Hegemonic Femininity and Masculinity - Research Paper Example

?Hegemonic Femininity and Masculinity Introduction Sexuality has often beguiled people’s mind and is considered as an interesting topic of discussionbecause everyone has their own sexuality. As the years progressed, scholars noticed the emergence of another aspect of analyzing sexuality that is not based solely on the two sides of the coin. There is what we call hegemonic femininity and masculinity. These two hegemonies are very important in our understanding of the totality of people’s sexuality and the issues that accompany it. This essay discusses the concept of hegemonic femininity and masculinity, its effects, and corresponding issues. The Concept of Hegemonic Femininity and Masculinity In tackling the concept of hegemonic femininity and masculinity, it is a must to first define its word origin. The term ‘hegemonic’ was coined by sport aficionado and scholars Lenskyj in 1994 and Krane in 1999 to mean “the culturally idealized form of masculine character” (Connell, 1990, p. 83 as cited in Choi, 2000, p. 8). Basing from the definition, the term masculine serves a sexist form of discrimination as masculinity is regarded as an ideal attribute, and which “stabilizes a structure of dominance and oppression in the gender order as a whole” (Connell, 1990 as cited in Choi, 2000, p. 8). Hegemonic femininity is sort of a celebration of women’s other side of being a female athlete. Hegemonic femininity gives female athletes the necessary respect from the audience, sponsors, judges, and officials because female athletes who display solely the attributes of the males face a bitter taste of discrimination or negative treatment from these people (Choi, 2000). In displaying hegemonic femininity, female athletes usually wear something that can emphasize their feminine side or sport a boyfriend or husband during a game (Choi, 2000). On one hand, Messerschmidt (1993) defines hegemonic masculinity as the “idealized form of masculinity.” This is a simplified form of Connell’s elaboration and classification of hegemonic masculinity as the superior level of masculinity wherein only few can have the chance to achieve, that is why there is this so-called “subordinated masculinities” (Giddens & Griffiths, 2006, p. 465). Culturally, hegemonic masculinity is “honored, glorified, and extolled” (Colonell, 1990 as cited in Messerschmidt, 1993, p. 82). Just like femininity, hegemonic masculinity creates a structure that categorizes this idealized masculinity as belonging on the topmost portion of the ranking while those below it are considered weak and are thereby oppressed (Messerschmidt, 1993). Females who are considered to be hegemonic usually sport a feminine female athlete body, the one with muscles, displaying enormous strength, speed and agility, all of which are typical characterization of the male species (Choi, 2000, p. 9). They are outgoing, sports-oriented, but because of social conventions, try harder to look at least feminine and beautiful. In other words, they are physically active women who diverted from the usual stereotype of women as in-house, weak, incline to beautification matters, inferior to men in terms of strength, and emotional. On one hand, hegemonic masculine males are typified by men who excel in imposing “authority, paid work, and physical toughness” such as the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rafael Nadal, and Donald Trump (Giddens & Griffith, 2006, p. 465). Connell (2001 as cited in Kahn, 2009, p. 32) refers to this kind as “dominant masculinity.”They are exalted, moreover, with the media’s portrayal of them as physically-dominating, financially capable or filthy rich, and whose sexuality is highly emphasized based on their body structure. They are the total opposite of lanky nerds and homosexual men. Discussion Kahn (2009) assessed the effects of hegemonic masculinity and femininity based on what social structure and organization have to do with this classification. These effects are relative to individuals because each of us is exposed to different “situation-specific realities” that confront our views regarding masculinity and femininity. To use his example, Kahn (2009) said that a man’s concern towards the other person can receive different reactions from people based on who the other person is, like his father, his child, or a certain man of his age. Likewise, he can also be misunderstood when expressing his worries towards household chores and the food that his kids brought to school. Moreover, histories provide us with observations regarding monarchs and leaders. Some women leaders in the past were highly regarded