Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

1. Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities Introduction to Women’s StudiesRobert Wonser

2. What do We think about ourselves? Ask Google Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

3. Masculinity as Opposite of Femininity Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

4. Masculinity, some notes • Refer back to the lists we put on the board • Masculinity is defined by what it is not, namely femininity. • Masculinity is primarily a homosocial activity. • Girl watching • Gender policing Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

5. Masculinity in Context • We come to know what it means to be a man by setting our definitions in opposition to a set of ‘others’—racial minorities, sexual minorities, and above all women. • This is how masculinities are stratified. Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

6. Masculinity changes through time • Firmly rooted in social context: • Genteel patriarch – derived identity from land ownership (supervising his estate, he was refined, elegant and given to casual sensuousness) • Heroic artisan – embodied the physical strength and republican virtue that Jefferson observed in the farmer, independent urban craftsman or shopkeeper • Marketplace masculinity – normative definition of masculinity. Involves aggression, competition, anxiety in the public sphere, marketplace Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

7. How do you Insult a Man? Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

8. Homophobia; men are afraid of other men • We come to know what it means to be a man by setting our definitions in opposition to a set of ‘others’—racial minorities, sexual minorities, and above all women • Hegemonic masculinity is the image of masculinity of those men in power, which has become the standard for evaluations for young men to become ‘real men’. Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

9. Manhood: • “No Sissy Stuff!” • Never do anything remotely feminine; ever. • “Be a Big Wheel.” • Masculinity is measured by power, success, wealth and status • “Be a Sturdy Oak.” • Calm and reliable in crisis. Keep emotions in check; always. • “Give ‘em Hell.” • Exude an aura of manly daring and aggression. Go for it. Take risks. Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

10. Sexuality • Which explains the performative aspects of Masculinity. Ultimately, we perform for other men. • Heteronormativity • And heterosexism • Male gender policing often takes the form of violence and sexuality questioning • Hegemonic masculinity • To always be ‘in control’ • Violence (use of, threat of and condoning of) Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

11. The Betrayal of the American Man • For some men it is hard to recognize themselves as dominators when they feel dominated • According to Faludi, “women were able to take action, paradoxically, by understanding how they were acted upon. Men feel the contours of a box, too, but they are told that the box is of their own manufacture, designed to their specifications.” • WWII veterans, masculinity revolved around providing rather than dominating Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

12. Post WWII Affluence quickly Gave way to Deindustrialization • Old masculinity is unavailable (was predicated on providing). • Men are told to be masculine is to consume and buy the right products. • And to look like this  • Ultimately, leads to failure Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

13. Man Up! Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

14. Men have no clearly defined enemy who is oppressing them. Who is it? • Men have invented antagonists to make their problems visible—scheming feminists, affirmative-action proponents, illegal aliens—have come to seem increasingly unconvincing as explanations for their situation. Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

15. Masculinity in Crisis • Where do men fit in in a culture where we’ve focused on what it is to be feminine but haven’t updated our definitions of masculinity to mesh with our contemporary culture and economic reality. Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

16. Our expectations for women have changed, what about what we expect for men? Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities

17. Angry White Men • Increasingly men have been turning to new (some, not all or entirely) methods to demonstrate masculinity. • Can you think of any? Lesson 10: Men and Masculinities