This week for class I examined the book Cultural Studies by Chris Barker and specifically chapter nine and his section on "Men and Masculinity." The section in Barker’s chapter Sex, Subjectivity and Representation really caught my interest. This section highlighted the social pressures and stereotypes created by society that are put on men. Men seek to separate themselves from women through less emotional behavior and societal standards of “control over other people and control over themselves” (Barker, 302). Barker states that men typically inhabit characteristics such as: “strength, power, stoicism, action, control, independence, self-sufficiency, male camaraderie/mateship and work” (Barker, 302). These characteristics are seen amongst most men today and if a male strays away from these male characteristics defined by society he is given a negative label. I also found the section on Problematic masculinity and The roots of male addiction interesting as typically female problems caused by societal norms are highlights whereas here the problems men encounter because of the societal norms they have to live up to are discussed. These sections discuss how men deal with the pressure of being the bread winners in society some men turn to addiction or depression, “along with the self-perceived failure to meet cultural expectations of achievement. Lies at the root of depression and drug abuse amongst men” (Barker, 304). When reading I connected it to so many men I have seen in my life who have faced or face alcohol and drug addiction fit this interpretation. A man has so much pressure to solely provide for his family, and if he does not he is a failure. Men’s success in life is so much defined by their career the amount of money they make that there is bound to be men who crack under the pressure of society because let’s face it…men are human just like women.
We also watched the film American Psycho and connected the movie to Barker's findings. I have never watched the film American Psycho and was surprised by how much the main character mirrored the problems men can encounter outlined in Barker’s “Problematic masculinity” section. The main character Patrick Bateman was the epitome of what a man is constructed to be by society wealthy, powerful, handsome, and unemotional. The movie depicted however, the dark side of a wealthy man where he seems to be there but in the movie admits that he is only a shell and there is nothing inside, “he is not really there.” It is very scary to see how societal pressures can push someone, especially males to their extreme to be at the top and as Patrick states, “to fit in.” Although this is a very extreme example because I am sure not all successful men turn into mass murders under pressure, there is a huge problem with the reputation that society makes for men and expects them to live up to.
We also watched the film American Psycho and connected the movie to Barker's findings. I have never watched the film American Psycho and was surprised by how much the main character mirrored the problems men can encounter outlined in Barker’s “Problematic masculinity” section. The main character Patrick Bateman was the epitome of what a man is constructed to be by society wealthy, powerful, handsome, and unemotional. The movie depicted however, the dark side of a wealthy man where he seems to be there but in the movie admits that he is only a shell and there is nothing inside, “he is not really there.” It is very scary to see how societal pressures can push someone, especially males to their extreme to be at the top and as Patrick states, “to fit in.” Although this is a very extreme example because I am sure not all successful men turn into mass murders under pressure, there is a huge problem with the reputation that society makes for men and expects them to live up to.
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