because they exhibited traits which are normally seen in men while men who ruled kingdoms and conquered territories were characterized as heroes and superiors. In other words, while men were recognized more when they displayed power and dominion, women also tried hard to display male attributes because they deemed it plausible. A study conducted by Light (2007, p. 323) regarding high school rugby boys revealed that sports play a major role “through which masculine identities are formed and shaped.” Hegemonic masculinity is seen as practiced early among boys during involvement in sports and the discourses within it (Light, 2007, p. 327). It is difficult to eradicate the unintended effects of hegemonic masculinity because it starts early at school which, according to Light (2007, p. 327), is a “vehicle for the inculcation of a class-specific form of masculinity.” Furthermore, a research conducted by Trickett (2009) also revealed that hegemonic masculinity often leads to bullying practices because these entail qualities that of being athletic, “tough,” “cool,” or being a comedian. According to Kahn (2009, p. 5), it is identifying with male characteristics that led people to view that anything that is not performed by men is “abnormal and wrong.” This automatically puts women at the losers’ end. As a result, everyone is highly attuned to sports coverage of male-dominated sports while female counterpart of theirs is often ignored or receives less or no coverage at all. As what Johnson (1997 as cited in Kahn, 2009, p. 25) said, “If you want a story about heroism, moral courage, spiritual transformation, endurance,... that give life its deepest meaning and significance, men and masculinity are usually the terms in which you must see it.” The system of patriarchy is also related to hegemonic masculinity (Kahn, 2009). People support and conform to a patriarchal society even if those policies contradict with their own. As a result of this conformity, men tend to “subordinate” women (Kahn, 2009, p. 31) while women try to engage in activities common to men, or they think and behave like them. Furthermore, men do their best in order to achieve a body that society and the media portray as appealing, likable, and is perfect embodiment of strength and power. In study conducted by Johansson and Hammaren (2007), they also found out that hegemonic masculinity affects young people’s attitude and relations towards pornography. Their attitude towards pornographic videos and magazines is favorable because their acceptance to this kind of sexual expression is viewed as “manly” (Johansson & Hammaren, 2007, p. 63). On one hand, hegemonic femininity resulted to the rise of the so-called “swimsuit issue” in various magazines, specifically the Sports Illustrated magazine (Davis, 1997). This is to emphasize the femininity that exists within highly-muscular and sports-oriented women. The said magazine’s diversion towards putting women in the cover was well-received by the readers. The favorable outcome can also be attributed to the power of the media to shape the minds of the readers regarding sexuality. As a result, women now want to achieve two things: to engage in activities that men engaged and to still look feminine and beautiful. They also achieve the stereotyped appearance of femininity as slim and sexy by engaging in diets and exercise in order to achieve a youthful glow (Charlebois, 2011). Unfortunately, the issue of hegemonic femininity is still lengthy to scrutinize, but a sad reality prevails that aside from the minimal coverage of women sports, race and class still play an issue in this case. Black women who were into sports received even less coverage than the White Americans in the United States, and hegemonic femininity among African-American women received an even worse treatment than those of the White American women (Choi, 2000, p. 31). Body Modification Practices First and foremost, there is this clothing strategy to manipulate physical look and live according to what culture deems a “muscular appearance” (Dewing & Foster, 2007, p. 40). Frith and Gleeson (2004 as cited in Dewing & Foster, 2007) found out that there is a conscious effort from men to appear as if they are not mindful of their physical appearance while being so concerned as to the way they look from other people’s perspective. That is where fashion enters the picture. Among hegemonic males, body building and exercises give them an avenue to enhance their image and achieve an idealized self that is set by the society and the media. Men who possess the qualities that are socially admired include “assertiveness, go-getter, and stud” (Charlebois, 2011, p. 40). As