SOC 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Hegemonic Masculinity, Masculinity, Metrosexual

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 202
• Professor: Purnima George

Document Summary

Sex = categories of male/female, biological characteristics + properties of bodies placed in categories. Gender = socially constructed assignment of masculine and feminine characteristics to bodies in cultural contexts. Pop culture is a pervasive cultural force +often the site of patriarchy. Women are often represented poorly + without nuance. Hegemonic does not equal stereotype (hegemonic=traces power, stereotype=does not) Perpetuates an artificial sense of difference between self and other. Also a crude generalization, exaggerates uniformity, overlooks possible change. Diffuses attention from really important issue: how media representation systematically supports white supremacist + capitalist patriarchy. Hierarchy that rewards the het, white, strong, physical; encourages a dominant position. Masculinity in hollywood (action genre): exercising authority, sexualizing violence, women are absent, homophobia, homosocial worlds, emotionless, whiteness takes priority. Alter(cid:374)ati(cid:448)e (cid:373)as(cid:272)uli(cid:374)it(cid:455): (cid:373)etrose(cid:454)ual, (cid:862)(cid:374)e(cid:449) (cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:863) of the 90s, (cid:373)ale-on-male gaze, masculine sensuality (male feminist) Kimmel: masculinity is constantly changing, constructed by ourselves + in the world, manhood is neither static nor timeless.