Discussion Topic: Masculinity; Things Fall Apart
Today is a day to discuss. We'll discuss the concept of HONOR and POWER in Things Fall Apart, we'll discuss some of the key topics you came up with from your reading/research the other day, and we'll also take a look at a few articles and respond to them. All these ideas and topics can be written about.
If you need a prompt/assignment for your portfolio, here you go:
Key Ideas/Terms to consider:
Functionalism: the theory based on the idea that all aspects of a society or culture serve a distinct function or purpose, and that all members of said culture/society serve an agreed upon function. Functionalism is a product of the Industrial Revolution--all people are part of a machinery found useful for a society or culture to exist and sustain itself. Or society is seen as an organism--the heart, for example, has a function. So does a President, the media, the institution of education, the Church, the urban poor, the incarcerated, the elderly, the young, etc. Find your place or role in society!
For men, the role of protector, leader, father (inherited perhaps by the concept of the patriarchy and kept healthy in Judeo-Christian religion or belief) is one of provider, ruler, breadwinner while women are accepted to be more nurturing--therefore they take on more nurturing roles in society (mothers, nurses, hairdressers, teachers, cleaners, secretaries, prostitutes, etc.) while men take on role of responsibility, protectors, movers/shakers, (political leaders, soldiers, lawyers, surgeons, professors, construction workers, engineers, business men, scientists, clergy, etc.)
During the 1950's (after WWII and the social and economic transformations taking place in society--for example the Civil Rights Movement) the sex role theory "was enlisted to give some insights into, and make sense of, the changing roles of men and women and the new expressions of masculinity being acted out and "forced on" men." (Pleck, 1976) Masculinity began to be seen as a problem to be fixed. First by men who were not like other men (male competition), and then by women who wanted to keep the roles they filled out of necessity during the War. Female philosophers like Simone de Beauvoir, who wrote The Second Sex in 1953, encouraged the feminist movement by criticizing men. Male socialization began to include more feminine traits--widening the gap between a Man's man and those seen as more feminine. Feminine traits such as having feelings, nurturing tendencies, close intimacy between males as friends or companions, were all looked upon by the system as not measuring up. Males continue to be seen as "hostile, violent, and lacking human emotion."
If you need a prompt/assignment for your portfolio, here you go:
- Take any idea we cover today and flesh it out into a story, a poem, a play, an essay, etc.
- Two men walk into a hairdressing salon... Or: Two men meet at a mall bench while their wives are shopping...
- If you identify as a boy: write about why.
- If you identify as a girl: write about growing up as a boy. This is writing across cultures after all...
- Choose a fairy tale, film, book or television program and discuss how men are portrayed or stereotyped in the media...
- Other ideas? Do it!
Key Ideas/Terms to consider:
Functionalism: the theory based on the idea that all aspects of a society or culture serve a distinct function or purpose, and that all members of said culture/society serve an agreed upon function. Functionalism is a product of the Industrial Revolution--all people are part of a machinery found useful for a society or culture to exist and sustain itself. Or society is seen as an organism--the heart, for example, has a function. So does a President, the media, the institution of education, the Church, the urban poor, the incarcerated, the elderly, the young, etc. Find your place or role in society!
For men, the role of protector, leader, father (inherited perhaps by the concept of the patriarchy and kept healthy in Judeo-Christian religion or belief) is one of provider, ruler, breadwinner while women are accepted to be more nurturing--therefore they take on more nurturing roles in society (mothers, nurses, hairdressers, teachers, cleaners, secretaries, prostitutes, etc.) while men take on role of responsibility, protectors, movers/shakers, (political leaders, soldiers, lawyers, surgeons, professors, construction workers, engineers, business men, scientists, clergy, etc.)
- Is it fair to ask men to change their role in society after thousands of years fulfilling traditionally masculine roles?
During the 1950's (after WWII and the social and economic transformations taking place in society--for example the Civil Rights Movement) the sex role theory "was enlisted to give some insights into, and make sense of, the changing roles of men and women and the new expressions of masculinity being acted out and "forced on" men." (Pleck, 1976) Masculinity began to be seen as a problem to be fixed. First by men who were not like other men (male competition), and then by women who wanted to keep the roles they filled out of necessity during the War. Female philosophers like Simone de Beauvoir, who wrote The Second Sex in 1953, encouraged the feminist movement by criticizing men. Male socialization began to include more feminine traits--widening the gap between a Man's man and those seen as more feminine. Feminine traits such as having feelings, nurturing tendencies, close intimacy between males as friends or companions, were all looked upon by the system as not measuring up. Males continue to be seen as "hostile, violent, and lacking human emotion."
- What is your reaction? Is this viewpoint still prevalent today? What harm might this point of view be for women? For men? For young boys or girls inheriting the world from an old generation?
Social Role Theory recognizes the historical division of labor between men and women. Different expectations in social behavior (boys will be boys, for example), began to separate during the latter part of the 20th century, and continues to create a wide gap between acceptable roles for men and acceptable roles for women. These ideas are transferred from generation to generation as "social norms"--often creating gender or sexual stereotypes.
Critics of social role theory began to appear during the 1980's. Robert Bly's book Iron John begs the question: "what have we done to our boys and men in our society?" and is a key text in popularizing and forming the academic (cultural studies) field of Men's Studies. Another recent best seller was the book The Dangerous Book For Boys by Conn Iggulden.
HOMEWORK: Things Fall Apart pages 95-125. Consider pages 63-125 in light of what we discussed or learned today. How is Achebe setting us up for a tragedy?
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