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Title
Young men and Masculinity
Introduction
McCloughry (1992:20) believes that maleness is about the fact that men possess testosterone in their systems and their genitalia are of a particular sort while masculinity is about the principles, expectations and interpretations which men have attached to the concept of being man. Commonly described as aggressive, assertive, independent, competitive, insensitive and so on (Brittan 1989:4), the image of masculinity is the way men assert what they perceive to be their manhood (Mosse 1996:3). Looking more closely at some contemporary models of exemplary masculinity, the sporting male, the politician, the man who is successful with women, we reveal the instabilities of masculinity, which is dependent on the solid confirmation of power from what can prove unstable social institutions and practices (McCloughry 1992:123). Also dependent upon its hierarchically understood differences from what can prove insubordinate “others”, masculinity is described by Fowles (1964:15) as an “ appalling crust “ which creates the “ crude things in men”.
Based on Steinberg’s (1993:51) research, masculinity develops in the young boy, around the age of three to five years, when he realizes his belonging to the masculine category, seeking to acquire the attributes that will cause him to feel like a competent male, adequate and esteemed in the eyes of his family and society. Already in their early ages, male children perceive men as possessing more power, strength and competence than women. This early perception of men as powerful remains important to men as they age, and failure to appear powerful can cause great anxiety (Steinberg 1993:137). ...
This essay will attempt to investigate the male’s concept of masculinity, what the rewards or punishments are for them performing or not conforming to society’s norms. ... According to the study conducted by Connell, ‘masculinity’ was defined as “a configuration of practice within a system of gender relations”. It is about the dominance of men and the subordination of women or subordination of other masculinities. ... Patterns like hegemony, subordination, complicity and marginalisation were used to distinguish gender relations among men. In subordination, the dominance of heterosexual men and subordination of homosexual men exists as homosexual masculinities are at the bottom in gender hierarchy among men.
Approximate Word count = 1758
Approximate Pages = 7
(250 words per page double spaced)
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