Masculinity

For Tuesday's class the articles we were to read made me realize a lot about how masculinity has a lot of different components that I never truly thought about in depth. Masculinity and violence is a public health issue, a feminist problem, a media problem, etc. The way society has portrayed what it means to be masculine has a detrimental effect on how some men behave. This behavior has an impact on the health and safety of others in a community.  Some of the violence that men partake in to show just how manly they are harmful to other men, women, and ultimately themselves. It is sad/scary to think about the impact of how teasing or bullying or whatever you want to call it sticks with someone the rest of their life and how in-turn that person can choose a different type of coping mechanisms to deal with the pain they had been caused. For example a person who was physically abused throughout high school (or grade school) may become an intellectual bully and use their brains to make themselves feel superior and/or to put other people down. Just a type of compensation or coping method I feel.

Tuesday's class was very intense and it made me a tad uncomfortable, but at the same time it made realize that the stuff you never really think happens, really does. I am glad some people can be so open about their experiences. I for one would never be able to open up to a classroom of peers that I barely know and share my emotional and hurtful experiences. I always try to build a bridge and get over things, but somethings stick with you longer than others and it doesn't make it okay. I have learned that a lot of people put down other just to make up for their shortcomings and to make themselves feel better. 

Tough Guise

In today's class we watched the film Tough Guise. This film shed light on some aspects of the relationship between men and violence. Jackson Katz (I think!) is the man speaking throughout the film, and I believe he does a very good job and brings to light somethings I never realized we as a society unintentionally influence. There is a "front" that most guys put on to show just how masculine, strong, and dominant they are in society.  From an early boys are conditioned to "suck it up" and not be cry babies when they are in pain or are upset about something. I know that I am guilty of telling guys to suck it up when they are upset because that's what I have observed through media and real life experiences. I never realized how much that impacts the "tough guy" persona that males are expected to live up to.

Another interesting topic the movie covered was how much different action figures are now compared to the 1970s. The film used GI Joe dolls to show the difference twenty-years has made. The size of the biceps has greatly increased making the male attributes of a muscular body seen as the definition of tough. The film also mentioned on the opposite spectrum how "curvy" women were much more desired in the 1960s and 1970s now the ideal women is portrayed as being very thin without all the Marilyn Monroe curves. It is crazy to think how much has changed over the course of 30 years. I found the film rather informative and eye opening.

Care-Focused Feminism

Tong's, Care-Focused Feminism, argues that women are only seen as caregivers and that in doing so often times they neglect themselves. She states that women as a group have more interdependent traits, whereas men as a group have much more independent traits. I believe that this is different for each individual person, based on how they were raised and other factors that shine through on a day to day basis. I do believe however that some women do take on too much and often lose sight of who they are as a person. They become just a caregiver rather than a mother, that works a full-time job as a teacher, accountant, nurse, etc. then comes home and takes care of her family, and still makes time to try to have a life of her own. From a young age, I do believe that girls are conditioned to want to be an ultimate caregiver. We are given baby-dolls to play with and care for, I am not saying that is the only reason why girls are dominant caregivers in most situations, but it does have an influence. Some women do forget to take care of themselves as they are wrapped up in doing things for others, it is a very selfless task being a caregiver. Women that can do it all I applaud you, because quite honestly I don't think I could even imagine balancing everything some women do of the course of a day. More power to you.