GRSJ224/NorthAmericanMasculinity

Masculinity is a socially constructed set of norms that males are expected to uphold by society. It is often misconstrued in relation to biological “sex [which] is a biological term, it refers to which chromosomes you have…Gender is a social construct. These are expressions of masculinity or femininity, and both of these are spectrums and they overlap” (Eliot 00:13:01 – 00:13:18). However, masculinity and femininity are often portrayed in North America as being dichotomous. “Throughout most of history, there’s been this belief that men and women are fundamentally different creatures” (Eliot 00:12:52-00:12:59), society socially constructs and enforces masculinity and femininity from birth to adulthood, and expects people to maintain societal expectations and norms. Therefore, "cultural masculinity" is the set of expectations constructed by society that men are expected to wholly conform to.

Introduction

The portrayed cultural ideal of masculinity is “exemplified as being stoic and less emotional, independent and more dominant or aggressive” (Keogh 6).The norms associated with masculine ideals are harmful, as “boys are exposed to cultural messages about masculinity and pressures to conform to masculine norms that emphasize physical toughness, emotional stoicism, project self-sufficiency, and heterosexual dominance over women” (Chu 253). “Not all masculine norms are inherently problematic, [but] it is important to consider when and how they become problematic” (Chu 254). For example, “masculine norms that emphasize independence become harmful when boys…end up feeling isolated and alone”, ones that “emphasize toughness become harmful when boys… end up using violence and aggression to influence others” (Chu 254). Furthermore, “norms that emphasize stoicism become harmful when boys…end up becoming dissociated from their innermost feelings and desires and detached within their relationships” (Chu 254). Ultimately, hyper-masculine norms are permeated by society from a young age, and have a lasting effect on the idea of what it means to be a man in North America.

Impact on Social Development

These ideals of masculinity and femininity are enforced in the minds of boys and girls from birth. For boys, “that idea of being seen as weak, as a sissy in the eyes of other guys, starts in our earliest moments of boyhood, and it follows us all the way through our lives.” (Kimmel 00:05:23-005:35). This idea of stifling emotions is imposed upon children, “by the time a boy is 5 years old he’s pretty much taught that it’s not okay to cry in public” (Porter 00:15:22-00:15:27). This education at such a young age follows people throughout their lives. “Empirical research has shown that boys’ socialization towards this image of hegemonic masculinity can hinder their personal growth and interpersonal relationships” (Chu 253). The ideals of masculinity function to suppress male’s natural emotions and portray an image of masculinity, even in childhood. This even correlates to the enforcement of violence among young boys. “We are becoming much more bifurcated in terms of hyper-masculinity and hyper-femininity... Girl’s products have become much pinker and boy’s products have become much more camo and much more violent, and its not just in toys its in television programming and movies” (Heldman 00:14:40- 00:14:57). From childhood, images of war, violence, stoic heroism and domination are not only enforced on boys, but are portrayed as "ideal".

Impact on Self-Worth

The enforcement of North American masculinity also impacts male self-image and self-worth. Women have been targeted for decades by media with portrayals of unrealistic images of the female body, however “boys and men have been exposed to similarly unattainable standards” (Chi 12). When all the representations of men in film and media focus on unreal hyper-masculine ideals, it is no surprise men feel the toll to live up to that expectation of masculinity. Even “superhero costumes for boys feature chiselled abs” (Chi 12). This effect is harmful, “some young men are thought to be injecting the oil synthol into their muscles to make them look larger or taking diet pills… to lose weight” (Chi 12).

Impact on Health

Impact on Physical Health

The strict enforcement of masculine ideals is detrimental to the feelings of self-worth in boys and men. Similarly, this can effect men’s desire to get medical attention, as “poor health can be perceived as a threat to masculinity” (Keogh 6). This creates a significant stigma around receiving help, as "identification with strength and independence explains why some men are less willing to express health concerns and seek help” (Keogh 6), which is clearly detrimental to the physical and mental health of males. It is important to note that “boys’ resistance to masculine norms has been found to be significantly associated with better psychological adjustment and higher academic engagement” (Chu 253).

Impact on Mental Health

An Australian study by Seidler et al. notes the impact masculinity has on getting mental health help, but it is important to recognize that "gender intersects with other social determinants of health such as social class and ethnicity" (Seidler et al. 2). In terms of masculinity, "dominant masculine norms (e.g. strength and stoicism) have been implicated in men’s low rates of service use, as some men may avoid or hide their concerns" (Seidler et al. 2). This stigma isn't the only issue, "for those men navigating their way into treatment, masculine socialisation (the way that men learn to react and interact within society) may also explain poor mental health literacy (e.g. symptom recognition and description), difficulties communicating openly in clinical settings and the externalising of symptoms" (Seidler et al. 2). Therefore, it is important that socially constructed masculinity is critiqued moving forward, and mental health treatment is made accessible in the meantime. The study calls for progress to be made, "by sufficiently sensitising our services to diverse masculinities by providing practitioners with the tools to effectively detect and respond appropriately to men’s distress, it is possible that the perceived ‘culture clash’ between men and mental health treatment will diminish" (Seidler et al. 2), however this will take concrete awareness and action to implement.

Masculinity in North American Media

Masculinity in Recent Films

The "hero" archetype is highly prevalent in film, and almost always portrays strictly masculine ideals. This is vital, as “the average boy spends 40 hours a week watching television, sports and movies” (The Representation Project 00:01:32-00:01:37), and therefore is highly bombarded with images of exclusively "masculine" heroes. The vast majority of representations of men in film center on violent, stoic characters that are focused on dominance and are void of emotion (The Representation Project 00:00:29- 00:00:39). The saturation of these hyper-masculine, unrealistic, harmful male characters are the dominant portrayal of masculinity that boys and men see daily, therefore are highly ingrained into their image of what it means to be a man.

Analysis on a Positive Representation of Masculinity

A paper was written by Claire Hines on the role of Q in the recent James Bond films (while these are European films, they are central in American culture). Traditionally a franchise that promotes immense hyper-masculinity, the introduction of a character that does not adhere to these norms and isn’t degraded because of this, is important to note. While Bond “[relies] more on his hypermasculine body and less on spectacular gadgets”, Q, the "Head of MI6's Q branch" is archetyped as an “ambivalent figure characterized by his expertise, obsessiveness, eccentricity, and separateness from others” (Hines 51; 48). However, “in Skyfall and Spectre, [Bond] relies on Q as the genius computer hacker to provide technological assistance” (Hines 50). “As representative of an alternative form of masculinity associated with new technology and in tune with the shift in gender norms in the twenty-first century, the new Q can pose a challenge to Bond’s masculinity and status as a masculine icon” (Hines 54). The film at times promotes Q’s portrayal of masculinity as superior, as “Q quips that “I can do more damage on my laptop sitting in my pyjamas before my first cup of Earl Grey than you can do in a year in the field”” (Hines 50). However, “on the other hand, the new Q does little to disrupt the fantasy of white, male dominance” (Hines 54). Portrayals of men that do not avidly promote the ideals of hyper-masculinity is surely positive and is a strong step forward. Ultimately, “Bell describes the geek as an emergent purveyor of “techno-masculinity” with the ability to both resist and reinforce hegemonic masculinity” (Hines 51).