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Tough Guise Debate

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Tough Guise 1. What are some benefits to boys and men of putting on the “tough guise”? When is it an effective and adaptive response, and when is it self-destructive and dangerous to others? 2. Are there biological reasons why males commit the vast majority of violence? If so, why do rates of violence vary widely between different countries? Why is the U.S. by far the most violent society in the industrialized world? And how do you explain, if you think the primary cause of violence is biological or genetic, why the vast majority of males do not commit violence? The “tough guise,” is a beneficially effective response when a person or a loved one are in physical danger. In these cases, it is a natural defense mechanism to protect something. …show more content…

nurture argument comes up. I do not think the primary cause of violence is biological or genetic, and I believe the vast majority of males do not commit violent acts because they are capable of controlling their base instincts. Men are not violent beasts, or at the very least, most of them are not. As far as I know, nearly everyone gets violent and intrusive thoughts once in awhile, but most people can control them, they do not act upon those thoughts. This is what separates us from the psychopaths and murderers. Additionally, how violent someone is also has to do with how they are raised and the environment they grow up in. People’s genetics and physical characteristics may play a role in making them at higher risk for becoming criminals, but I certainly do not believe they are the primary cause in a person’s violent nature. Men are expected to be more aggressive than women, and to fit in, they become more aggressive. The documentary referred to this phenomenon as gender policing. If a man slips up and acts outside what is considered the norm, their “man card,” is revoked, and they open themselves up to being mocked and ridiculed. Their man card is only reissued when they do something manly again to prove that they are a real man. Something that involves a display of the traits that are typically associated with manliness such as domination, power, aggression, and

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Similar to Sapolsky, Katz argues that the media teaches men from a young age to be tough, aggressive, and not to show emotional vulnerability. This is what he calls the “tough guise” or the artificial definition of manhood that forces men to conform to society’s expectations by being “tough” and powerful and hiding their emotions. In the beginning of the film Katz shows interviews with various young males where he asks what it means to be a man, and all of them provide an answer referring to strength, such as “powerful,” “intimidating,” “strong,” and of course, “tough.” When asked what a male is called when they fail to live up to these expectations, the young men replied, “wuss,” “fag,” or “sissy.” Katz points out that this just one of numerous methods that society uses to contain young men in this “tough guise” box, using insults to drive them to perform the way they believe a man should.

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This is due to the gender roles assigned to each sex, from the moment that we are born, and reinforced nearly everywhere. Men are expected to be violent, it is the defining feature of their masculinity- the very virtue of being a man. Men are shamed when their masculinity are called into question, while women are shamed when they behave unfemininely. In patriarchal societies, men are expected to be objects of violence, and women are expected to be objects of sex. If men refuse to be violent, they will be shamed and violence will be turned towards them- violence powerful in warding off shame & can achieve pride & honor.

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Furthermore, research conducted by Cumberbatch (1997) states Bandura et al. (1961) experiment lacks credibility. Whereas Hart (2006) argued selection bias affected the internal validly of Bandura et al. study, Cumberbatch (1997) states that the novelty of the Bobo Doll may have impacted on Bandura’s findings. Cumberbatch found children exposured to the Bobo Doll previously illustrated five times less violence compared with those test subjects who were familiar with the doll.

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