Bodies, Sexualities, Identities - Assignment Example

Bodies, Sexualities, Identities Name Course Name and Code Instructor’s Name Date How are sexualized insults used to discipline masculinity and femininity? How do these insults differ with respect to different genders, and why? Discuss, with detailed reference to one or more recent examples. According to Marxists and feminists, masculine and feminine sexuality differences are ideological instead of natural. On the other hand, interactionists agree that sexuality is a social construction and that behaviour follows negotiation instead of being structurally influenced. It is argued that sexuality differences are used to oppress and control women (Cornis-Pope & Neubauer, 2010). Masculinity and femininity image is being promoted and reinforced by media in home and school. The use of sexual insults to punish sexuality has been ongoing for long (Harris, 2009). In 1930s masculinity and femininity were codified as polar opposites and masculinity of individuals was measured in terms of the degree to which they were strenuous, powerful, active, self confident, athletics, stong, external/pubic life, working for self and with preference for machinery (Richard, 2004). Moreover, masculine was characterized with dislike of religious men, foreigners, women cleverer than they were, dancing, being alone and thin and guessing games (Ballantine & Spade, 2008). These tenets have persisted although the perceptions of where they came from and what they meant have changed among psychological and sociological communities. Thus, any man who deviates from these masculine features is insulted using a term whose features are associated with femininity (Richard, 2004). The masculinity sociology involves a critical study of men, their practices, behaviour, perspectives and values. Previous studies have emphasizes the multiplicity of masculinity and they detail the means in which various formation of gender tradition are promoted, tested or reinforced in specified situation. The commonly used sexualized insult among boys is “Dude You’re a Fag”. Fag position is a threatening specter that constitutes today’s American adolescent masculinity (Ballantine & Spade, 2008). The fag discourse is used by American adolescent boys during interactions to name and repudiate this objected identity. Boys often use the term fag or faggot when interacting with each other (Richard, 2004). To the person not used to their language, he or she might think/suspect that they are calling one another homosexual (Harris, 2009). However, studies have indicated that the use of fag among boys has nothing to do with sexual preference. Boys who are often called fags are once who dances, cared about their clothing, who too emotional and who are incompetent. All these features are seen as being un-masculine. Thus, they use fag to police the boundaries of masculinity. Among boys who use fag, studies have indicated that they see gay as a lifestyle and as such are not as bad as being un-masculine man. Thus, the term fag is constantly used by boys to continually remind one another on how to be masculine. It is argued that the relationship between sexuality and adolescent masculinity is embedded in the faggot specter. Faggots are seen to be a representation of a penetrated masculinity in which to be penetrated is to abdicate power (Cornis-Pope & Neubauer, 2010). Thus, penetrated men are seen as a masculinity that is devoid of power and as such, it threatens both social and psychic chaos. Thus, faggot specter act as a regulatory mechanism of gender for many adolescent boys in America. Homophobic insults to masculinity have been documented by feminist scholars of masculinity (Harris, 2009). These scholars argue that masculinity in early adulthood and adolescence is characterized by homophobic teasing (Ballantine & Spade, 2008). Moreover, it is argued that antigay slurs are often directed at other gay boys. Previous studies have described the deployment of fag as an epithet of homophobia. However, other authors have criticized this view as being an obscurity to the gendered nature of sexualized insults (Cornis-Pope & Neubauer, 2010). They argue that invoking homophobia to describe the ways used by boys to aggressively tease one another overlooks the powerful relationship that exists between masculinity and this kind of insult (Pascoe, 2011). They further argue that this line of thought seems to infer that girls do not harass one another and that they are not harassed in similar manner. As such, this line of thought seems to neutralize the relationship between homophobia and masculinity (Richard, 2004). Fag is not a static identity that is linked to a certain boy in this case a homosexual. Fag imitations and fag talk act as a discourse, which is employed by boys to discipline themselves and each other via joking relationships. Based on this argument any boy can become a fag on temporary basis in a specified social interaction or space. However, this does not imply that who are perceived or identify as homosexual cease to be harassed (Cornis-Pope & Neubauer, 2010). Being referred to as a fag implies that one has failed at the masculine tasks of heterosexual prowess, competence and strength or reveals weaknesses or femininity in some way