. All of these offer images of masculinity that boys strive to achieve