The Definition Of Masculinity In Guyland, By Kimmel

Masculinity has been impacted by the society since the beginning of civilization. There have been a different institutions that have shaped what it means to be masculine throughout history. Patriarchy is a system that men hold the power and women are excluded. Masculinity has been associated with aggressiveness and power. This supports how men around the world are the dominant group in political and economic institutions. There is an idea that shaped masculinity and its called patriarchy. For men to personally define what it means masculinity is shaped by the different experiences they had in the world.
Since the day we are born, men and women are told what to do by the social norms that are given to these genders. The definition of masculinity …show more content…
In Guyland by Kimmel, males are advised to: “boys don’t cry”, “it’s better to be mad than sad”, “take it like a man” and others. This shows that men aren’t allowed to show weakness to others and especially show no emotions to others. It’s a way to protect one from other guys because if guys don’t follow them then they will be targeted by others men. By targeting others, the men that do follow these codes are punishing those who aren’t, resulting in showing dominance to other men. The rules that guys follow sometimes hurt the men that follow them in several ways. It can backfire to the men who aren’t following them and it can put them in a situation they don’t want to be in. As an example, fighting is a way to show other men that they are the dominant one, but if the guy doesn’t respond to his opponent he is considered weak for not returning the hostility. Masculinity is affected by not showing emotions from a young age. Boys are told that showing their feelings is more feminine and the only feeling they can show is anger. Everything is against boys who don’t follow these rules and they are the ones that get bullied. The ones that get bullied will cause physical damage to themselves or to others around him. The rules that make men masculine can be dangerous if men start to bully others for not being “masculine” enough.
Masculinity is highly regarded by their dominance over women. Men throughout history have always been associated with power and women were the ones that were restricted into domestic life. Men were the dominant group and still continue to this day. For someone to personally define masculinity, they need to include dominance always and aggressiveness as well. Those who don’t have these two concepts are considered masculine enough because its not the social norm based on the rules that were placed for men to