Image et Identité
Machisme: le monde qui définit la masculinité … vraiment? Ecoutez ce que de jeunes hommes ont à dire à propos de leur image aujourd’hui. Regardez comment le cinéma, l’art et la culture forment l’identité masculine et voyez si les jeunes hommes d’aujourd’hui acceptent ou rejettent cette notion plus traditionnelle de la masculinité.
Regardez le film de Gustavo Spolidoro “Autres” à propos de la vie au Brésil et de sa vision selon laquelle la vie imite des séries télé de bas étage. Lisez les réflexions de Gautam Malkani sur la masculinité des jeunes Britanniques d’origine sud asiatique à travers la lentille de leur identité ethnique, raciale et religieuse. Suivez le raisonnement de Curtis Stephens dans son essai sur l’effet du film « Scarface » sur la vie des Afros-américains.
Que signifie vraiment la masculinité de nos jours? Joignez-vous à la conversation.
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What does it mean to be a man? I think that to some extent we live in a world of scripts; a world where women are expected to be nurturers, while men are expected to be custodians of power.
Do you agree with this idea; do you think these scripts hold true today? How does this script manifest within your own experiences? What is the effect of the assertion of male power? What other scripts are men expected to conform to today? These are just some of the questions I hope to dig into during our exploration of image and identity conversation. Don't just contemplate...join the conversation.
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Posted on Saturday, February 03, 2007 11:53 PM
Michael, you got me, with that.
Well, my only response to the fact that roles change with time is that if this is a fact then this entire forum is really quite irrelevant.
If we accept the fact that traditional concepts of man/woman have changed to such a degree that they no longer hold good, then what frame of reference is our discussion based on. For that matter if gender roles have changed to such a degree that we need to define what we mean when we say "Man" or "Woman" I am out of my depth.
I believe that men are men and always were/will be, women are women and always were/will be. I know it seems un-intelligent and may be considered stupidl and chauvinistic, but I believe that is a good thing.
Like I said I believe that is an essential difference, that in my opinion needs to be celebrated not annihilated.
I also realize that people who have thought much more extensively on this subject generally tend to disagree, many even subscribe to the philosophy that out entire concept of gender is something that is outdated and is being redone today. They believe that is a good thing - I disagree.
As far as defining what being a man is, I cannot do that. I think every man has a different concept of what it is to be a man. All I can say is that I feel that I am not man enough - and the reason I feel that way is because society has no need for the man in me.
What I do anybody can do, man or woman, any being with the similar intelligence. In all honesty this is not a very nice feeling. I would be at greater peace with myself if I knew that there was something which only I as a man could do, something relevant. That's why I say what I say, personal inadequacy is the basis for all my commentary on this issue. I have nothing earth-shaking or revealing to say. I am sorry. |
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Posted on Saturday, February 03, 2007 12:11 PM
Paresh, I want to ask what you mean by "we can no longer be men" and "women need to be more than women." These are imposrtant statements to consider in our discussion of Image & Identity. Is there flexibility to notions of identity? Can ideas about these roles change with time? |
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Posted on Saturday, February 03, 2007 11:39 AM
Reading Mr. Curtis Stephen's response as well as Paresh Kumar, you two are right on; however mr. stephens, I too am a black man and I am older now, 51, the bottom line is not movies or a movie as you stated or hip hop, it call comes down to home and how you are raised. I am 51 as I stated, I remarried 2 years ago a long lost friend from high school who has a 12 year old son from her last relationship, for me it has been an interesting experience being a step dad at the age of 49 and the patience that it requires.
For anyone in my situation the mother must let the man to some extent put his two cents in. Sure he may not be my child but I am a man, I am black as he is and I have been there. In this day of the Internet and so much technology literally at your fingertips, these kids and young men nowadays need to get it together and put down the WII/Nintendo/Game Boys. This is the computer age and sadly so many young men are getting left behind due to their peers and life in general, eg. hip hop, movies, video games and television. This is the computer age and we need future programmers and system analysts, and no matter what as long as you are men the expectations will forever be high. I know it isn't easy to be either the first one or the only one in your family who has gone to college but you must do what you need to do and what you you must do to survive, and that is education, the less education you have the harder it will be for you to get your foot into the door of life, like a good job, apt., etc.
Like I said I have been there being the youngest of three black boys, I had a brother who went to junior college like myself but I am the only one who went to a university and the only one who is still pursuing his dreams as a pianist and an author.
The expectations are always high for all young men and it will never get easy in adult hood. As I have said many times before anyone can be a girl friend, but to be a wife is not for everyone. Any man/young man can have sex with a woman, but to be a father and take responsibility is a big chore and it is not for everyone. The world is watching us, all of us, each of us, and especially you young men out there. Good luck to you young men out there, I pray that you will all make it into adult hood and make something of yourselves. Always dream, go after your dreams and DREAM BIG! Remember, the world is watching you!
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Posted on Friday, February 02, 2007 4:44 PM
The biggest change in my opinion is the fact that niether men nor women can get a sense of validation today. everybody's trying so hard to be similar, at par, equal to each other, that we can no longer be men and find that good enough. On the flip side I feel women need to be more than women all the time.
I personally feel it would be a whole lot easier on both men and women, if we just respected each other because of our differences.
My question is whatever happened to the old fashioned, two halves making a whole, bit.
Have we decided that we want nothing to do with. Is neutered competitiveness going to be the way men and women relate to each other in the future, or are we going to nurse on each other's differences, celebrate men and women, and go back to what was considered "Normal" as little as 100 years ago.
And by that I don't mean, women all cloistered and the men raping and plundering. We can keep the good, while realizing that men need women and women need men because they are essentially different. Nowadays somehow even that thought seems stupid - Utopian! |
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Posted on Friday, February 02, 2007 11:33 AM
Wow, Peresh, you raise some good points about the effect of PC on our notions of identity and on our behavior. But what does it really mean to say "Men are the new women - women are the new men?" In what sense is this true? It is now socially acceptable for men to stay at home with the kids while women can go to the office. But what has really changed? |
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Posted on Thursday, February 01, 2007 9:30 PM
After Reading Machismo & Masculinity in Londonstani.
Hyper-Machismo!
A liked a lot of things about your story, a lot of it seemed true, but what is hyper machismo. Is Arnold Schwarznegger calling the Democrats Girly Men Hyper-Machismo? Or are you refering only to the Lil' John kind.
I think you are right - Men want to be recognized as men - especially by women, and though you have studied and written about this phenomenon amongst South Asians in London, I think this is universal.
Wasn't Fight Club about this - East or West or somewhere in between, Men everywhere need to be assured that they are men. What's more is that given half the chance women would oblige them too, but given the fact that today it's so un-pc to be a man or for that matter a woman, this is never going to happen.
That's one reason why hyper-masculine social aberrations roam the streets. And that's why we don't have actresses any more.
We are all actors now - Men are the new women - women are the new men - the remnants are caricatures of what used to be two natural, different, unequal sexes.
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Posted on Thursday, February 01, 2007 12:19 PM
You're right about the examples in the fatehrhood conversation, but when I try to think about examples within our popular culture, I'm hard-pressed to think of many. Stevie Wonder comes to mind. Can you think of other examples within our popular culture?
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Posted on Thursday, February 01, 2007 11:41 AM
I think today there are more men who are trying to break that mold of being "custodians of power." Like the fathers portrayed in this exhibit who are taking on these more nurturing roles of caregiver. I don't know. I like my men to be manly in the traditional sense. But there is nothing wrong with sensitivity. I think men are oppressed by these expectations. i see men suffer from these ideals... I would like to see more men try and break the mold. |
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