The Concepts of Masculinity in the Australian Cinema - Essay Example

Media Analysis Name Date Course Introduction The dominance of men over women in the society is an issue that has been a subject of discussion for centuries. It is a common phenomenon in our societies in different parts of the world. The position of men in the society is usually dominant while that of women is subordinate (Fairbrother, 2013). This issue has been highlighted in various industries including the media and film industry. The Romper Stomper is one of the Australian films that highlight the issues of masculinity in the society. The concept of Hegemonic masculinity has also been a subject of discussion in the Australian film industry. It is important to note that women are also putting in place measures to ensure that they are not treated as subordinates. The paper discuses the concepts of masculinity in the Australian cinema in relation to the film known as Romper Stomper Discussion Hegemonic masculinity masculinity is a concept that highlights that social position of men in the society as dominant over the women who are seen as surbodinates. The concepts of hegemonic masculinity try to explain the reasons as to why men maintain a dominant position over the women in the society in terms of the social role. The concepts of cultural dynamic are also associated with the concepts of hegemonic masculinity. The concepts of hegemonic masculinity are also significant in creating an understanding on the issues regarding gender relations and criminology. According to the concepts of Hegemonic masculinity, men commit more crimes as compared to women. This is also highlighted in the film Romper Stomper. In the film, a female character is associated with a gang that commits a lot of violent crimes. Gabrielle who is the female character is involved with Hando who is a gang leader and his friend Davey (Butterss, 1998). The film also echoes the fact that men commit a lot of crimes as compared to the women. The gang led by Hando is linked to violent crimes including murder of the Vietnamese immigrants who are doing business in Australia. However, Gabrielle is not involved in committing the crimes although his boyfriend is the gang leader. Violence against women is also displayed in the film. Gabrielle’s father is sexually abusive and the women are mainly dominated by men in the film. Although Gabrielle is the only female who is also starring in the film, incidences of subordination of women are highlighted in some parts of the film. A pattern of aggression is also associated withy hegemonic masculinity. The men tend to be violent as compared to the women in the society. This is mainly due to the aggressive behaviors of the men. The violence in the film can also be associated with hegemonic masculinity. A lot of aggressive behaviors are seen in the film by the gang since they want to prove that they rule the streets. The incidences of women being involved in the aggressive behaviors are quite minimal as compared to the men. Crimes like murder in Australia are mainly associated with hegemonic masculinity (Hearn, 2012). This can be used to explain why the men in the film were so involved in violence out of choice as compared to the women. The number of women in the film is quite low as compared to men. Most of the parts that women are involved mainly portray how the women are subordinated by the men in the society. The pursuit for dominant positions through the use of violence is also common in the film. This is also a concept of hegemonic masculinity. According to the concept of hegemonic masculinity, men use violence in order to be dominant in the society. This can also explain the issues of violence against women. The gang was involved in violence against the Vietnamese for the purposes of establishing dominance. The film portrays violence as a weapon used for the purpose of achieving the goals of dominance and it embraced by the boys in the gang. Gabrielle also intends to convince Hando to abandon the life of crime and this also forces Davey to change his lifestyle. This is an indication that women do not like violence as compared to men. This cam also be considered as their major weakness as it exposes them the same violence and hence subordination. In the end, Gabrielle admits phoning the police which led to the death of some of the members of the gang and also the arrest of others. This is an indication that men are more prone to violence as compared to women. According to the hegemonic masculinity concepts, the social constructs is a motivating factor that contributes to the dominance of men over the women (White, 2010). The men believe that they will be looked down upon if they do not perform appropriate masculinity. This therefore inspires some of the men to be violent for the purposes of showing that they are strong and dominant. The women are usually seen as subordinates since the men usually play a leading role in most of the aspects of the society. According to the theory of gender hegemonic, the division of labor among men and women is also a factor that has contributed to the problem of men dominating women. This is because the men usually perform tough jobs and tasks as compared to the women and hence creating a sense of dominance over the women. The film also plays an important role in highlighting the tough life that the men undergo in the society which may be used to justify their dominance in the society. Protest masculinity explains that some of the girls may start hating their role as women in the society due to the devalued roles of the women in the society (Messerschmidt, 2010). This is increasingly becoming common in most parts of the world including Australia and it has also been portrayed in cinema where women are taking active roles. Some aspects of protest masculinity are evident in some parts of the film. Gabrielle at one point led the gang to rob and beat up her affluent father. She later said it was for the purpose of revenge against the abuse she faced from him. This is an indication that she was trying to compete with his affluent father and prove to him that she can also get even. Trying to get even with her affluent father is an indication that she hated her role as a woman in the society due to the abuse that they are exposed to. Some of the women in the film were also associated with the gang although they later left the gang. This is because they felt safe when they were with the gang as opposed to playing their role in the society as women. It is also important to note that the feminist movements in the society are leading protests against masculinity. This is for the purpose of countering the domination of men in the society. Equality among men and women has also been improved through the concepts of protest masculinity. Protest masculinity has thus played an important role in ensuring that women can take up roles that were initially reserved for men and hence countering masculinity. According to Terri Waddell’s reading, scrubber is a term that has been used to construct Australian feminity. This term is used to describe a woman who is rough and not treated well by the society. On the other hand, the character is also a reminder of the past where women were treated with no respect (Waddell, 2003). However, the character is also used to describe the Australian feminity. This is an indication that the feminist movements have come from a long way given the dark past. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the feminist theories play an important role in highlighting the mistreatment that the women have faced in the society. This is considering that the women had no say in the past when it came to the decision makers. On the other hand, the cinema and film industry has also evolved in Australia in terms of the acceptance of women. The women have played an important role as directors and produces in many movies. Women have also been given a leading role in most of the Australian movies and hence the evolution that it has undergone. The development in the film industry is also an indication that the feminism has led to changes with regards to how women are perceived in the society. According to the theories of feminism, gender equality is being achieved in the society due to the pressure from the women movements. The women in the film industry in Australia are also becoming a significant force due to the successes of feminism. Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that the concepts of hegemonic masculinity have impacted negatively on the women in the society. Men are dominant in the society due to the activities that they perform. It is evident that the film portrays a significant factor that has contributed to the domination of women in the society. Violence is one of the factors that have been widely used in the movie for the purposes of gaining dominance. It is evident that some of the women are also advocating for equality and are tired of being considered inferior to men and hence giving rise to protest masculinity. It is also evident that the film industry in Australia has undergone a lot of transformation which has resulted to women being given leading roles. The feminist movements have played a vital role in advocating for gender equality and hence the changes in the society. List of References Butterss, P, 1998, 'When Being a Man is all you've got: Masculinity in Romper Stomper, Blackrock, Idiot Box and The Boys' in Metro Magazine, Number 117, pp. 4046. Waddell, T, 2003, 'The Great Unwashed of Australian Cinema' in French, Lisa (ed) Women vision: Women and the Moving Image in Australia, Melbourne: Damned Publishing, pp. 183-195. Messerschmidt, J, 2012, Engendering gendered knowledge: Assessing the academic appropriation of hegemonic masculinity, Men and Masculinities, 1097184X11428384. White, P, 2010, Investigating hegemonic masculinity: Portrayals of masculinity in men’s lifestyle magazines, Sex Roles, 63(1-2), 64-78. Fairbrother, P, 2013, Bushfires are “men's business”: The importance of gender and rural hegemonic masculinity, Journal of Rural Studies, 30, 110-119. Hearn, J, 2012, A multi‐faceted power analysis of men's violence to known women: from hegemonic masculinity to the hegemony of men, The Sociological Review, 60(4), 589-610. Read More