Masculinity, Patriarchy and Contemporary Women
Historically, societies have assigned different tasks, responsibilities, and privileges to each member of the group based on religious, cultural, or survival purposes. As civilizations aimed for expansion and advancement, they used warfare and violence as means to acquire and maintain power. Throughout these developments, men were assigned the roles of protector, provider, and governor; perpetuating the male figure as a military and political leader who must use his strength and take risky decisions in order to consolidate his place in the world. By recognizing that the origins of masculinity are rooted within our society, not our DNA, we create a space to examine the relationship between violence …show more content…
By presenting aggression as a natural characteristic of all men, a patriarchal system has justified not only gender differences but also has positioned men on top of the political and economic systems, regardless if they are rich or poor (Greig, Kimmel, & Lang, 2000). As a way to show that they possess this “natural characteristic”, some men feel pressured to act in a way that transmits toughness or they may act violently if they feel their masculinity is in question. As addressed in the YouTube video, about 85% of the people who commit murder are men and 76% of the victims of homicide are men, as well (ChallengingMedia, 2006). This supports a dangerous belief within American society that to be a man means to be violent, prolonging the masculinization of …show more content…
Once we recognize that society created this concept and understand the agenda behind it—gaining and maintaining power—then we can start deconstructing it. When men can see gender inequality as a problem that is not exclusive to women and understand that “[i]f development is not engendered, it is endangered. And if poverty reduction strategies fail to empower women, they will fail to empower society” (Greig, Kimmel, & Lang, 2000). Then, they will be able to see the consequences that masculinity and patriarchy have for the society as a whole. Also, by refraining from assigning a set of qualities to all man through a specific definition of masculinity, they will be able to expand on their experiences. For women, a more equal and fair distribution of both responsibilities and rewards will result in a more even gender
Historically, societies have assigned different tasks, responsibilities, and privileges to each member of the group based on religious, cultural, or survival purposes. As civilizations aimed for expansion and advancement, they used warfare and violence as means to acquire and maintain power. Throughout these developments, men were assigned the roles of protector, provider, and governor; perpetuating the male figure as a military and political leader who must use his strength and take risky decisions in order to consolidate his place in the world. By recognizing that the origins of masculinity are rooted within our society, not our DNA, we create a space to examine the relationship between violence …show more content…
By presenting aggression as a natural characteristic of all men, a patriarchal system has justified not only gender differences but also has positioned men on top of the political and economic systems, regardless if they are rich or poor (Greig, Kimmel, & Lang, 2000). As a way to show that they possess this “natural characteristic”, some men feel pressured to act in a way that transmits toughness or they may act violently if they feel their masculinity is in question. As addressed in the YouTube video, about 85% of the people who commit murder are men and 76% of the victims of homicide are men, as well (ChallengingMedia, 2006). This supports a dangerous belief within American society that to be a man means to be violent, prolonging the masculinization of …show more content…
Once we recognize that society created this concept and understand the agenda behind it—gaining and maintaining power—then we can start deconstructing it. When men can see gender inequality as a problem that is not exclusive to women and understand that “[i]f development is not engendered, it is endangered. And if poverty reduction strategies fail to empower women, they will fail to empower society” (Greig, Kimmel, & Lang, 2000). Then, they will be able to see the consequences that masculinity and patriarchy have for the society as a whole. Also, by refraining from assigning a set of qualities to all man through a specific definition of masculinity, they will be able to expand on their experiences. For women, a more equal and fair distribution of both responsibilities and rewards will result in a more even gender