Society s Current Structure Of Masculinity - 1206 Words

Society’s current structure of masculinity is unforgiving in form. It cuts out other forms of masculinity, it physically and mentally demanding, and its ill effects extend far beyond the men it infuses itself in. Yet what would we do if we were given other options for masculinity, ones that allowed for unique blends of attitudes and perceptions? Looking in to the lives of homeless men we can see the forced strategies which create new masculine codes created for the adaption against patriarchal pressures. They are made out of survival need to circumnavigate the painful mental and physical reality that is only made worse by harsh masculine standards. Yet these new masculinities hold out a form of hopefulness for society. They offer up new discussion to what it means to be a man, the potential for change, and what we can expect from changes in male identity over time. Using what we learn from the disadvantaged, we can hope to improve the lives of people, although the process will take time, effort, and careful mediation. Timothy Nonn’s Hitting Bottom: Homelessness, Poverty, and Masculinity touches on the complicated issues homeless men face, especially in terms of adapting to pressures of hegemonic masculinity. The mental and physical stress of homelessness for men stems from a denial of identity due to the rigid construction of maleness. Homeless men lose their connection to the same power other men come to expect, they lose their place in society, and because of the way ourShow MoreRelatedEssay on Equal and Alike1158 Words   |  5 Pagesbetween masculinity and femininity is less clear. Aaron H. Devor wrote in his 1989 article, Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender, that due to the structure of American society, â€Å"masculinity thus becomes ‘innately’ valuable and femininity serves a contrapuntal function to delineate and magnify the hierarchical dominance of masculinity† (430). Devor describes t he role of femininity in current society as merely a way to put the value and superiority of masculinity into perspectiveRead MoreThe Effects Of Traditional Masculinity On Gender Equality1318 Words   |  6 PagesEffect of Traditional Masculinity on Gender Equality The idea of â€Å"doing gender† was introduced by West and Zimmerman in 1987. They conceptualize gender as a routine accomplishment that is created and maintained through everyday interaction. Instead of seeing masculinity as something that just happens to men or is done to men, masculinity is seen as something that men do. Specific patterns are learned through the socialization process that appropriately represents masculinity (West, Zimmerman). ThisRead MoreBeing Male or Female Locks Us Into Roles1195 Words   |  5 Pagescreates a strong divide between people and produces a hierarchal society. These ideas of masculinity ultimately portray dominance and power over women which further encourages hegemonic masculinity that is already present in contemporary social structures. This idea of masculinity is highly evident in social structures such as education, workplace, military and various forms of media. Through generating these notions of masculinity, it will continue to pla ce women in subordination. A part of beingRead MoreWhat Place Should Men Have A Feminist Politics?1319 Words   |  6 PagesWhat place should men have in feminist politics? Given the record of men s violence against women, abusive attitudes and speech, relentless sexism in high culture and the mass media, it s not hard to justify the notion that men have no place at all in the women s movement. Yet, while we undeniably live in a sexist culture, men are far from monolithic in support of its sexism. There are significant resources among men that can be tapped for the resistance. Some men want to support feminism, andRead MoreCommon Sense Explanations And The Explanations Of C. Wright Mills Theory Of The Sociological Imagination1534 Words   |  7 PagesSociological Imagination. Common sense is based on people s personal experiences and their opinions, very often constructed from social norms and generalised views. Whereas, the Sociological Imagination thought up by sociologist C. Wright Mills (1959) is based on the ideas of thinking critically and skeptically, in order to think sociologically. He wrote that in order to do this, we have to understand and grasp the link between current society and history, personal troubles and public issues. ThereRead MoreLeadership And Hofstedes Six Dimensions1493 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership and Hofstede s Six Dimensions The Hofstede six dimension model s a study or theory, put forth by Professor Geer Hofstede, on how values in the work place are influenced by cultural differences around the world. The Model analyzes different countries on a scale from one to a hundred in six of the different categories. The categories in the model include; Power Distance Index, Individualism versus Collectivism, Masculinity versus Femininity, Uncertainty Avoidance Index, Long Term OrientationRead MoreInternational Business Essay Questions1592 Words   |  7 PagesSection One: Questions # 2 and #3 Question #2 a. Define and explain the term Culture Ans.: Culture is a set of shared values, understandings, assumptions, and goals that are learned from earlier generations, imposed by present members of a society, and passed on to succeeding generations. Culture is basically the way of life of a people: what they eat, the music they listen, how they dress, their meal times, their language and art form, and so on. b. Give examples if operational conflicts thatRead MoreStudy of Organizational Culture in Singapore1669 Words   |  7 PagesResidents for so many years harmoniously together. Review Culture may be viewed as a group s collective being which is both static and dynamic in nature, and may be studied by looking at the dimensions of the collective being at a point in time as well as over time (RALSTON et al). Low’s (2009; 2002) studies cites the twelve Singaporean values and these values are then cited and used to examine the key value(s) that prevail among these Singapore companies. According to his thesis there are eightRead MoreThe International Women s Media Foundation1500 Words   |  6 Pageswoman in the societal or cultural context. Also, there has been an improvement over time with the level of acceptance of gay athletes. For example, unlike in 2002, gay athletes in 2010 had better experiences because youth in their society accepted of their forms of masculinity (Anderson 2011; Adams and Pamela 2003). SPORTS MEDIA The International Women’s Media Foundation, seeks to empower women journalist the world over. This is to ensure the media is truly free and representative by ensuring womenRead MoreMass Media And Gender In The 1950s752 Words   |  4 PagesMass media has influenced gender norms in the United States since the 1950’s when television became a household phenomenon. Per Jacqueline Coombs in an article titled Gender Differences in the Influence of Television on Gender Ideology, she asserts, â€Å"television is a powerful source in disseminating information and shaping opinion, exposing people from many different social settings to the same messages† (207). These messages can influence gender norms and reinforce personal gender identity. Throughout