Masculinity

Representations of masculinity in Fight Club and The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner dissertation proposal. The main focus of my dissertation will be on representations of masculinity in Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club and James Hogg’s The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner. The aim of the project is to be able to compare and contrast the representations of masculinity in both texts and to be able to determine whether they are inaccurate or whether they…

After watching the film, Tough Guise 2, I felt much more educated on the subject of masculinity and the enormous effect it has on men and societal expectations of their behavior. I felt as though I learned a lot about a subject I am not usually aware of, especially from growing up in a home with four women and only one man (my father). I now feel much more sympathy for men’s issues dealing with masculinity and the stigma that surrounds it, that men are supposed to always be strong and in control…

affected gender equality. According to Schrock and Schwalbe, masculinity is seen as a “form of collective male practice that has as its effect the subordination of women.” (136) The “male practices” which Schrock and Schwalbe refer to are classified as “manhood acts.” Specific manhood acts in male homosocial heterosexual interactions, otherwise known as homosociality, reinforces the image and presence of hegemonic masculinity. Hegemonic masculinity not only elicits a disparity between men and…

perceptions of masculinity vs. femininity in the Spanish Baroque. The concept of a born female dressing or becoming male was a prevalent occurrence in the Golden Age of Spain, and can be seen in many other works of literature and plays. Lazarillo de Tormes allows the reader insight into elements of Baroque literature such as race, class, and survival. Both Lazarillo de Tormes and Catalina de Erauso are depictions of what it meant to be a man in the Golden Age of Spain. The way Erauso views…

A MAN. Nowadays, the topic of masculinity is a very controversial one, especially when dealing with sports. In Kate Fagan’s article, “So, What Defines a Real Man in Sports”, she argues that the language of sports ends up reinforcing the essence of masculinity. This issue, only intensified after Richie Incognito’s bullying of Martin, reveals the true nature of ‘manliness’ in sports. With this in mind, Fagan is right; the language of sports imposes what masculinity is and isn’t. The very jargon…

little boy getting hurt. Boys are taught that fighting is a way to be masculine. In the movie Creed, the idea of masculinity is a huge part of the movie. Michael B. Jordan who plays Adonis Johnson is an example of Orthodox masculinity. He posses all key traits of hegemonic masculinity except for race since he is an African American. I would also put Adonis under Hyper Masculinity as well. With Adonis he pulls the…

encouraged a political and social redefinition of male and female and of masculinity and femininity. Opponents of such changes claim they violate tradition or “family values,” which to some extent is true. Many social constructs of masculinity date back to antiquity, while others were created or more firmly established later in history. The modern Western idea of masculinity includes traits consistent with ancient Greek masculinity, such as aggression, dominance, and virility, and thought…

Society’s False Definition of Masculinity While walking down the street, what is the first thing that comes to mind when a muscular teenage boy passes by in gym shorts, a cut off t-shirt, tall Nike socks, and basketball shoes? Yet when a scrawny teenage boy with a sweater vest, Walmart jeans, glasses, and champion sneakers passes by does that same thought come to mind? The same thought occurring is very unlikely with both boys giving off opposite eras about themselves. Typically the boy with the…

I believe the concept of hegemonic masculinity is the best way to explain why modern women still choose to change their last name when they get married. Hegemonic masculinity “is the complete dominance of a group of people, a type of power so complete that is goes unnoticed by the people who are dominated” (Conley 287). Another definition is “the condition in which men are dominant and privileged and this dominance and privilege is invisible” (Conley 287). The practice of a woman changing…

combination of factors, notably a sexist consumer culture that commodifies and objectifies the male; the loss of economic authority; the weakening and reshaping of men’s relationship to the world of work; the public exposure of dominant notions of masculinity to ridicule and censure; and the failure of men, as a gender group, to ‘rebel’ against their emasculinization by ‘the culture.’ Feminism has contributed to the destabilization of patriarchy and the male paradigm of control. The male…