Changing the Meaning of Masculinity

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Changing the Meaning of Masculinity

Why are men so sensitive when it comes to their masculinity? This question came to me when I began reading the introduction of this section on sex. I believe that men are pushed into a social stereotype just like women are. They are told how to act, when to cry, and when to be tough from a very young age. These traits are not only bestowed upon them by their parents, but by movies, music and government of the past and present.

“For many straight men, homosexuality is a direct threat to their identities”(O’Neill 5). Since men claim they are so powerful and masculine, they shouldn’t have a problem with homosexuality. Men have this problem due to the social construction. According to many heterosexual males that I have talked to, they feel that if they hang out with a homosexual or become a homosexual themselves, they would be deceiving the morals and values bestowed upon them when they were young. The majority of parents in our society have brought heir children up believing that a relationship consists of a man and a woman, and that there is no deviation from this norm. Many homosexual males never even tell their parents that they are gay. Many of these men feel that their families would disown them if they found out. The odd thing is that many of these homosexual men feel more afraid to tell their fathers that they are gay. They feel like their father would be more ashamed of them. One homosexual told me that his father would feel like less of a man if he knew.

When I asked a number of heterosexual men, ranging form the ages of 18 to 30, why they feel homosexuality is wrong, they all came up with basically the same answer. In one way or another they all said, “That it is just wrong, and...

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... should be able to look the mirror at themselves and not feel “gay” or not masculine, just as a female can. I am not saying that males should change their whole personality or standards, I just feel that they should conform to society a little better than they do. Women are strong, but still loving. Men should learn from the environment around them. To be more masculine they should learn to cope with their sexuality, and not be afraid to cry. Masculinity does not mean without feeling, it means being strong and coming to terms with who you really are.

Bibliography:

Culbertson, Philip. "Designing Men: Reading the ale Body as Text." Internet. Available: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/textual-reasoning/(volume7,1998)

Ward, Graham. "Hung Like a Horse: Male Stripping in Recent Films." Online. Available: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/textual-reasoning/(volume7,1998)

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