Research thus far
November 9, 2007
Project Masculinity from a white guy’s perspective:
Alright so here’s what I’m using so far…
Susan Faludi’s Stiffed
Michael Kimmel’s Manhood in America
Willard Gaylin’ The Male Ego
Matthew Jacobson’s Whiteness of a Different Color
Higginbotham and Andersen’s Race and Ethnicity in Society
Fred Pfeil’s White Guys
There seems to be an abundance of literature pertaining to my topic, so my excuse for creating a mediocre piece can’t come from lack of resource material. I haven’t quite decided what theorist(s) to use- most likely Fanon and Foucault and/or possibly Butler.
I just started reading the Faludi which led me to another route of interest. The end of the frontiersman signified by the end of the great world wars leaves only space as the final frontier. The average man cannot boldly go where no man has gone before- another unfulfilled destiny.
I like Pfeil’s White Guys. He does a lot of name dropping and seems a bit like Powers to me because you have to have a lot of preconceived knowledge to understand bits. It will be one of my main sources because it splices media to show the creation of the struggling male. Some of it reminds me of Horko and Adorno’s piece from 330; putting our own lives on the screen, watching some fulfillment of destiny and leaving the theatre disappointed.
In American Beauty Kevin Spacey’s character is being watched in several ways. His wife monitors their relationship to fulfill her need to project an image of success. His daughter watches him interact with her attractive friend and observes him not filling the correct fatherly role. The Nazi neighbor suspects him of being a homosexual. He observes his interactions with gay neighbors and his son. Ricky, the neighbor’s son, films everything. The list goes on and on. It is a great text to have to work with.
If anyone has any other insights into this text please point me towards them. Sometimes it’s difficult to see outside the box to observe it. That sounds quite postmodern to me; to be able to remove oneself from a cultural force in order to critique it; removing myself from masculinity to comment on masculinity….?
I have failed thus far to incorporate any whiteness into my study. This may or may not happen- there aren’t any other racial groups represented in the film. I know that that is an in, but it leads to a dead end (so far). To be continued….
When I was researching last night I came across this and thought maybe it could help you. “Rethinking Masculinity: Philosophical Explorations in Light of Feminism” is in the basement of the library. The call # is 305.31 R438m. Like I said, not sure if it helps with the direction you want to go in, but figured it might be worth a try.
Hey Mikey,
Check out the American Psychological Association, Invited Address, 2007 “Is There Anything Good About Men?” by Roy F. Baumeister
http://www.psy.fsu.edu/~baumeistertice/goodaboutmen.htm
Great material to help think about waning masculinity. I think we agree that you’d have to start with Butler in that Gender is assigned and assumed, not inherent. Once assigned and assumed, Baumeister speaks to the ways in which the dominant gender role has shifted from men to women with reasons rooted in both biological and social difference.
(I thought of this only because I stuck it in one of my Winterson posts.)
By the way, it’s a relatively short read so if you decide not to use it, you’ll have wasted little time.
If you get a chance to look at my blog, I have found some interesting and useful websites and online journals, that despite are more-so talking about figh club since that is what pertains to my topic, it will give you some more information on postmodern masculinity and what others are saying about it at the moment.