Masculinity 2

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/09/20/why-we-need-to-reimagine-masculinity.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/19/AR2010101905822.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns

These two articles were helpful in understanding masculinity in contemporary American society. The first article provides an interesting overview of the changing roles of men throughout history. The authors argue that "masculine ideals" have changed over time depending on the need of society, but currently men are facing a crisis because of the lessening importance of primarily "male" industries. Due to this crisis, some men have looked to "old models and mores of manhood for salvation". This is detrimental for both men and women. Men are suffering in many ways. Jobs that fit into traditional conceptions of masculinity are not abundant and men who opt into careers that are traditionally feminine risk being emasculated by others. Women also suffer in many ways, given that these old models and mores do not support the empowerment of women and can actually encourage detrimental views of women. In my opinion, the biggest problem is that these views are spread to both men and women as how powerful people should be. This is shown in the second article that talks about the new trend in politics based in these values of what a man is, and what power is in general. In part, this trend bothers me because men are being attacked through methods of verbal castration. Aside from the question of the values behind why they are being "castrated", this method of attacking men seems invalid and offensive to both men and women. Why is the biggest threat or attack on a man his castration or his feminization? Its also upsetting that women are taking up both values and methods that are so obviously oppressing to them.

Masculinity 1

Unfortunately I haven't been able to connect to blogger so I'll have to try to catch up on my blogs on masculinity this week.

I think masculinity is an interesting theme to move to because it is often something that is overlooked in society. In some of the first readings we did this semester, we talked about the "dominant" traits becoming almost invisible in our discourse. Being male and being white is what is considered "normal" and we tend to not address exactly what it means. The problem is, as Valenti notes, that "men are affected by sexism too". Men are constantly battling to assert their masculinity and to show that they are not women. They have done this in different ways throughout history but violence is one thing that has commonly been attributed as "manly". Valenti talks about a recent trend towards "cool" men acting like boys. They have man caves and escape to the woods, they watch football and pick up women while going out with their friends. This new ideal is evident in tv shows and in the media all over, but it is also evident in how men perceive masculinity and strive to act.
The problem with society's inability to acknowledge our conception of masculinity as a powerful and at times damaging force is that this conception of masculinity is forced down our throats at all times. Men do not have a lot of people showing them that our conception of masculinity is just one option and is not in any way the best or the only viable way to be a man. Men need more support when it comes to understanding how to be men. Right now, many boys struggle with their inability to fit into the mold and have their masculinity taken from them (or withheld from them) because they are not "manly" enough. We need to acknowledge that there is no true ideal for "manliness" that transcends time and place, that masculinity is an idea and is always changing. Men are suffering from sexism just like women are and feminists can play an important role in helping to change this problem.

Multicultural Feminism

Last week, I read Tong's chapter on multicultural feminism. I found myself agreeing with the viewpoints presented in this chapter more than I have in other chapters. "Traditional" feminism seems to try so hard to create an idea of sisterhood that it ends up pushing many "sisters" away. In defining what it means to be a woman, feminists have inadvertently defined what it means to not be a woman. What happens to women that don't fit the definition? Do they get pushed into a nonwoman category? I think this is a perfectly valid concern, especially because the feminist movement should be about liberation, not further oppression, of all women. Multicultural feminism says that femininity and the struggles of women should not be defined by a specific group. Feminism needs to embrace all types of women, and this may mean creating a broader and more vague definition of what feminism is.

One problem with multicultural feminism is that it can become too vague and allow for too much cultural and personal interpretation and therefore allow for oppression. Maybe it is necessary to search for basic absolute values that can be applied to women throughout the world. Without a basic value set, the "this is my/our culture" argument can become the final and most powerful argument and the opposition has no option but to respect it. I think that multicultural awareness is vital to the feminist movement, but universal rights and values need to be created or acknowledged so that feminism and women's rights are not pushed into the background. This is especially important since we tend to view most cultures as patriarchal and one of the goals of feminism is to challenge the basis of the patriarchy. Without challenging cultural norms (patriarchy), can feminists still achieve their goals? I don't think they could.

"Pop Culture Gone Wild" - Valenti

As with the previous article by Valenti, I found the language to be refreshingly entertaining. Sometimes its nice to have a break from the scientific language that is often used in articles that we read. At the same time, I think that those articles have a very different value than what is presented by Valenti.

What I find most interesting about her writing is the way that ideas are presented. She often uses such straightforward language that is seems illogical not to agree with her. To be honest, I generally agree with her viewpoints anyway and I like the quotes and events that she uses to support her ideas. There are times, however, when I feel that she is misinterpreting what is said in the quotes, or being too aggressive with her point and essentially I don't agree with her argument simply because of her strategy, not because of the argument itself.

In this article, the idea that Valenti presented that societies expectations are mutually exclusive. It is impossible to be a virgin and sexually experienced. In our society it is impossible to be sexually liberated but not a slut. This is a great argument because it is present throughout the female experience. It is prevalent in society and we encounter it daily. I strongly agree with the idea that, as women, we should recognize where our decisions come from. Valenti remarks that she loves makeup, and she knows that that is because society says makeup makes her more beautiful, but she still loves it. I think that is an excellent point. It isn't about whether we do or do not like something, or whether we do or do not choose to do something; the important thing is that we recognize why we like what we like and why we do what we do. Sometimes in questioning what society expects of us, we do exactly the opposite as a way to rebel, but the reason behind it all is still the same. For example, when I was in high school I stopped shaving because I didn't think I needed to just because I was a woman. But after years of not shaving, I realized that I liked how shaving felt. I liked having smooth legs and, to be honest, I felt prettier. I know that the reason that i feel prettier with shaved legs is because society tells me that that's pretty. I realized that I liked shaving my legs, but when I don't feel like doing it, it's ok and I shouldn't be ashamed about it because it's my choice whether or not I do it. As a feminist, choosing to shave should be as much of a "liberating" choice as choosing to shave.

One doubt that I have about the article is Valenti's analysis of the quote from Janice Crouse. She only presents us with a relatively short quote, so maybe her reaction is to a longer speech given by Crouse, but I do not come to the same conclusions that she does regarding the quote. She argues that this quote says that girls are putting themselves in danger if they are out having fun and socializing. I read the quote as a warning that society is encouraging girls to put themselves in dangerous situations. At the same time, I don't agree that the solution lies in recommending that girls do not engage in this behavior. I also don't believe that in a world where girls don't go out there would be no crime against them. I do believe it is valid that Crouse brings up the influence of society's expectations on the behavior of girls and how expectations can contrast starkly with reality.