Masculinity refers to a set of attributes, role, and behavior which are traditionally associated with men (McDermott 3). They vary across cultures and historical periods. This kind of trait can also be possessed by females because there are women who are strong. There are two types of masculinity; hegemonic which is the ideal created by society on the way a man should behave. Its main features are domination, emotion suppression and physical strength. While hyper-masculinity is the practice of hegemonic ideal, its main features are sexual conquest, aggressive competition, destructive acts and risky behaviors.
Gender goes beyond scientific facts of sex since it involves bodies’ ability to express and identify themselves in the society despite biological hindrances (Bercaw, Nancy, and Ted Ownby 10). In the Big Bang Theory, four men are perceived to be physically weak by society. This should not be the case as the society expects them to be sexually active, aggressive in life and doing destructive and risky activities. Though this societal pressure is harmless, they are dangerous to those surrounding men and themselves. Thus it is better to embrace supportive forms of friendship rather than competing for dominance.
Also, it like the society colonizes people’s mind because women are denied some of their rights mainly the females. They associate them with their futile nature which is not always true. For instance, a female character tries to assist a male; the man refuses completely since it is against the norms. Masculinity behavior should be discouraged as it does not promote democracy and creativity. There are activities which can be done better by women. Ideally, men think they are undermined when they are assigned chores which is treated as women roles. For example, Leonard feels downgraded when assigned clean. Work should not be allocated to people based on sex. Ability and experience play a vital role.
Race means a group of people who share certain physical or genetic traits. These features can lead to discrimination in society (Stewart, Gail B, 8). Some people may be regarded failures and unproductive because they are obese — also, obese men were seen to be not masculine. Thus an individual can suppress his sexual feelings and emotions towards the opposite sex. These activities may create stereotypes that obese man is not a real man. Some will be unable to relate with others which may make them anti-social. The spread of HIV/Aids has been encourage by vices like unsafe practices since one is categorized second class. Women are leveraged as signs of status by men. Like in the video, Leonard is ranked as inferior by colleagues because of unsteady girlfriends. Leonard has to prove his manhood by humiliating the colleagues as this form segregation among them.
Inequality occurs when there is an uneven treatment of individuals depending on their level of income, gender or race. According to Mullen and Ann (n.d.), inequality is revealed if one set of people is perceived to be more special than others. This can be done by suppressing the vulnerable group through power. It is evident in the video that men prove their masculinity by exerting power on women through threats. Also Muslim women are denied their rights compared to white counterparts. This provides a base for racial discrimination which is unethical in the current world.
Finally, all people are equal regardless of gender, race, or social status. Different humans have various abilities which should be embraced for human development. All these societal and cultural vices should not be entertained as they are dangerous. The class has really helped ne have a better understanding of race, inequality and gender and will provide an excellent basis to reevaluate my beliefs and bet a better individual.
Works Cited
Bercaw, Nancy, and Ted Ownby. Gender. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2009
Kimmel, Michael S, and Tristan Bridges. Masculinity. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.
McDermott, Monika L. Masculinity, Femininity, and American Political Behavior. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2016
Mullen, Ann L. Degrees of Inequality: Culture, Class, and Gender in American Higher Education. Baltimore, Md: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012.
Stewart, Gail B. Racism. San Diego, Calif: Kidhaven Press, 2003
