Hegemonic Masculinity In Star Wars

Myers clearly shows that the military forces men to act masculine when he writes, “My father used to call all soldiers angel warriors. He said, because usually they get boys to fight wars.” (Myers 214) It is clear that Myers is explaining that the military creates an environment in which men are forced to flaunt their masculinity and prove themselves to others. The military creates an environment that perpetuates an over exaggeration of masculinity.

Masculinity has been a heated debated topic over the past years. Not just america or europe, but our whole society. Men tend to think that entering manhood is a good thing, but most don’t know it can be just as detrimental to our society. Men have certain characteristic when it concerns to masculinity and when doing so it can have a range of effects. So, how do men identify themselves masculine and how do they define themselves that way?

History has repeatedly given men privilege due to their physical advantages; yet it is these same advantages that have developed into “rules” or expectations that all men should conform to in order to prove their manhood. Michael Kimmel’s essay, “‘Bros Before Hos': The Guy Code” outlines the “rules” where men are expected to never show any emotions, be brave, act knowledgeable, be risk takers, be in control, act reliable, and be competitive, otherwise they would be showing weakness which is analogous to women. It is humiliating that men associate weakness with women; they should focus on the potential of the individual rather than their gender. Most insults toward men attack their masculinity because society finds it shameful for men to be

The Star Wars movie that recently came out is primarily being marketed towards boys but they aren't the only ones. Toys are being only marketed to one gender even if it's something both genders would enjoy playing with. An example of this is the topic in an article by the Associated Press. They explain how Rey, who is the main character in the new starwars movie, is scarcely in any of the toys being sold. According to the Associated Press, many people were outraged at the fact that Rey seemed to be missing from toys and games.

The female representation in all Star Wars movies was primarily made up of only two characters, Leia and Padme, until episode 7. The female characters during the first 6 episodes had some strong stereotypical imagery. A scene where Leia was a slave in a bikini was frequently used as a reference for her. For Padme, it was her sentimental relationship with one male character. In episode 7, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, the female representation changed positively with more participation in leading roles and one of the three producers.

“Masculinity as Homophobia” an article by S. Kimmel, that talks about how men these days have the fear of being judged and ranked based on their manhood. There are some arguments that the Professor mentions and uses in his article that supports his argument and some experiences from other people 's perspective in life of men over the years. The author’s main argument is about how men these days are being watched and judged closely based on how they walk, talk, eat, dress, move and look like. The author explains how the world is judging men and how it tries to take that power and that pride of being a man.

Connell describes hegemonic masculinity as normative, the most exemplary way of being a man, and a position which all other men relate to, which legitimized male domination over women (Connell 832).Military drafting is a discursive practice—a product of hegemonic masculinity, in which uses male conscripts body’s to reproduce ‘maleness’ based on a heteronormative framework in order to maintain its regime. Although hegemonic masculinity cannot be achieved, it continues to produce “tension between what culture wants the male body to be and what the body is or wants to become” (Reeser 101). A thorough analysis of the law aims to prove that the drafting law forces male conscript to practice hegemonic masculinity through promotion of exclusivity

There is a lot of pressure on men in society to be manly; however, what exactly does it mean to be manly? Though many people have different opinions, a lot of them conclude that a man has to be strong and somewhat emotionless to be considered a man. This assumption can lead to Toxic Masculinity, which is “A false idea that men are expected to be as manly as possible” (The Hard, Adrenaline-Soaked Truth About 'Toxic Masculinity, 2017). Men are forced to face these assumptions not only from those around him, but also from people he might see in Media. Media reinforces Toxic Masculinity which in turn causes men to belittle women.

Male Dominance as a Consequence of a Patriarchal Society ¨You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have,¨ according to Sarah Williams. This situation embodies that of Mrs. Mallard. In ¨The Story of An Hour¨ by Kate Chopin an analysis of diction reveals male dominance as a consequence of the patriarchy. Male dominance is an unintended consequence that shows up when one looks closer at the beginning of the story.

The last element is “the need to be self-reliant and independent” wherein men believe that they can manage things on their own. Men think that being weak and dependent is not masculine (Lips 242, 243). In addition, Verser, in his work “Strokes and Strokes: Men and Competition” mentioned that masculine roles teach boys to become competitive resulting to “emotional alienation”

In the 16th century, not only in England but also almost in all the countries, all the families were “under” the patriarchal society. A patriarchy, from the ancient Greek patriarches, was a society where power was held by and passed down through the elder males. When modern historians and sociologists describe a "patriarchal society," they mean that men hold the positions of power: head of the family unit, leaders of social groups, boss in the workplace and heads of government. Unfortunately, this fact still exists, even today in the 21st century in many countries, especially in the Muslim countries where women have restricted rights. Patriarchal society, manhood, and the sense of masculinity, in my opinion, raise two main issues: the issue

These social structures include sports, education, popular culture and media. Connell expands on this idea by stating that an embedded hierarchy is embedded in hegemonic masculinity. This hierarchy is caused by factors such as heterosexual marriage, social authority and physical strength. Throughout history we can see examples of hegemonic masculinity such as the role of women in the workforce and their struggle to break through the glass ceiling.

In an attempt to preserve his “power” he lost his life in the very hand of the individual whom he was trying to impress. Although the concept of masculinity is o longer regarded with the same power, individuals continue to take actions to show their “bravery” in the eyes of other. An example of this is my own brother, who although is an intelligent individual, continues to be affected by the concept of masculinity. He spends countless hours going to the gym so that he may look stronger in the eyes of others. Even though he is fit, he is reluctant to give up and continues to preach for (a symbolic) perfection so that he may appear to be powerful.

Establishing male supremacy is the mindset of a misogynist. This is specifically important because gender is constantly changing; when femininity alters and masculinity changes to compensate, always fluctuating based on the other gender. Constantly changing genders cause confusion, but change also brings awareness to the issues it causes. Recognition of the subordination of women has compromised the dominance of males leading to new forms of masculinity. Since women have begun to explore the “domains” of men, misogynists change what it means to be masculine to compensate.

Masculinity (also called boyhood, manliness or manhood) is a set of attributes, behaviors and roles generally associated with boys and men. But the culture doesn’t end at the definition, it starts from there. The first thing to come to mind when the word masculinity is heard is usually a man flexing his gigantic muscles, as the word might sound to suggest, and that right there is the current culture of masculinity because sadly, in the world we live in, not everyone has a “muscular body”. So far we know the concept of masculinity, but the culture is what is truly hampering.