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Interdisciplinary Studies On Masculinity

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Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the multifaceted interaction of gender with other identity markers for example race, ethnicity, sexuality, nation, and religion. Femininity and masculinity are such a basic form of social organization that the operation often passes unnoticed. Feminist scholarship shows that traditional categories used for social analysis and their associated interpretive approaches frequently reinforce gender hierarchies and inequalities
Interdisciplinary study came forth in reaction to the partial answers to social problems provided by the disciplines. This looks at concepts of gender and power, gender and the body, and gender and knowledge through a sequence of topics such as freedom and liberty, …show more content…

There is a widespread debate about how kids develop gender identities. The nature side of the debate argues that masculinity is inextricably linked with the male body. In this view, masculinity is associated with the biological male sex and having male genitalia, for example is regarded as a key aspect of masculinity.
However some have suggested that while masculinity may be influenced by biological factors, it is also culturally constructed. Proponents of this view argue women can become men hormonally and physically and that many aspects that are assumed to be natural are linguistically and therefore culturally driven. The nurture side of the debate, it is argued that masculinity does not have a single source of origin or creator such as the media, certain institutions, or certain groups of people. While the military, for instance has its own vested interest in constructing and promoting a specific form of masculinity, it does not build it from scratch and masculinity has influenced the creation of the military in the first place. Facial hair has been linked to masculinity through language, in such forms as stories about boys becoming men when they start to …show more content…

Recently many 'Man Laws ' and similar masculinist manifestos have been published, as a way for men to state their masculinity. Although many of these rules are offered in a amusing fashion, they attempt to describe masculinity, and point out that proper gender is taught and performed.

The hierarchy of masculinities among men exist mainly in a dichotomy of homosexual to heterosexual males and explains that, our society makes use of the male heterosexual-homosexual dichotomy as a fundamental symbol for all the rankings of masculinity, for the division on any ground between males who are "real men" and have command, and males who are not. The saying "you 're so gay" indicates that one is devoid of masculinity, rather than being sexually attracted to members of the same sex.

PROBLEM STATEMENT AND OBJECTIVES

Why do men strive hard to accomplish this physically strong aggressive masculine persona? Is it a feeling of dissatisfaction and insecurity that makes men so compelled to grasp onto the masculine ideals. To understand therefore, why the idea of masculinity is pressurizing to some men.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To define and study the concept of

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Response The documentaries Tough Guys and Killing us Softly, really brought to light the way masculinity and femininity are represented in our society. The characteristics and associations that are made when these words are thought of are bizarre and not natural. I strongly believe that both masculinity and femininity are learned characteristics from the human environment. I often wonder if people would even have these ideas and characteristics that are associated with gender in the beginning of time, or if people have slowly began to define and differentiate the genders throughout the evolution of time.

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In discussing the many facets of masculinity among young men, one key issue has been the correlation it has with several developmental concerns. In Michael Kimmel’s 2008 publication “Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code”, he talks about how men believe manhood is really achieved. More specifically, he talks about “Guy Code”, the universal rulebook that all men must follow if they wish to remain in good standing among their fellow man. These rules are taught as early as their toddler years.

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While some similarities between What Does “Boys Will Be Boys” Really Mean? and How Boys Become Men are evident in their attention to stress how society sets standards and forces a stereotype upon the men and boys, they have different interpretations.

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History has repeatedly given men privilege due to their physical advantages; yet it is these same advantages that have developed into “rules” or expectations that all men should conform to in order to prove their manhood. Michael Kimmel’s essay, “‘Bros Before Hos': The Guy Code” outlines the “rules” where men are expected to never show any emotions, be brave, act knowledgeable, be risk takers, be in control, act reliable, and be competitive, otherwise they would be showing weakness which is analogous to women. It is humiliating that men associate weakness with women; they should focus on the potential of the individual rather than their gender. Most insults toward men attack their masculinity because society finds it shameful for men to be

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“Masculinity as Homophobia” an article by S. Kimmel, that talks about how men these days have the fear of being judged and ranked based on their manhood. There are some arguments that the Professor mentions and uses in his article that supports his argument and some experiences from other people 's perspective in life of men over the years. The author’s main argument is about how men these days are being watched and judged closely based on how they walk, talk, eat, dress, move and look like. The author explains how the world is judging men and how it tries to take that power and that pride of being a man.

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Since long ago, we have considered men/women who just looked like men/women (varies with cultures) as males and females and have sought for things that would strengthen the intensity of masculinity/femininity. In “Night to His Day”, Judith Lorber notes, “Even societies that do not cover women’s breasts have gender-identifying clothing, scarification, jewelry, and hairstyles” (Judith, p100), and says, “When unisex clothing… beards and mustaches for men also came into style again as gender identifications”. Judith Lorber, citing those historical facts, clearly demonstrated the fact that people seek for things that would solidify

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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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