Men and Masculinity Issues - Essay Example

? Men and Masculinity Men and Masculinity Masculinity is described as a set of behaviours that most men are expected to uphold in the society. Masculinity is the possession of qualities and characteristics considered peculiar or typical to a man. The idea that masculinity is a product of socialisation or inborn factors has been subject to debate. Some argue that masculinity is a biological and inherent characteristic normally indicated by the presence of male sexual organs. Other people posit that while masculinity may be a product of biological configuration caused by natural factors, it is shaped by cultural and social constructs. This implies that masculinity is not limited to men. Therefore, women may also display behaviours and characteristics that are masculine, for instance, many women have assumed the role of family providers. According to MensLine Australia (2012) masculinity is perpetuated through social set-up and enhanced through personal interactions. Traditionally, the avenues that made men gain honour included providing for their families and exercising leadership. The traditional family set-up was composed of the father being the breadwinner and the mother acting as the homemaker. Stereotypes about masculinity are often witnessed in many men, for instance, men would describe themselves as sports fanatics while avoiding soap operas that are viewed as feminine. Masculinity is often associated with the male; therefore, there is a big issue of personality in men. In case masculinity is threatened, most men would convey feelings of shame, hostility and guilt: hence they tend to overreact in the defense of masculinity. It is irrefutable the aspect of masculinity in the contemporary world, has assumed a different perspective, which is contrary to the traditional disposition in matters related to masculinity and sex. Masculinity is viewed as a collective gender identity that is socially constructed rather than a natural attribute. In the modern society, different forms of masculinity exist that reflects factors such as class, race, age, geographical affiliation and religious affiliation (Lee, 2002). Although masculinity is normally identified in pluralistic terms, masculinities differ from one society to another. The hegemonic masculinity emanating from the societal construct is what men measures against. Masculinity directs most aspects of the male behaviour, especially sexual behaviour. The male gender values are constructed through interaction with the men’s lifestyle and his interaction with social environments. The perception of sex as a component of masculinity is dependent on the sexual encounters in the early stages of development. The traditional traits associated with masculinity are control, domination, aggressiveness, violence, toughness, emotional repression and competiveness. Masculinity traits are normally acquired at a tender age. For instance, some of the insults that the young school boys commonly use to refer to their weak colleagues are the accusation of being a girl (“Guys and boys masculine things. (n.d).). Ayers (2008) assert that most men engage in body building to maintain their masculinity. Research has also affirmed that most men think that portraying dominance and power wins them admiration from women. Masculinity tells men that their urge for love and respect can only be attained through being powerful, dominant and ultimately violent. However, Alilunas (2009) posits that such factors are irrelevant to women. Many studies have revealed the problem of sexual violence, sexualised violence and sex-by-violence as products of masculinity. The contemporary society portrays masculinity despite enhanced strategies geared towards minimising or eliminating it through modernization. The first indication is the sprouting of numerous interactive forums in the media that discusses issues related to the male gender while portraying bias towards the female gender. The current modernisation has seen the liberation of women in all aspects of life, ranging from family to professional. This has led to the reversal in sex roles among households whereby most of the chores that were previously reserved for women are currently being shared among both genders. This has led to evolvement of behaviours meant to curb the stiff competition from women. Some men have taken advantage of the role-play competition and evaded their responsibilities; the men that Coontz (2012) asserts that they possess, “Mediocre Masculinity”. This mediocrity has made them ignore their moral obligations related to sex and instead engaged into violence in defence of their masculinity. The rising cases of divorce and separations can be blamed to the attempts of men trying to impose their masculinity characteristics on women. Such behaviours can be viewed as desperate attempts geared towards countering the current changes in gender obligations that favour women. According to Edwards (2006), the determination of the family size that was exclusively a man’s role in the traditional family set-up has reversed. Most family decisions are currently being made by women. For instance, professional women are supposed to refer to the employment terms and conditions while deciding on the favourable time to conceive. Additionally, it is only logical for women to be involved in such crucial decisions because, currently, they both provide for their families. Men who are too masculine to bear this may separate from their wives or become violent upon them. Traditionally, most men exercised masculinity through engagement in polygamy. According to Criado-Perez (2012), many societies respected men who could marry many wives. Furthermore, the traditional cultural dispositions admired men who could respect and uphold societal ethics and morals. Therefore, in a bid to retain their esteem, violence cases related to sex were rare. However, the modern society is clogged with such acts as most traditional cultural restrictions are normally ignored. Rape is viewed as a result of masculine sexuality. Masculinity paradigm maybe viewed as a form of violence expressed in a