Masculinity Is a Cultural Construction

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Masculinity is a cultural construction, just as manhood is a cultural construction: it isn’t real. We create our worlds and our identities. Boys and men of all ages need to empower themselves, take initiative in exploring alternative definitions and creating new norms. Manhood: it is a quality, something innate that men must strive for. And so they dance; they put on a performance of masculinity. A “real man” is invulnerable, physical, independent, strong, muscular and most importantly tough. There are no biological factors that determine that all males innately behave in the same way. Nonetheless, men everywhere are searching for validation of this definition of masculinity. Manhood is only truly achieved when validated by peers. This results in exaggerated masculine behavior. Though it may seem trivial, it is the consequence of generations of oppressive male socialization by society and the media system. Assumptions about masculinity and gender and what it means to be a man permeate every facet of society. These messages are everywhere: film, television, music, video games and toys. Action films stereotype male characters as aggressive and emotionless and often sexualize violence against women. Video games provide direct interactivity with violence. Many lyrics and music videos glamorize and idealize the tough-guy pose, along with consumerism and objectification of women. Male toy figurines have gotten bigger and more muscular over the last few decades. As demonstrated in the Jackson Katz documentary “Tough Guise,” the real life equivalence of GI Joe’s biceps have increased from 12.2 inches in 1964 to 26.8 inches by 1998. These are the social tools used to create the definition that intangibly oppresses men. How the dark knight rises’s representation of masculinity reinforces gender stereotypes. Both Batman and Bane conform to the hypermasculine

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