a result, men despised qualities that show weakness, such as occasional release of emotions during crying, and inability to assert their feelings towards the opposite sex. Moreover, homosexual men receive grave criticisms when they show their true qualities that are obviously ‘unacceptable’ in the niche of men while some of them do not reveal their true identities for fear of being discriminated. A study conducted by Gill, Henwood and McLean (2005) among British males, they found out that men do modify their bodies by working out at a gym, tattooing, piercing, and to some extent, surgery. Moreover, they usually connect their inner feelings and body modification practices to what social conventions and norms set to be the standard for acting. For instance, if they want to have body piercings, the process of analyzing their decisions also includes preparing appropriate behaviors relating to their masculinity and new look (Gill, Henwood, & McLean, 2005). Hegemonic femininity also lets women keep themselves as attractive, as sexy, and as feminine as they can in order to be treated well. Some who do not want to wear clothes that the society views feminine and fashionable often forced themselves to fit in (Charlebois, 2011, p. 39). In order to get the approval of men, women try their best to stay fit and slender that other women started to suffer from anorexia and bulimia (Charlebois, 2011). In a patriarchal society, women undergo a series of body manipulations while the field of science all the more enhances the assumption that there is the so-called masculinist manipulation over female bodies (Bell, 2006). Moreover, in showing some male characteristics such as doing the first move or being assertive, women usually received negative criticisms and labels such as “aggressive, bitch, or slut” (Charlebois, 2011, p. 40). In other words, women often seek the approval of men for them to be called beautiful and appealing which can also shutter one’s confidence if faced with negative responses. Women can resort to self-pity and becoming overly-vain because men’s approval is considered as highly significant. Conclusion While there are only two sexes strictly speaking, the issue of sexuality can never be confined using this truth. Hegemonic masculinity and femininity is actually an issue that people tend to overlook and accept as it is. While hegemonic masculinity proves to be an ideal type of masculinity, it yields some negative impacts to men and homosexuals. This is a case of overly-worshipping of the male body and male qualities, and anything that is excessive is dangerous. It undermines those males who do not exude masculinity and hamper them from discovering their identities totally different from what the mainstream depicts. This is also the case of women wherein trying to please men in order to become attractive affects their health and their confidence. Hegemonies in the aspect of sexuality are very much a sensitive topic that needs to be discussed starting from elementary until tertiary in order to straighten our crooked vision towards sexuality. References Bell, M. (2006). Re/forming the anorexic “prisoner”: Impatient medical treatment as the return to panoptic femininity. Cultural Studies & Critical Methodologies, 6 (2), 282-307. Charlebois, J. (2011). Gender and the construction of dominant, hegemonic and oppositional femininities. Plymouth: Lexington Books. Choi, P. Y. L. (2000). Femininity and the physically active woman. New Fetter Lane: Routledge. Davis, L. R. (1997). The swimsuit issue and sport: Hegemonic masculinity in Sports Illustrated. Albany: State University of New York Press. Dewing, S., & Foster, D. (2007). Men’s body related practices and meanings of masculinity. Psychology in Society, 35, 38-52. Giddens, A., & Griffiths, S. (2006). Sociology (5th ed). Cambridge: Polity Press. Gill, R., Henwood, K., & McLean, C. (2005). Body projects and the regulation of normative masculinity. Body and Society, 11 (1), 37-62. Kahn, J. S. (2009). An introduction to masculinities. West Sussex: Blackwell Publishing. Johansson, T., & Hammaren, N. (2007). Hegemonic masculinity and pornography: Young people’s attitudes toward and relations to pornography. The Journal of Men’s Studies, 15 (1), 57-70. Light, R. (2007). Re-examining hegemonic masculinity: The body, compliance and resistance. Quest, 59 (3): 323-339. Messerschmidt, J. W. (1993). Masculinities and crime: Critique and reconceptualization of theory. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Trickett, L. (2009). Bullying boys: An examination of hegemonic masculinity in the playground.         Internet Journal of Criminology, 1 (1): 1-29. Read More