Historical and contemporary north american masculinity Flashcards
(53 cards)
What are archetypes?
specific men or types of men who represent masculine ideals in a particular time and place
What are countertypes?
men who exemplify what it means to be a failure of masculinity in a particular time and place
What are entrepreneurs?
men who help change what people understand as masculine
How did men prove their manhood in the 19th century in America?
- Self-control: discipline to attain economic status and social status
- Exclusion: marginalising people of color, immigrants, women and other disadvantaged groups
- Escape: turning to the frontier or wilderness; outdoor activities; sports; man-only social organisations
What are some major changes during the turn of the 19th/20th century that changed masculinity?
- Urbanisation
- Technological changes eliminated many male dominated skilled industries (less farmers)
- Large business began to dominate economy and employ more men in positions that came with few opportunities to rise in rank
- Increasing numbers of immigrants and free Black people competed with us born white men for jobs
- Increased social political and economic inclusion of women
- Frontier became more settled by white people meaning it was no longer an established route to establishing manhood (Eg. Settling land, starting over in new areas, conquering the wild)
What steps did political leaders take to restore American masculinity and national pride?
Imperialism: Wars and annexation of territories
→ Reinvigoration of manliness as it relates to nationalism
How did heterosexual identification in the 19th century help middle class men?
helped middle class men feel like they were sufficiently masculine when they were failing to meet standards in other ways
What historical shifts were hapening in the 20th century?
- Sports, bodybuilding and outdoor activities became key constructing masc
- Efforts to segregate children based on sex (clothing, toys)
- great depression causes masc. crisis
What is playboy masculinity?
embraced sexual prowess as central to masculinity
What economic conditions affect masc today?
- Economic restructuring: off-shoring, de-industrialisation and downward mobility make it more difficult for men to achieve masculine ideals
- Proliferation of part-time or gig economy work
What are incels?
- perceive themselves as subordinated due to their physical appearance and weaponize this status to legitimate misogyny and male supremacy
- Sub men don’t try to gain power over other men but rather accept being dominated by other men, so they have power over women
How are incels different from normal men?
- Experience insecure attachment
- Perceive themselves as having less to offer potential partners
- Have lower self esteem
- Underestimate the importance of traits like kindness, intelligence, loyalty, emotional maturity, etc.
How did manliness shift to masculinity historically? Pascoe
- Historically, terms like “manly” or “manliness” dominated before “masculinity” became prevalent in the early 20th century.
- Transition marks a shift in societal perceptions of what it means to “be a man,” influenced by anxieties about failure to meet expectations.
What is the difference between masculinity and masculinism? Pascoe
- Masculinity: Fluid and historically changeable behaviors, roles, and identities.
- Masculinism: A more rigid ideological justification for male domination, resistant to change.
What is the interplay between masculinity and power? Pascoe
Changes in masculinity often reflect broader societal shifts in power and inequality, particularly in reaction to transformations in femininity
What is Homotactility? Pascoe
same-sex platonic physical affection among men
What economic transformations did the US experience btw the 1870-1900? Kimmel
- Industrialization increased output by 500%,
- shift of men from business owners to wage laborers, making them economically dependent.
- rise of urbanization and immigration further contributed to a sense of a crowded and depersonalized society
What caused demographic changes after the civil war? Kimmel
massive immigration from Europe and the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to the North
Why did the closing of the American frontier create anxiety about masculinity? Kimmel
challenged traditional notions of masculinity and the self-made man as it eliminated a traditional escape route for men seeking to prove themselves.
How did men respond to perceived threats to masculinity? Kimmel
embraced exclusionary ideologies like racism, antifeminism, and nativism to assert dominance.
How did Social Darwinism shape gender and racial hierarchies? Kimmel
- portrayed non-white men and women as less evolved and less manly, justifying their exclusion from society.
- used biological arguments to oppose women’s suffrage, claiming it would harm women’s delicate nature and reproductive abilities.
- women’s participation in the public sphere, including education and work, would “masculinize” them and negatively impact their relationships with men
How was masculinity defined at the turn of the 20th century? Kimmel
By heterosexuality and a rejection of effeminacy, leading to pressure for public displays of masculinity.
How did self-help literature and business practices reinforce masculinity? Kimmel
- promoted traditional virtues and commodified masculinity in sales and business.
- frantic pursuit of wealth through conspicuous consumption led to materialism and erosion of trad masc values
How did the Knights of labour group approach masculinity? Kimmel
embraced inclusivity, welcoming women and free blacks but excluding non-native workers.