as it does with a sexual identity (Richard, 2004). This means that the fag identity is fluid and as such, it is the fluidity of the term that makes it a powerful disciplinary means against those who seem to cross the boundaries of masculinity as constructed by peers (Richard, 2004). Thus, boys are forced to police their behaviours by the fear of being identified as fag (Ballantine & Spade, 2008). Based on this, it is imperative that boys recognize a fag behaviour and work had to avoid it. Moreover, the fag discourse is racialized. The invocation of fag among and in relation to the bodies of white boys differs from that invoked by and in relation to the bodies of African American (Harris, 2009). Although certain behaviours can make any boy become a fag temporarily, African Americans can enact some behaviour without being labelled fags according to racialized fag discourse; these sorts of interactions involve more than just simple homophobia (Richard, 2004). This implies that when analyzing the use fag specter, the analysis should be extended to the ways in which gendered power works via racialized selves. It has been reported that making fun of Negro fag appears to be a rite of passage among today’s black male filmmakers and rappers. Unlike men, slut is the commonly used insult among women. The term is usually pejorative and is often applied to women as an insult term of disparagement (Richard, 2004). The term is ambiguous and its meaning is unclear. It is ordained among hegemonic feminine heterosexuality that women ought not to discuss sex. This has resulted in a condition of uncertainty about how much sex they are allowed to have (Ballantine & Spade, 2008). Women who have taken control over their sexuality and has sex with whomever they choose, regardless of their religion or social pressures or conventions to conform a straight laced monogamous lifestyle committed to one partner for life are labelled sluts (Cornis-Pope & Neubauer, 2010). Thus, women are routinely evaluated and punished for their sexuality. In the effort to conform to appropriate sexual rule for the feminine, many women are caught in untenable situation (Ballantine & Spade, 2008). Thus women face a high level of uncertainty on what is considered slutty verses the acceptable sexy. The two are almost the same and differences seem to vary from person to person (Harris, 2009). From the two examples of how femininity and masculinity are punished, it seems that they differ in terms of certainty. Whereas to be a fag one has to portray specified behaviour that is known to most group members, women do not know which way is the acceptable and which one is unacceptable that can make one be referred to as sexy or a slut (Cornis-Pope & Neubauer, 2010). Moreover, insults differ in that insults among men are normally in reference to the behaviour that appears to be feminine among men whereas in women it is the way the society perceives them. It seems the society controls what women behaviour qualifies to make the women sluts or sexy (Harris, 2009). On the other hand, the use of fag is mainly restricted amongst people of the same age group. Another difference between the uses of sexual insults seems to come from their use (Richard, 2004). Whereas fag is used to help boys in this case to avoid behaviours known to be feminine, slut seem to punish women punish their sexuality in general. The difference between the use of insults to punish femininity and masculinity seems to come from societal pressure. Whereas women are under immense pressure to be perfect in terms of physical appearance, men are left to construct their own rules that guide their relationships. The society values appearance that many women are ready to undergo a risky breast implants procedure just to be sexy. On the other hand, men are only under pressure to control their behaviour so as to remain acceptable in certain social spheres as seen with the avoidance of behaviours that can lead one to be labelled a fag. The difference also seems to emanate from the culture that values women as being less than human. This culture has resulted in exaggeration of beauty in such a way that certain models presented in media marks the standard that ought to be aped by all women and that anything below that is seen as being ugly. Moreover, the extreme consequences of these insults are that in some cases they may result in deaths. Whereas fags are likely to commit suicide for being rejected in certain group sluts may be killed by people who consider the behaviour unwomanly and unethical. References Ballantine, J., & Spade, J. (2008). Schools and Society: A Sociological Approach to Education, 3rd Ed. London: Pine Forge Press Cornis-Pope, M., & Neubauer, J. (2010). History of the Literary Cultures of East-Central Europe: Junctures and Disjunctures in the 19th and 20th Centuries: Types and Stereotypes. London: John Benjamins Publishing Company Harris, W. (2009). Queer Externalities: Hazardous Encounters in American Culture. Sydney: SUNY Press Pascoe, C. (2011). Dude, You're a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School, With a New Preface, 2nd Ed. California: University of California Press Richard, N. (2004). Masculine/Feminine: Practices of Difference(S). London: Duke University Press Read More

