Violent Masculinity and Manhood in Tough Guise
In this generally acclaimed film, teacher and social scholar Jackson Katz shows that the progressing plague of men’s violence in America is brought about by our failure to move past outdated masculinity beliefs. The film looks at the chauvinistic and homophobic messages young males routinely receive from practically every edge of the way of life from movies, computer games, and publicizing to porn, the violence portrayed in sports, and US politics.
Masculinity is a set of traits, practices, and jobs related to young men and men. Society defines this to mean toughness and self-reliance. According to Katz, violence is about violent masculinity rather than violent males. This is because hyperviolent male icons such as Rambo are celebrated, and violence in sports is increasing being celebrated and also in video games. This leads to young men thinking that the violence described there is the correct form of masculinity. Males traditionally conform to the traditional approach to masculinity, but that thinking slowly changes because violence in competitive males is celebrated.
Homophobia is the dislike projected against homosexual people. (Plummer, 2001). The traditional manhood approach is that men have to like the opposite gender. So, men who are homosexual are not regarded as real men but as less than, hence termed not masculine enough. Sexism is a discrimination-based gender. Sexism promotes violent masculinity mostly because it’s targeted against women by treating them as imperfect beings. So, homophobia and sexism work hand in hand by promoting a particular image of masculinity and pressures young men to conform to that image.
The best way to guide men away from this toxic masculinity is through educating them on a simple form of masculinity that one does not require to be violent to be seen as a real man. This policy should promote empathy among men to help them become better people instead of the violent male described in movies and video games.
References
Plummer, D. (2001). Policing manhood: New theories about the social significance of homophobia. Sexual positions: an Australian view, 60-75.