Introduction

Learning outcome 1- Critical understanding of gender theories

◦ The influence of philosophy on the rational man

◦ Man and emotion

◦ Representations of the body

◦ Television programmes, characters (we looked at these a few weeks ago)

◦ Example: Prime Ministers Question Time and Masculinity

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 1

Plato

Did not discriminate between men and women

◦ Rational: think with their heads

◦ Courageous: think with their hearts

◦ Appetitive: think with their stomachs

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 2

Reason and Emotion

Rationalist model still underlies rational thought styles

Descartes – mastery of reason over passion

Spinoza – rational control over passion and using this for transformation

Spinoza – described pity as womanish

Ideal is masculine

Essence of man- Spinoza – thinking being

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 3

Descartes Mind/Body dualism

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 4

Criticism of Mind/Body Dualism

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 5

Spinoza

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 6

Mind, body and Zen

Intuition associated with female

thought styles

Female minds more intuitive and

less rational than male minds

Man of Reason still influences

contemporary society

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle

maintenance – expansion of

reason

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 7

Body, masculinity and emotion

Cartesian rationalism teaches men to estrange themselves from bodies

◦ And from emotional selves

Treat bodies as objects - ‘man enough to take it’

Wary of others (Kant)

Emotion as sign of weakness and threat to male identity

Men cry for a reason! Women crying are out of control

Cultural emotional displays

Appropriate or not? (football and men crying: Daily Mail article) - Men crying

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 8

Differences in representation

Nixon – male and female bodies represented

differently

Masculine-masculine gaze

Also female gaze

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 9

Physical appearance

Central to contemporary representations of

masculinity

Male bodies objectified

◦ Can threaten masculinity

Muscles are focused upon (Kilbourne 2003) (e.g.

Fitness videos)

Face, body shape, clothing are signifiers

Explosion of beauty products

Hyper masculine physiques (see the examples in

this film)

Also waif like body image/eating disorders

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 10

Body Maintenance

Body maintenance

◦ Informed by knowledge

◦ Machines to be worked on

Focus on lad characteristics

more recently

Laddish rejection of body

maintenance (Nuts, Zoo)

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 11

PMQ

Institutionalised Masculinity

Verbal aggression, competitiveness,

performance, war metaphors

PMQ radio reporting and heated moments

in parliament

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 12

Summary

The man of reason and the place of

emotion

Dissociation from body

Appropriateness of men crying

The male body objectified

The male body as machine

Example: Prime Minsters Question Time

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 13

References

Edwards, T. (1997). Men in the Mirror. Men’s

Fashion, Masculinity and Consumer Society,

London, Continuum.

Nixon, S. (1997). Exhibiting Masculinity In S.

Hall (ed.) Representation: Cultural

Representations and Signifying Practices.

London, Sage.

Pirsig, R. (1999) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle

Maintenance. London, Vintage.

Barbara Mitra MECS3003 14