Masculinity: Dominance through Music The presence of the male figure has in no doubt been very dominant throughout history and in daily life. As a society, we seem to value the power of the man and we teach our children to value and embody that power as well. Our society over time has developed certain expectations and roles we expect men and women to exemplify in their daily life. For such a long time, people have adhered to these expectations; however, these expectations have been questioned and defied recently. As a society, we are beginning to realize that “masculinity” and “femininity” are merely social constructs, rather than a set in stone reality. Over time we as humans have developed what it means to be a man and woman; however, many
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During the early stages of youth, boys are surrounded by their parents. The masculinization of boys begins in the home, as the boys observe the father figure. They begin to imitate the father sometimes, developing a sense of their own identity. Also in the household, boys learn masculinity from the TV. As young children, they spend a lot of time in front of the TV watching cartoons and other shows. For very young children, shows such as Sesame Street are meant offer developmental skills. However, as children get older and begin to watch cartoons, which offer a view at skewed unrealistic lifestyles. Although changing now, most cartoons back in the 1990s when I was a child revolved around a typical “ideal” family: a mom, a dad, a few children. The mother stays at home while the father worked. Although many families operate this way, a big portion of our society does not. Some families have single parents, some mothers work, some fathers don’t, and some couples are not heterosexual. Many children would see that they are different from this “ideal” fantasy, and might think that something is wrong with them and their family sadly. And what happens when the household has a single mother as a parent? Men still develop a sense of masculinity. Men and women can exhibit both masculinity and femininity, and there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes men have to demonstrate feminine qualities, and vice versa for women, especially when they are single mothers. A boy can still observe and learn masculine traits from the mother. As boys grow older, they develop their own sense of masculinity in
During the early stages of youth, boys are surrounded by their parents. The masculinization of boys begins in the home, as the boys observe the father figure. They begin to imitate the father sometimes, developing a sense of their own identity. Also in the household, boys learn masculinity from the TV. As young children, they spend a lot of time in front of the TV watching cartoons and other shows. For very young children, shows such as Sesame Street are meant offer developmental skills. However, as children get older and begin to watch cartoons, which offer a view at skewed unrealistic lifestyles. Although changing now, most cartoons back in the 1990s when I was a child revolved around a typical “ideal” family: a mom, a dad, a few children. The mother stays at home while the father worked. Although many families operate this way, a big portion of our society does not. Some families have single parents, some mothers work, some fathers don’t, and some couples are not heterosexual. Many children would see that they are different from this “ideal” fantasy, and might think that something is wrong with them and their family sadly. And what happens when the household has a single mother as a parent? Men still develop a sense of masculinity. Men and women can exhibit both masculinity and femininity, and there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes men have to demonstrate feminine qualities, and vice versa for women, especially when they are single mothers. A boy can still observe and learn masculine traits from the mother. As boys grow older, they develop their own sense of masculinity in