This essay explores the extent to which mainstream media purports and reproduces masculinity and queerness through analysis of various media formats: television, advertising and film. This essay begins by outlining the social constructivist critique of biological definitions of gender and masculinity. It then applies the gender theories of Butler’s performativity and Connells’ hegemonic masculinity to specific examples of media, focusing predominantly on the film The Avengers, in order to demonstrate how mass media has an instrumental role in the construction of the modern male identity. This essay will also address the gender concepts of hybrid masculinity and the male gaze in order to help explain how masculinity is socially constructed. …show more content…
Foucault (1984) claims masculinity cannot be understood as fixed biological categories, but that it is produced through social practices. Social constructionist theory would argue that children are socialised, from an early age, to adopt and conform to specific gender roles (Marchbank and Letherby 2007) Media has helped to shape these cultural norms and gendered narratives of what it is to be feminine or masculine. Traditionally, in western society, masculinity has been defined as the characteristics: tough, strong, hard and dominant. Beauvoir (cited in Gill and Scharff 2013) claims gender differences are set out in hierarchal opposition and that masculinity is the favoured norm and femininity ‘the other’. This is demonstrated as the male sex is often thought to as the ‘neutral’ sex. For example, the image that the majority of people imagine when the word ‘superhero’ or even, just ‘person’ is usually male. It is evident on a micro level in Figure 1: whereby products are usually neutral until designed specifically for women, when they get marketed as ‘women’s …show more content…
We exert behaviours, which are assessed (by society) based on socially accepted conceptions of gender. Butler theorises gender performativity claiming gender is an effect of dominant discourses and matrices of power (Jackson and Scott 2002). Thus, the performance and construction of masculine identities lie in the dominant discourses that society and media manifest. Butler conceptualises gender as a context dependent, fluid concept (Armet 2009) claiming an individual in performing gender can conform to the hegemonic gender ideology, or can reject such rigidity and choose to challenge the masculine
Unfortunately it seems to be a subject that doesn’t get much attention. It is almost as if it is swept under the rug in our society. The idea of gender as we think of it, is solely a social construct, born into existence by the pressure of tradition and the supremacy of the majority. This is true for our perceptions of "masculinity" and "femininity", and this point is driven home in "Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code." Michael Kimmel points out the stereotypes men are taught to believe make them more manly. According to his interviews with various men from all over the country, the male social facade was put upon them by fathers, grandfathers, coaches, older brothers and other significant male role models as young
140). Hegemonic masculinity alludes to the stratification and interpretations of masculinity and, progressive systems of force, power, and acknowledgement among men, and amongst men and women (Connell, 1993). “International research has strongly confirmed the initial insight that gender orders construct multiple masculinities” (Connell, & Messerschmidt, 2005, p. 835). At any point in time, one type of masculinity can be socially elevated and more prominent in social settings (Connell, 1993). Hegemonic masculinity is the arrangement of gender stereotypes that encapsulates the current acknowledged response to the issue of the authenticity of patriarchy—which ensures the predominant position of men and the subordination of women (Connell, 1997). Furthermore, a considerable body of research shows that masculinities are not simply different but also subject to change” (Connell, & Messerschmidt, 2005, p. 835). “Hegemonic gender norms set expectations about what is “appropriate” for men and women” (Friedman, 2015, p. 147). For example, in our neoliberal capitalist culture men and women are bombarded with marketing that supports hegemonic masculinity and defines what being a man or woman should look like. “Hegemonic masculinity was understood as the pattern of practice (i.e., things done, not just a set of role expectations or an identity) that
For centuries, the ideal masculinity has been seen as the provider, the macho man, the cowboy and the emotional rock, but new representations of manliness in the media have challenged this idea (Watson 2015, p. 270). Within these new depictions, there lies a hierarchy where one form of masculinity is more accepted than the rest (Kluch 2015). Macho masculinity has been seen as being dominant in the hierarchy for generations, however, in recent years, there have been an influx of new representations of masculinity that disrupt traditional hierarchal ideas. The masculinity of the twenty first century includes emotions, sensitivity, discipline, and intelligence. These new aspects of the hierarchy have been introduced by movies such as Brokeback Mountain, 22 Jump Street, The Social Network, and Fight Club.
Meanwhile, masculinity is defined by stigmatizing femininity. They give masculinity a dominant appeal by painting women as gullible and vulnerable. As Breazeale puts it, a “simultaneous exploitation and denial of the feminine” (Breazeale 232) and so “one-dimensional representations of women have resulted from attempts to court men as consumers” (Breazeale
In “performative acts” Judith Butler argues gender identity a success induced by social sanction, she argues that we are not born into gender, gender is created by your performance. She always believes gender is a topic that should not be binary, the fact that gender is binary makes people think they only have two choices and thinking they don’t have their own choice to make. When the author says performance he means performance by acts of the body. Butler reflects gender as a coming from and spirit within the inside of you
Media always encourages this type of male cluelessness by always giving the male lead the opportunity to do as he pleases so that his role as male can never feel threatened. In Michael Kimmel’s essay “Masculinity as Homophobia”, he takes a deeper look into the sensitivity and responsibility that comes with holding the title of masculinity and how society teaches boys that their highest form of achievement comes from what’s between their legs. Boys are told to not cry when they get hurt and are given the green light to pull a girl’s braids or push another person around. Manhood is seen as an eternal and essential that resides deep in the heart of every man (58).
