(Westernized masculine system structure!! )
Being a male, I have never doubted the power of men. All the privileges men possess seem so natural to me. This patriarchy system in U.S. culture seems to be the way it supposes to be. However, is this true? It was a true statement to me before I started college. It was some what true after I attended college. It was some what not true after I started taking CES courses at college. Now, I think this patriarchy system is so screwed up after examining the system structure in U.S. culture.
I was the kind of person that believe if you have power, you will be able to do most things you like to do. If you are strong, no one will want to mess with you. -- Don't you think this statement seems to familiar to you? Where did I get this concept? The answer will not surprise you. I learned this concept from Darwin's "Natural Selection". Darwin believed that only if the creature is superior than the others, they will have better chance to survive. Most people who believe this concept also believe that the only way to survive in this society is to be superior than the others. There's a term called "Survival of the fittest" and it was first used by Herbert Spencer. Herbert Spencer once used this term in the context of societies at war, "Thus by survival of the fittest, the militant type of society becomes characterized by profound confidence in the governing power, joined with a loyalty causing submission to it in all matters whatever." (Survival of the fittest, Wikipedia) To me, this term "Survival of the fittest" is why I believed that holding power is the key to achieve something.
What changed the way I think about this patriarchy system in U.S. culture? After taking some courses that related to ethnic studies at college, I started to examine the U.S. system structure. Then that one time when I was watching a film called, "Tough Guise", in one of my class, I was triggered by what I saw in that film. The information I received from the film was a key to find the answers of all the questions I had about patriarchy system in U.S. culture.
Works Cited:
Charles, Darwin. "Natural selection." The Origin of Species. 1859. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 1 Apr. 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_selection>
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2 comments:
I was immediatly compelled when I saw you refrencing "Tough Guise" in this article, and really thinking about the constructs of masculinity.
I'm engaged with the conversation you seem to be having with yourself, about what makes a man a man. Is a man, male if he's skinny? Is a man male if he's homosexual? These are questions I hear echoing behind this post and it makes me think.
Is a man, male if he's skinny? Is a man male if he's homosexual? - These are questions that I was looking for the answers when I first started the project. In the western culture, I think man is supposed to be heterosexual. If you are not, then people refer you as "gay" which I think it's not the way it supposes to be.
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