Day 1: Identities in Flux

What is a real man? What is a real woman? These questions have long been answered, not by scientific reason, but by social construction. Throughout history, men and women have been told through all sorts of societal institutions how they should act, how they should look... ultimately- what their identity should be.

Today's reading written by Karen Ross looked at the interesting place masculine and feminine identities are today. These long held definitions of masculinity and femininity as created and reproduced by the media are changing. Changing towards a more equal system of gender you might hope? Not necessarily true. Though there are many who buy into the myth that we are a post-sexist society, exaggerated gender differences and expectations still exist. This chapter written by Ross aimed to make the point that sexual identities are in a time of "crisis," and this plays itself out in many ways, particularly in the media. New "lad" magazines are supplying a justification for "boys to be boys" by fulfilling their pleasures in a socially accepted and endorsed manner. The question is, but when do they break out of this "prolonged adolescents" and be adults? These magazines simultaneously give men permission to be a "real man," while providing support for frustrations of inferiority felt by men who fail at the very identity endorsed and advertised by the magazine. Here is the January 2012 cover of Men's Health magazine.

Notice the part where it says "Seduce her in 60 seconds! Then have sex all night." And tips on how to have "riotous sex." The point Ross makes is that articles and advertisements of this nature are becoming more and more common - more and more easily accessible. Many forms of the media are continuing to provide means by which men can exercise their dominion over women both sexually, and in all other areas of life. But can this power be found by women if they chose to exploit and objectify their own bodies? Ross points to a contemporary cultural definition of femininity in which women use the parts of their body which are strictly female, to gain equality in power with men. But do the ends justify the means? I mean, if women are still exploited and objectified, does it matter whose choice it was?

Most unfortunately, there are those within the Christian faith who also support gender differences. There are traditions of the Christian church which believe in this hierarchy of gender which is a "Godly" family structure. Groups such as the Promise Keepers have taken it upon themselves to help men claim their "true manhood." 

John Eldredge's Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul is a popular book which basically charges Christian Men to get out and reclaim the masculinity which God intended for all men. Eldredge manages to stretch scripture into endorsing an idea that men are called by God to be different than women. Calvin College's very own Mark Mulder wrote more on the topic. If you would like to read more from a much more knowledgeable source, Click Here..

Now for a more mainstream example of the media's power to create and reproduce socially constructed gender differences. I leave you with these questions: 

What generalizations does this advertisement make about men? About women?

How does this commercial manage to redefine orthodox characteristics of masculinity?