In our society we see two forms of masculinity, hegemonic, and subordinate, this is known as the sociology of masculinity. Hegemonic is a very honored form of masculinity. This is the alpha male example, the man that protects all things, he is more superior than others both male and female, he has the chiseled chin, and the six pack you could wash your clothes on. Subordinate masculinity, on the other hand, defies the hegemonic norms society is so fond of. These males posses feminine qualities that put them below the hegemonic males on a hierarchal scale. Although what we find in our readings is hegemonic masculinity is policed by the worry that one may become subordinate if any sign of weakness is shown.
Gender indicates to the conventional psychological, social and representational differences between men and woman, which are socially determined and culturally interchangeable (Howson: 2004. 40). The conceptualisation of gender is aimed at presenting how
Early feminist studies of gender often depicted the expression of masculinity as solely meant to subordinate women. Upon further research and understanding of gender and its role in society, gender theorists have realized that masculinity is not only a patriarchal regulation against women, but that it also has negative effects against men. Masculinity has different characteristics in different cultures, but masculinity in general presents a hierarchy of traits, with femininity as the lowest, least desirable trait. In American culture, masculinity is defined within multiple structures, such as race, class, and sexuality, where a man’s masculinity can be lessened by his traits as well as these identities. Often, normative expressions of masculinity
Unlike the negative opinions about masculinity said that it is dangerous, violence and a threat to women, positive opinions people wanting to restore masculinity. “A professor of political science and philosophy at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada” (Newell) had written an article discuss about positive things of masculinity. According to Newell that “young men need to learn a positive version of masculinity that encourages honor, pride, and respect for women.” With him, masculinity is a positive thing for men, it is honorable and respectful, therefore young men should learn it. Sadly, throughout the years, masculinity has changes a lot which made people misunderstood the actual definition of it and mislead it to violence and misogyny (Newell). Even though everyone has their own personalities, but babies are born, raise and teach by their surroundings. Due to that reason, “Newell contends that society needs to channel certain boyish traits, such as a desire to be heroic, in positive directions and teach these boys how to become honorable men.” Babies are like a clean slate, what they see is what they are going to learn, they should see and learn masculinity in positive ways of it, not the bad ways of it. To learn masculinity in positive ways, Newell states, “to do this, we must recover a sense of what it means to be manly—honorable,
All around the world society has created an ideological perspective for the basis of gender roles. Gender and sex are often times misused and believed to be interchangeable. This is not the case. There are two broad generalization of sexes; female and male, yet there is a vast number of gender roles that each sex should more or less abide by. The routinely cycle of socially acceptable behaviors and practices is what forms the framework of femininity and masculinity. The assigned sex categories given at birth have little to do with the roles that a person takes on. Biological differences within females and males should not be used to construe stereotypes or discriminate within different groups. Social variables such as playing with dolls or
The definition of masculinity; Is the fact of being a man or having qualities considered typical of a man.
We live in a world where society has defined masculine and famine characteristics and features that have influenced our culture. Men are seen as:
Sex and gender are attributes to our identity. Sex describes the physical and biological factors we are born with, for example male or female genitalia, as quoted from blackadder “A boy without a winkle is a girl” (Elton and Curtis 1998). Whether we have oestrogen or testosterone hormones also tells us if we are man or woman. Gender however is in relation to stereotypes of masculinity and femininity, and expectations of what characteristics men or women should portray. Anyone given the opportunity to describe men, they would say words like dominant, non emotional, macho, aggressive, and to be the provider and protector of his family. This essay sets out to examine if masculinity is socially constructed and to do this the theories of gender, media, historical societies and even sexuality will be analysed throughout.
Masculinity and femininity are two terms, which have been interpreted differently throughout history. Both the males and the females have responsibilities and duties but these duties differ based on one’s gender. Gender has played a prodigious role in the economy, politics, and the society. Everyone starts making interpretations of the strengths and weaknesses based on one’s gender. These interpretations are not always based on his or her ability but is usually based on his or her gender. Males tend to be judged as extremely strong and unfashionable in terms of appearance. Whereas, females are judged as expensive and very fashionable. Males and females both differ in their abilities and their enjoyments. Fashion, entertainment, and strength are three topics, which are used to define masculinity and femininity in the 21st century.