Sociology of Masculinities - Creating a meme and providing an analysis

Sociology of Masculinities and Creating and providing Meme analysis
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Sociology of Masculinities and Creating and providing Meme analysis
Masculinity is a phenomenon that has been part of society since time immemorial. Under social circles, masculinity is often packaged as hegemonic masculinity. Hegemonic masculinity refers to a broad practice that nurtures men's dominant roles and positions in the community and provides both justification and legitimacy for the subordination of the typical male population and women, and other lesser ways of being a man that is considered less prestigious. The core element underpinning hegemonic masculinity is the presentation of pathways and trajectories that men would often enjoy dominance over women and other groups that are perceived to show ‘feminine’ features.
The meme below is an illustration detailing ‘strong masculine’ features that denote control and dominance over others who are perceived to be weaker. The idea of gender domination lies at the apex of male hegemonic societies. Gender dominance reflects male behavioral ideals that promote stereotypical masculine heterosexual values that perpetuate the concept of dominant masculinity, with far-reaching implications, including subordination of women and men representing marginalized masculinities such as gay men. The hegemonic masculine societies are manifested by traits that show dominance, independence, competitiveness, physical features such as being masculine with a deep voice and role behaviors, painting initiative takers, and leading providers. However, the form of masculinity occupying the hegemonic position in a culture at any particular time is always contestable.
Contreras (2009) defines masculinity as resistance to a global world. Masculinity undesirable outcomes involve being used to drive the wedge of inequity by creating hegemonic societies where, for example, women are expected to cook at home, while men would comfortably get paid to cook at the restaurant as chefs (Szabo, 2014). The observation refines how men have reframed the issue of masculinity to fit into emerging concepts of masculinities. Generally, men deploy masculinity to resist global challenges, including poverty and a struggling economy.
Hegemonic Masculinity Analysis
Hegemonic masculinity permeates through contemporary societies and various social spaces and cycles. Hegemonic masculinity is a broad terminology reflecting the practices, behaviors, attitudes, sexualities, emotions, positions, bodies, organizations, and varied expectations culturally associated with people’s understanding of being male (Pascoe and Bridges, 2016). The concept of masculinity is defined by physical sexuality, gender identity of being male or female, and sexuality based on individual’s desire. Over recent times, the scholarly discourses are unraveling the intricacies and mystery surrounding masculinity. The hegemonic masculinity debates have exposed critical challenges underpinning masculinity where its adverse consequences are already becoming clearer as discourse takes center stage. The studies on street crime research show that female robbers use their less ‘dominant’ sexuality to lure male victims and male criminals construct masculinity via women's sexual and economic manipulation (Contreras, 2009). Male drug robbers lure male dealers via women while believing that men will demonstrate masculinity through sexual interactions with women.
Hegemonic masculinity is a socially constructed concept. Thus, the meanings of masculinity are not trans-historical or universal. The differences among men are essential when understanding masculinity. Not all men are indebted to hold similar views on masculinity (Pascoe and Bridges, 2016). Besides, not only men enjoy similar privileges by being male. It must also be noted that masculinity may or may not be associated with a male body. The meaning and interpretation of masculinity broaden when it is considered that masculinity does not apply exclusively to men, but also women can adopt masculinity tendencies.
Pascoe and Bridges (2016) argued that the social constru...