sexual way. Caver (2012) asserts that a rapist’s mindset that violence and sexual harassment can are related is a product of patriarchal conditioning. Conversely, not all areas currently men have lost their grip, though with time researches postulate some of their essential roles will be impossible to accomplish. Satisfying the sexual needs of their wives is extremely crucial to them to extent of artificially enhancing libido to measure up to their masculine needs. This is evident from the ongoing college social debates, where some races deem that black men owing to their sexual vitality; do not have any justifiable reason to embrace gay life (Bowleg, 2011). This is because they are capable of having sex with many women concurrently contrary to their white men counterparts who have depicted “Mediocre Masculinity” especially in US (Palmer-Mehta, 2009). Masculinity related to sex takes the form of oppression of women, homophobia and competition among their male counterparts. For instance, while commenting in The Guardian, Steinem and Wolfe (2012) asserts that most sexual violence cases are products of masculinity. Traditionally, sexual masculinity normally took the form of patriarchy that was exemplified through unequal rewards, punishments, opportunities and internationalization of unequal opportunities (Voce, 2007). Masculinity among men was exemplified through the courage they portrayed during wars and protection of their wives and daughters. Although this form of patriarchy is still existent in the contemporary society, it is more advanced beyond family level e.g. men normally assume more power in their place of work or institutions of learning compared to women. The normal conception of sex is that every member of a certain gender performs specific roles assigned to their gender. Both contemporary and traditional cultural dispositions exhibit two forms of gender roles; male and female (Rosenberg, 2009). Masculinity or femininity can be viewed as internalised sex roles that emanate from socialisation. In the past, the sex roles were viewed as the configurations that were necessary for the stability and enhancement of the society reproduction. Men are extremely sensitive on matters affecting their masculinity. This is an indication that men could be forced into social stereotypes. Young men are educated on the specific behaviour that they should follow to distinguish them from women e.g. how to be tough, cry or act. They do not only acquire the traits from their parents but also from media such as movies, newspapers and legislation of the past and present. Most men would consider homosexuality a direct threat to their masculinity because any relationship should be characterised by a dominant father figure. According to Colbert (2010), the strong rejection that men portray towards homosexuality is related to the fact that the social constructs related to sex taught them that they are supposed to get married and exercise their masculinity obligations. Many heterosexual males would thus consider engagement into homosexual activities as moral deception and an insult to the morals bestowed upon them when they were young. This makes many of gays avoid informing their parents of their sexual orientation. Most of the parents have taught their children that relationships only exist between men and women. Fathers portray a high tendency of disowning their gay children. Most heterosexual men shun the company of gay friends. Sexual exploitation cases are more prevalent in girls than boys. Most sexual exploitation cases committed upon boys are never reported. This is due to the stigma associated with same-sex sexual exploitation and the stereotyped gender constructions on the male roles in the society (Altamura, 2007). The gender barriers that assert that boys should possess strength for self defence may expose them to the danger of sexual exploitation by their seniors. The sexual acts portrayed in the contemporary media reflect the prevalence of masculinity e.g. sex scenes in movies. Most men seem to engage in such acts with the female counterparts, not because everyone should enjoy, but to selfishly satisfy their urge. Research has affirmed that men with high masculinity index have a higher probability of engaging into prostitution that those with lower levels of the masculinity. This implies that most masculine men would view women as sexual objects for pleasure. Homophobia is also a measure of masculinity. The degree to which man portrays gay feelings is viewed as his degree of unmanliness. The model of sexual expression coined among men through patriarchy is that romantic feelings can only be expressed to women. Conclusion Just like Steinem and Wolfe (2012) allude in their article in The Guardian, most of the contemporary sexual violence cases are products of masculinity. Masculinity causes complication and vulnerability. Men are brought up with a psychological need for women that makes them feel masculine. Most even believe that having a girlfriend or a wife shields them from becoming gay. The recent upsurge in sexually related violence proves that there is an urgent need for public scrutiny and open and honest public discussions on sexual violence and exploitation. References “Guys and boys masculine things. (n.d). In FaceBook [Group page]. Retrieved November 28, 2012, from http://www.facebook.com/groups/363383750368156/?ref=ts&fref=ts Alilunas, P. (2009). Male masculinity as the celebration of failure: The frat pack, women and the trauma of victimization in the “dude flick”. Retrieved November 28 2012, from http://www.tft.ucla.edu/mediascape/Springo8_MaleMasculinity.html Altamura A (2007). Exploring the commercial sexual exploitation of boys [presentation]. OSCE/ODIHR Conference on Combating SEC, Vienna, 18-19 October 2007. Ayers, D. (2008). 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Retrieved from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/24/sexual-violence-women-cult-masculinity Voce, V. (2007).Sexism, strength and dominance: masculinity in Disney Films. Retrieved November 28 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CWMCt35oFY Read More