Homophobic insults to masculinity have been documented by feminist scholars of masculinity (Harris, 2009). These scholars argue that masculinity in early adulthood and adolescence is characterized by homophobic teasing (Ballantine & Spade, 2008). Moreover, it is argued that antigay slurs are often directed at other gay boys. Previous studies have described the deployment of fag as an epithet of homophobia. However, other authors have criticized this view as being an obscurity to the gendered nature of sexualized insults (Cornis-Pope & Neubauer, 2010).

They argue that invoking homophobia to describe the ways used by boys to aggressively tease one another overlooks the powerful relationship that exists between masculinity and this kind of insult (Pascoe, 2011). They further argue that this line of thought seems to infer that girls do not harass one another and that they are not harassed in similar manner. As such, this line of thought seems to neutralize the relationship between homophobia and masculinity (Richard, 2004). Fag is not a static identity that is linked to a certain boy in this case a homosexual.

Fag imitations and fag talk act as a discourse, which is employed by boys to discipline themselves and each other via joking relationships. Based on this argument any boy can become a fag on temporary basis in a specified social interaction or space. However, this does not imply that who are perceived or identify as homosexual cease to be harassed (Cornis-Pope & Neubauer, 2010). Being referred to as a fag implies that one has failed at the masculine tasks of heterosexual prowess, competence and strength or reveals weaknesses or femininity in some way as it does with a sexual identity (Richard, 2004).

This means that the fag identity is fluid and as such, it is the fluidity of the term that makes it a powerful disciplinary means against those who seem to cross the boundaries of masculinity as constructed by peers (Richard, 2004). Thus, boys are forced to police their behaviours by the fear of being identified as fag (Ballantine & Spade, 2008). Based on this, it is imperative that boys recognize a fag behaviour and work had to avoid it. Moreover, the fag discourse is racialized. The invocation of fag among and in relation to the bodies of white boys differs from that invoked by and in relation to the bodies of African American (Harris, 2009).

Although certain behaviours can make any boy become a fag temporarily, African Americans can enact some behaviour without being labelled fags according to racialized fag discourse; these sorts of interactions involve more than just simple homophobia (Richard, 2004). This implies that when analyzing the use fag specter, the analysis should be extended to the ways in which gendered power works via racialized selves. It has been reported that making fun of Negro fag appears to be a rite of passage among today’s black male filmmakers and rappers.

Unlike men, slut is the commonly used insult among women. The term is usually pejorative and is often applied to women as an insult term of disparagement (Richard, 2004). The term is ambiguous and its meaning is unclear. It is ordained among hegemonic feminine heterosexuality that women ought not to discuss sex. This has resulted in a condition of uncertainty about how much sex they are allowed to have (Ballantine & Spade, 2008). Women who have taken control over their sexuality and has sex with whomever they choose, regardless of their religion or social pressures or conventions to conform a straight laced monogamous lifestyle committed to one partner for life are labelled sluts (Cornis-Pope & Neubauer, 2010).

Thus, women are routinely evaluated and punished for their sexuality. In the effort to conform to appropriate sexual rule for the feminine, many women are caught in untenable situation (Ballantine & Spade, 2008). Thus women face a high level of uncertainty on what is considered slutty verses the acceptable sexy. The two are almost the same and differences seem to vary from person to person (Harris, 2009).

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