Masculinity and Hegemony (and How Much That Exclusive Combination Pisses Me Off)

It makes me incredibly frustrated to think about masculinity and hegemony. There is unquestionably a connection between the two; leadership and dominance seems to be embedded in the prescribed social role of the male, just as emotionality and passivity seem to be embedded in that of the female. I'm not saying that all men are dominant or that all women are passive, but I do assert that these descriptions are expected and enforced by today's society. As Jeffrey noted in his post, men tend to keep the definition of masculinity in place by policing each other's actions. Women do the same for each other--and they do it for men by choosing males that exhibit the most supposedly masculine traits. Hence the stereotype of women pursuing men who are wealthy, powerful, and/or "bad boys." This perpetuates gender roles (including the link between power and masculinity). So how can gender roles be changed when people don't WANT them to change?! There are *some* people who are actively working for change, but they represent a drop in the bucket compared to the global population. As Professor Halberstam has mentioned, there is comfort in conformity, pleasure in the maintenance of gender roles. Lately I've become more sensitive to policing of traits based on gender, and it's ubiquitous. Men show distaste when women seem too muscular or powerful, and women express instant disgust when men show weakness or care about their appearance too much. Quite honestly, their disgust is disgusting to me, because it is such a perfect illustration of how human nature has perpetuated gender stereotypes and inequality for so long.

I wish we could all live in a bubble like the one Grace describes, where gender norms aren't policed and people can simply be themselves, without worrying about being mocked or about forcing themselves into the narrow boundaries of gender roles. That would be fantastic. Unfortunately, our world as a whole is nowhere near that kind of open-minded utopia. Gender roles (and the hegemony of masculinity) continue. And as much as I want them to change, I can't see how they will when they're constantly reinforced by society. It makes me sad. And angry. Damn herd mentality.