Appleman explains that “using the feminist lens is one way
to examine gender construction, but the notion of the social construction of
gender broaden the lens to more fully consider how both men and women are
affected by this social construction” (p.66). I believe that gender is a great
topic to discuss with students when teaching about what social construction is
and how it affects our lives. Gender is such a great topic because there are so
many life examples that students can draw from when they are discovering that
gender is created. For example in Appleman’s lesson where students are to
quickly place key words under “male, female, both, or neither” categories one
student said, “whoa, this was too easy,” (p.66). I believe it is easy because
every person encounters gender every day. Because gender is so pertinent to
society I believe that we should use this lens in the most inclusive way
possible.
When Appleman discusses the gender of men, she explains that
it is important to remember that men, like women, have a socially constructed
gender and because of this we can recognize how all characters are “held
hostage” to social constructions of gender (p.77). One of my favorite
assignments in Eng 30 was an assignment about deconstructing masculinity. Here
our class worked in groups to break down known stereotypes. My group worked on “the
heroic man” and created an over the top movie preview that embodied heroic men
such as characters like Rambo, Superman, and Clint Eastwood’s typical characters
in westerns. I still remember this activity as a favorite and I think that it
would be a fun topic to consider using both female and male gender stereotypes
present in texts and in our everyday lives.
I realize I perhaps talked a bit more about film then literature, however to end I thought I would add this picture from the Movie "The Expendables", Now here is a movie filled with gender construction! However I can not deny, I enjoyed this film very much.
I realize I perhaps talked a bit more about film then literature, however to end I thought I would add this picture from the Movie "The Expendables", Now here is a movie filled with gender construction! However I can not deny, I enjoyed this film very much.
I think it is interesting to look at that movie poster and consider what the implications of its gender construction are. A lot of attention has been paid in recent years to how gender construction has affected women's body images. This attention is important. However, the effect of movies like "The Expendables" is significant, and perhaps just as harmful to how men view their own bodies.
ReplyDeleteThe poster is dominated by an image of Sylvester Stallone. Even fully clothed, his bulging veins are clearly visible. What is not visible is how he came to posses such a "ripped" physique. In 2011, Stallone pleaded guilty to bringing synthetic Human Growth Hormone and Testosterone into Australia while on a media tour there. It is widely known that he has taken these illegal drugs to enhance his physique for years. Stallone is flanked by an even more prolific user of illegal steroids: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The harm and illegality of steroids for body building can be debated. What is evident though, is how this portrayal of masculinity affects the body image of young (and old) men. Even talking about male body image is seen as a taboo because of the gender roles men are expected to play. Men are not supposed to feel pressure to look a certain way, because this is not manly. Yet we celebrate men who flaunt 4% body fat and sensationalize "six packs."
The difficulties that this kind of gender construction creates for young men are not unspoken. Yet, the conversation is silenced by the very construction that it is meant to be combatting.